The State of Oromia sprawls over the largest part of the country and at present consists of 12 administrative zones and 180 woredas. Of the 12 zones, Bale and Borena account for 45.7% of the State's total area but only about 14% of the state's population. The Council of the State of Oromia is the highest body of its administration.
 
CAPITAL CITY
The capital city of the State of Oromiya is Finfine (Addis Ababa)

LOCATION
The State of Oromia borders Afar, Amhara and the State of Benshangul/Gumuz in the north, Kenya in the south, The State of Somali in the east, the Republic of the Sudan and the state of Benishangul/gumuz in the west, the State of Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' and the state of Gambella in the south.

AREA
Based on the political map (1994 Population and Housing Census Commission, CSA), the estimated area of the State of Oromia is about 353,690 Km2, and accounts for almost 32% of the country.

POPULATION
According to the 1994 census result the total population was 18,732,525 of which 9,371,228 were males and 9,361,297 females. The rural residents of the State accounts for 89.5% of the total.

The religious composition of the population of the State indicated that 44.3% were Muslims, 41.3% Orthodox Christians, 8.6% Protestants, and 4.2% followers of traditional religions. The remaining 1.6% constitute other religious groups. In urban Oromia Orthodox Christians constitute 67.8% of the population, followed by Muslims 24.0% and Protestants 7%.

According to the 1994 census result, the major ethnic groups within the State include 85% Oromo, 9.1% Amhara and 1.3% Gurage (some of Sebatbet Guragie, Sodo Gurage and Siltie). The remaining 4.6% constitute other ethnic groups.

Oromifa (Oromigna), presently inscribed with Latin characters, is the official language. It consitutes 83.5% of the spoken language. Other major languages are Amharic 11%, Guragigna (Sebatbet, Sodogna, Siltigna and Hadiyigna together), 0.98%, Gedeogna 0.98% and Tigrigna 0.25%.

MAJOR ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES
Over 90% of the people of Oromia live in the rural area, and agriculture has remained the source of livelihood for the overwhelming majority of the people. The main agricultural crops include maize, teff, wheat, barley, peas, bean and various types of oil seeds. Coffee is the main cash crop in the region. Oromia accounts for 51.2% of the crop production, 45.1% of the area under temporary crops and 44% of the total livestock population of Ethiopia.