Hawassa

Hawassa አዋሳ (Amharic) Awassa Awasa
Capital city
From top: Sidama Monument, Hawassa Industrial Park, Hawassa Kenema Stadium, St. Gabriel Church; outskirt view, Lake Hawassa
Hawassa Location within Ethiopia Hawassa Location within the Horn of Africa Hawassa Location within Africa
Coordinates: 7°3′N 38°28′E
Country	Ethiopia
Region	Sidama
Founded	1958
Founder	Haile Selassie
Government
• Mayor	Tsegaye Tuke Kia
Area
• Total	50 km2 (19 sq mi)
Elevation	1,708 m (5,604 ft)
Population  (2007)
• Total	258,808
• Estimate  (2023)	577,075
• Density	5,200/km2 (13,000/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+3 (EAT)
Area code	46
Climate	Aw

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Hawassa (Amharic: አዋሳ; ʾäwasa, also spelled Awassa or Awasa), known historically as Adare, is a city in Ethiopia, on the shores of Lake Hawassa in the Great Rift Valley. It is 273 km (170 mi) south of Addis Ababa via Bishoftu, 130 km (81 mi) east of Sodo, and 75 km (47 mi) north of Dilla. The town serves as the capital of the Sidama Region. It lies on the Trans-African Highway 4 Cairo-Cape Town and has a latitude and longitude of 7°3′N 38°28′E and an elevation of 1,708 meters (5,604 ft) above sea level. Its name comes from a Sidama word meaning "wide body of water".

The city is home to Hawassa University a major university in the country (which includes Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources, an Agricultural College, the Main Campus, and a Health Sciences College), Awasa Adventist College, and a major market. The city is served by Awasa Airport (ICAO code HALA, IATA AWA), opened in 1988. Postal service is provided by the main branch; electricity and telephone service are also available. Important local attractions include the St. Gabriel Church and the Awassa Kenema Stadium. Fishing is a major local industry.

Hawassa was capital of the former Sidamo Province from about 1978 until the province was abolished with the adoption of the 1995 Constitution. It then became the capital of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region. When the Sidama Region was formed in June 2020, the city became part of that region. Hawassa currently serves as the capital of both the Sidama Region and the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region. Hawassa will continue to serve as the seat of government of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region for two national electoral cycles, after which the regional government will move to a city within the region's boundaries.