Adowa (also spelled Aduwa, Adwa or Adua) is a highland town in Ethiopia. Adowa is now in the Tigray region and was in earlier times the capital of ancient Ethiopia.

Located in northern Ethiopia, south of Asmara, Eritrea and between Axum and Adigrat , Adowa is a center for agricultural markets. As of 1994, the town had a population of 24,519.

The town is known for being the site of the Battle of Adowa in 1896, the final battle of the First Italo-Abyssinian War, where Shewa ruler Menelik II fought for Ethiopia's independence against Italy. Menelik led the Ethiopian Army to a decisive victory against the Italtians. This event was the first time a European force lost a battle on the continent of Africa. The victory at Adwa ensured an independent Ethiopia untill the Italians invaded again on the eve of World War Two