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Why visit Shashamane
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 2 parks and trails, 8 places to eat and 6 places to stay in and around town.
Weather in Shashamane
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Shashamane
Shashamane (Oromo: Shaashamannee, Amharic: ሻሸመኔ) is a city in southern Ethiopia. Located in the Oromia Region with a 2007 Census population of 100,454, but with an estimated 208,368 inhabitants in mid 2022; the town is known for its Rastafarian community. The town has numerous sub-cities, namely Abosto, Alelu, Arada, Awasho, Dida boqe, Bulchana, Burqa Gudina, Kuyera, Awasho Dhenqu, Aleche Harebate, Edola burqa, Alelu Ilu, Bute filicha, Kerara filicha, Ilala Qorke, Meja Dema, and Bulchana Deneba. The resort of Wondo Genet lies near Shashamane, as does the Senkele Wildlife Sanctuary.
From the Wikipedia article Shashamane (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Shashamane on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Museums and landmarks2
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes8
Where to stay6
History
Following the end of the Italian invasion in 1941 and Emperor Haile Selassie's return to the throne, he made plans to grant 500 acres of fertile land to black refugees in 1948 in response to racism in the United States.
Haile Selassie formed the first Ethiopian World Federation (EWF) in Harlem, New York and prepared a series of events to bond with African Americans for the Ethiopian culture before announcing The Land Grants. While one of the female members of the EWF was visiting Jamaica she leaked the information about the Land Grant with the people of Jamaica. The Land Grants were specifically intended for African Americans in return for intervening in favor of the royal family during the second world war. Once information about the possibility of immigration to Ethiopia spread many made plans to immigrate, divisions of the EWF began appearing internationally to take advantage of the Land Grants Haile Selassie left for African Americans. The official letter confirming the "Land Grant" of 1948 was submitted to the members and executives of the Ethiopian World Federation in New York City in 1955.
From the History section of Shashamane on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship7
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries3
Healthcare3
Map of Shashamane
34 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Hawassa Airport (AWA) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 25 km away.
- Kuyera 12 km northeast, about 12 min by car
- Arsi Negele 19 km northeast, about 19 min by car
- Awasa 21 km southwest, about 21 min by car
- Kofelē 25 km southeast, about 25 min by car
- Leku 40 km southwest, about 40 min by car
- Yirga ‘Alem 54 km south, about 54 min by car
- K’olīto 58 km west, about 58 min by car
- Dimtu 60 km southwest, about 1 h by car
- Āsasa 67 km east, about 1 h by car
- Wendo 70 km south, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Shashemene, Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Building construction in Shashemene, Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Fruit stall in Shashemene, Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Shashemene Banner, Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Shashemene (cropped), Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Shop in Shashemane - panoramio, ferna.se, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Twelve Tribes of Israel headquarters, Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0
Page built November 4, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.