Shewa, also spelled Showa, or Shoa, historic kingdom of central Ethiopia. It lies mostly on high plateau country, rising to 13,123 feet (4,000 m) in Mount Ābuyē Mēda. Its modern capital and main commercial centre is Addis Ababa. Shewa is bounded on the northwest by the Blue Nile River and on the southwest by the Omo River; its eastern and southeastern boundaries are in the Great Rift Valley along the Awash River.