Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region
Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region
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| Former regional state | |||||||||||
| 1992–2023 | |||||||||||
Flag | |||||||||||
Map of Ethiopia showing Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region (1992 to 2020 boundaries) | |||||||||||
| Capital | Hawassa | ||||||||||
| Area | |||||||||||
| • Coordinates | 6°30′N 37°06′E / 6.5°N 37.1°E | ||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||
• 2023 | 13,044,044 | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
• Established | 1992 | ||||||||||
• Disestablished | 2023 | ||||||||||
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The Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region (often abbreviated as SNNPR; Amharic: የደቡብ ብሔር ብሔረሰቦችና ሕዝቦች ክልል, romanized: Yädäbub Bḥer Bḥeräsäbočna Hzboč Kllə) was a regional state in southwestern Ethiopia. It was formed from the merger of five kililoch, called Regions 7 to 11, following the regional council elections on 21 June 1992. Its government was based in Hawassa.
The SNNPR bordered Kenya to the south (including a small part of Lake Turkana), the Ilemi Triangle (a region claimed by Kenya and South Sudan) to the southwest, Oromia region to the north and east. The capital city of the region was Hawassa. The region included major cities and towns like Wolaita Sodo, Arba Minch, Jinka, Dila, Boditi, Areka, Butajira, Welkite, Bonga, Hosaena and Worabe.
The region dissolved when Sidama Region, Southwest Ethiopia Region, South Ethiopia Regional State and Central Ethiopia Regional State emerged independently.
In June 2020, following the formation of the Sidama Region the region's capital Hawassa is located outside of the boundaries of the region. The then regional government planned to move to a city within the region's boundaries after two consecutive national electoral cycles. The largest cities in the region were Sodo with a population of 194,977 and Arba Minch with a population of 151,013.
The dissolution of the region was certain when on 18 August 2023 the South Ethiopia Regional State was created following the 2023 South Ethiopia Region referendum with remainder of the SNNPR becoming the Central Ethiopia Regional State.