Hargeisa
| Hargeisa Hargeysa |
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  Hargeisa
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country |  Somalia |
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| Region | Somaliland |
| Sub-Region | Maroodi Jeex |
| Granted capital status | 1941 (British Somaliland) |
| 1991 (State of Somaliland) | |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Mudane Hussain Mohammoud Jiciir |
| Elevation | 1,326 m (4,350 ft) |
| Population | |
| - Total | 450,000 |
| - Density | 15/km² (38.8/sq mi) |
| Time zone | EAT (UTC+3) |
| Languages | Somali, Arabic and English |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
| Website: Hargeisa City Council | |
Hargeisa (Somali: Hargeysa) is a city in the secessionist northwestern Somaliland region of Somalia. It was also the colonial capital of British Somaliland from 1941 to 1960 when it united with the south to form the Somali Republic. Hargeisa is the largest city in the Somaliland region, and the second largest city in Somalia after Mogadishu, the nation's capital.
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History
Prehistoric inhabitants
The city is home to Neolithic cave paintings recently discovered named Laas Geel. The cave paintings are situated on the outskirts of the city, located around a plethora of granite alcoves and rocky mountains. The paintings show ancient inhabitants of the area worshipping cattle. It also shows animals which are commonly seen in the region primarily antelopes, camels and early dogs. The Laas Geel cave paintings were discovered in November 2002 by a French archaeological team. They contain some of the earliest known art in the Horn of Africa and the African continent in general, dating back to somewhere between 8,000 and 9,000 BCE.
Ottoman conquest
Along with the cities of Zeila and Berbera, the Ottoman Empire captured and colonised northwestern Somalia for almost 3 centuries. Hargeisa was also part of the area captured by the Ottoman Turks. There are many Ottoman colonial buildings across the three cities. Western Somaliland and Hargeisa were part of the Habesh region of the Ottoman Empire. The region was colonised due to its strategic location on the Red Sea.
British rule
Hargeisa and the whole Somaliland region was annexed by the British from Aden and they established a protectorate naming the region British Somaliland. Berbera, a major trading harbour on the Red Sea was the protectorate's first capital due to its strategic importance. However, the capital was moved from Berbera to Hargeisa, and the city was granted capital status in 1941. During the East African Campaign, the protectorate was occupied by Italy in August 1940, but recaptured by the British in March 1941. The protectorate gained its independence on 26 June 1960. Days later, the country was unified with Italian Somaliland to form a new Somali Republic (Somalia) on 1 July 1960.
1980s events
Due to the Barre regime's violent repression, Somalis in the northwestern part of the country (particularly the Isaaq clan), encouraged by Ethiopia in opposition to Somalia, took up arms and formed the Somaliland National Movement (S.N.M.) in 1981 to resist Barre. In the late 1980s, Barre virtually lost control of the province and ordered the air force to bomb Hargeisa, today's capital of Somaliland. The bombing and subsequent raids of government troops claimed tens of thousands of casualties. [1]
A war memorial in the form of a MiG fighter jet was erected in Hargeisa to mark this event.
Reconstruction
As control of Mogadishu shifted in favor of the United Somali Congress (USC) in 1991, a power struggle between the leaders led to the beginning of the city's destruction. As Mogadishu and southern Somalia was being destroyed, the opposite was happening in Hargeisa and the rest of northwestern Somalia. In 18 May 1991, secessionists in the Somaliland region had declared independence and reconstruction had begun there.
Since 1991, the city has undergone a massive facelift and over 99% of devastated commercial and residential homes have now been rebuilt and in better condition than before the war. Remittance money sent from overseas relatives contributed tremendously in the reconstruction of the city as well as entrepreneurial spirit of local residents and citizens throughout the Somaliland region.
Aid from foreign governments was non-existent, making it unusual in Africa for its low level of dependence on foreign aid. While Somaliland is a de-facto independent country, it is not legally (de-jure) recognized by any country or international organization. Hence, the government of Somaliland cannot access IMF and World Bank assistance.
Hargeisa has working traffic lights and traffic laws are respected. All residents entitled to drive must hold a photo driving license. All cars bear Somaliland license plates.
Geography
Hargeisa is located in a valley in the western section of the country. It is in a mountainous area because Hargeisa is located in an enclosed valley of the Galgodon (Ogo) highlands, at an elevation of 1,334 meters (4,377 ft) above sea level. This altitude gives Hargeisa and the surrounding area a milder climate than the Gulf of Aden coastal area (one of the hottest areas on earth) and the Hargeisa region has a fairly equable climate. The temperature ranges between 13 and 32 degrees Celsius (55 and 89 degrees Fahrenheit).
Hargeisa receives larger amounts of rain, and used to be surrounded by forest when the city was smaller but the countryside around the city still has small juniper forests. Near Hargeisa are the fertile Sheikh and Daallo mountains, which also receive large amount of rain. South of Hargeisa is the Sahaley Savannah which attracts many different animals to graze in the area
Hargeisa is also close to another town in northwestern Somalia called Arabsiyo. It is a major farming and agricultural area and it falls into the main boundaries of Hargeisa.
Wildlife
Due to the fertility and greenery of the Hargeisa region, wild animals (e.g. zebras) come to the area to either breed or graze on the grassland savannah. Animals that can be found in Hargeisa include the Kudu, wild boar, Somali Wild Ass, warthogs, antelopes, the Somali sheep, wild goats, camels and many different types of birds. South of Hargeisa is a grassland savannah which attracts many types of wildlife to the area including lions and leopards.
Economy
Hargeisa is the financial hub to many entrepreneurial companies ranging from food processing, gem stonecutters, construction, retail, import and export, Internet cafes, and companies that process remittances from relative’s abroad who send money. Some families have moved back to the city, living in mansions in the hills during the summer.
Hargeisa is also a safe city with very little crime which has boosted street trading. One will find along the main streets of the city centre numerous bureau de change with stacks of local and foreign currencies in the open and not locked away. One will also find female second hand gold traders selling their gold on the streets out in the open without fear of theft. Organised crime is virtually unheard of.
The city also has a private and public menageries, it houses animals from the region including lions, leopards, antelopes, birds and reptiles.
Transport
The city is home to Hargeisa International Airport, with flights to Addis Ababa, Djibouti City, Dubai and many other cities across Africa and Somalia. All foreigners are required to exchange 50 US Dollars to local currency (which is the Somaliland Shilling. (1 USD=6200 Somaliland Shillings in Open market as of Nov. 2008, Official rate is almost half of the open market). There is a bus service in Hargeisa.
Education
In Hargeisa, there are two universities, including the University of Hargeisa. There are also several state-run and privately owned secondary and high schools. In addition, many colleges, primary schools and nurseries are dispersed all around the city.
Students receive instruction from teachers who have studied abroad or from teachers who were educated prior to the Somali Civil War.
Communication
Hargeisa has a modern telephone system and nearly everyone in the city enjoys a telephone and some with access to the internet. Internet cafes are dotted all around Hargeisa and many youngsters and adults benefit from this. Mobile communication services are available in Hargeisa. The main mobile communication services in Hargeisa are operated by Telesom, Nationlink Somaliland, Soltelco and Telcom.
See also
- Arabsiyo