Hargeisa
| |
|---|---|
Drone view of Hargeisa, Hargeisa downtown, Hargeisa, Jama Mosque, Naasa Hablood | |
 Flag  Local council seal of Hargeisa | |
 Interactive map outlining Hargeisa | |
| Coordinates: 9°33′47″N 44°4′3″E / 9.56306°N 44.06750°E | |
| Country |  Somaliland |
| Region | Maroodi Jeh |
| District | Hargeisa District |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Abdikarim Ahmed Mooge[1][2] |
| Area | |
• Total | 140 km2 (50 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,334 m (4,377 ft) |
| Population (2019)[3] | |
• Total | 1,200,000 |
| • Rank | 1st |
| • Density | 1,600/km2 (3,000/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Hargeysaawi هرجيساوي |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (EAT) |
| Area code | +252 |
| Website | dhhgov.org |
Hargeisa (/hɑːrˈɡeɪsə/ har-GAY-sə; Somali: Hargeysa; Arabic: هرجيسا, romanized: Harjīsā)[4][5] is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Somaliland, a de facto sovereign state in the Horn of Africa, still considered internationally to be part of Somalia. It is also the regional capital of the Maroodi Jeex region of Somaliland.[6][7]
Hargeisa was founded as a watering and trading stop between the coast and the interior by the Isaaq Sultanate. Initially it served as a watering well for the vast livestock of the Isaaq clan that inhabited that specific region and later were joined by other Isaaq clans that currently inhabit Hargeisa. In 1960, the Somaliland Protectorate gained independence from the United Kingdom and as scheduled united days later with the Trust Territory of Somaliland (former Italian Somaliland) to form the Somali Republic on 1 July.[8] Up to 90% of the city was destroyed during the Isaaq genocide, a state-sponsored campaign of violence during the Somaliland War of Independence.
Hargeisa is situated in a valley in the Galgodon (Ogo) highlands, and sits at an elevation of 1,334 m (4,377 ft). Home to rock art from the Neolithic period, the city is also a commercial hub for precious stone-cutting, construction, retail services and trading, among other activities.[4]
- ^ "Duqa cusub ee magaalada Hargeysa oo la doortay". 17 June 2021.
- ^ "Somaliland: AbdiKarim Ahmed Mooge Sworn in as the New Mayor of Hargeisa". 17 June 2021. Archived from the original on 29 June 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
- ^ https://www.thebrenthurstfoundation.org/downloads/hargeisa_discussion-paper-04-2019-hargeisa-somaliland-invisible-city.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ a b "Hargeisa". Jubba Airways. Archived from the original on January 22, 2013. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
- ^ "Somalia: largest cities and towns and statistics of their population". world-gazetteer.com. Archived from the original on December 4, 2012. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
- ^ Einashe, Ismail; Kennard, Matt (22 October 2018). "In the Valley of Death: Somaliland's Forgotten Genocide". The Nation. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
- ^ Tekle, Amare (1994). Eritrea and Ethiopia: From Conflict to Cooperation. The Red Sea Press. ISBN 9780932415974.
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica, The New Encyclopædia Britannica, (Encyclopædia Britannica: 2002), p.835