Konta special woreda

Konta, previously called Ela, is one of the woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. It is named after Konta people who speak the dialect of Dawro language. Because Konta is not part of any Zone in the SNNPR, it is considered a Special woreda, an administrative subdivision which is similar to an autonomous area. This special woreda is bordered on the south by the Omo River which separates it from the Gamo Gofa Zone and Debub Omo Zone, on the west by the Keffa Zone, on the north by the Gojeb River which separates it from the Oromia Region, and on the east by the Dawro Zone; the Denchya River defines the southern part of the boundary with the Keficho Shekicho Zone. The administrative center is Ameya; other towns include Chida.

According to a 2004 report, Konta had 51 kilometers of all-weather roads and 98 kilometers of dry-weather roads, for an average road density of 66 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers. This woreda is part of a region characterized by hills, and is not suitable for grazing or cultivation, but farmers cultivate the sloping land, leading to erosion and reduced soil fertility. Important food crops include enset, sweet potatoes, taro and beans, while important cash crops are maize, teff and pulses.

Originally Konta was part of the Semien (North) Omo Zone, and the 1994 national census counted its inhabitants as part of that Zone. However friction between the various ethnic groups in this Zone, which was often blamed on the Welayta for "ethnic chauvinism" and despite the efforts of the ruling party to emphasize the need to co-ordinate, consolidate, and unify the smaller ethnic units to achieve the "efficient use of scarce government resources", eventually led to the division of the Zone in 2000, and reorganizing Konta as a special woreda.

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