Adua

Adua, also spelled Adwa, is a place name and given name used in various languages. The name most commonly refers to Adwa, a town in the Tigray Region of northern Ethiopia. In Italian-language sources, especially from the colonial era, the town is frequently rendered as Adua. Today the town remains an important regional town in northern Ethiopia.

Adwa is notable for the Battle of Adwa (also called the Battle of Adowa) fought on March 1, 1896 during the First Italo-Ethiopian War. Ethiopian forces led by Emperor Menelik II defeated Italian troops, resulting in a decisive Ethiopian victory that secured independence and became a symbol of African resistance to colonialism. The battle is commemorated in Ethiopian history and is remembered as a milestone in the broader history of anti-colonial movements across Africa.

The spelling Adua may also appear in historical maps or texts when referring to the same place and may function as a given name in some cultures. The divergence in spelling reflects transliteration from local languages and historical influence, particularly from Italian sources during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

See also: Adwa, Adowa (disambiguation).