Located in the Illubabor Zone of the Oromia along the Sor River, this town has a latitude and longitude of 8°18′N 35°35′E﻿ / ﻿8.300°N 35.583°E﻿ / 8.300; 35.583 and an altitude of 1605 meters. Metu was the capital of the former Illubabor Province from 1978 until the adoption of the new constitution in 1995.[1]