Awasa

Awasa is a growing Ethiopian city situated along the shores of Lake Hawassa in the Great Rift Valley. Serving as the capital of the Sidama Region, the urban center lies at a latitude of 7°3′N and a longitude of 38°28'E.

Foundations by Imperial Decree

Emperor Haile Selassie initiated the creation of a new town in 1957, drawn to the flat, expansive topography along the important Addis Abeba–Moyale highway and the scenic backdrop of Lake Hawassa and Dume hill, later named Tabor. Governor Ras Mengesha Seyoum enthusiastically promoted the urbanization, which led to the construction of a seasonal palace for the emperor in 1958 at Kutuwa. As the settlement expanded, over three thousand residents experienced displacement.

Political divisions marked the early urbanization. While Governor Ras Mengesha Seyoum pushed development forward, succeeding Governor Ras Andargachew Mesay opposed large mechanized farming projects unless alternative land and compensation were guaranteed to the local Sidama households whose homes faced destruction without notice. Despite these efforts, the government proceeded, displacing local residents and ultimately settling approximately four hundred heads of families who had served in the war against Italian aggression from 1935 to 1941.

Shifting Political Centers

The administrative transition took years amid resistance from landlords in Yirgalem. The office of the vice district governorate moved from Hawella Tulla to Awasa in 1960, and a municipality was officially established in 1962. The political center definitively shifted to Awasa in 1968, establishing it as the capital of the Sidamo Governorate General until the fall of the imperial regime in 1974. Detailed information regarding the community is maintained via the Hawassa City Administration official website.

Subsequent administrative reorganizations positioned the city as the capital for multiple regional entities, including the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region and the Sidama Region. Today, the urban area is divided into eight sub-cities: Addis Ketema, Hayk Dar, Bahil Adarash, Misrak, Menahreya, Tabor, Mehal Ketema, and Tula.