Bari, Somalia

For other uses, see Bari (disambiguation).
Bari
Region

Overview of Bosaso.

Location in Somalia.
Coordinates: 6°6′47″N 47°59′17″E / 6.11306°N 47.98806°ECoordinates: 6°6′47″N 47°59′17″E / 6.11306°N 47.98806°E
Country

 Somalia

Capital Bosaso
Time zone EAT (UTC+3)

Bari (Somali: Bari, Arabic: باري‎) is an administrative region (gobol) in northeastern Somalia.[1]

Overview

It is bordered by the Somali regions of Sanaag and Sool to the west, Nugal to the south, as well as the Gulf of Aden to the north and the Indian Ocean to the east.

In terms of landmass, Bari is the largest province in the Federal Republic of Somalia. The highest point in this region is Mount Bahaya (2200 meters); other notable peaks include Karkaar.

Demographics

Most of the inhabitants of the Bari region belong to the Somali ethnic group; in particular the Majeerteen, Dashiishe and Warsangeli branches of the Harti Darod, the Leelkase Darod, and the Madhiban.[2][3]

Administrative divisions

In the official administrative divisions of Somalia, the Bari region consists of the following six districts:[4]

In 1998, Bari became a part of Puntland, an autonomous region in northeastern Somalia. In the Transitional Constitution of the Puntland Regional Government of 2001, Puntland's territory is defined in terms of Somalia's official regions, Bari being one of them.[5]

In the years thereafter, Puntland changed its internal administrative division, and the Bari region was split in two: the southern half, roughly coinciding with the Qardho and Bandarbayla Districts, became the new region of Karkaar (also spelled as Karkar). It was subdivided into five new districts: Qardho, Bandarbayla, Waciya, Rako and Hafun. The northern half continued to be known as Bari and was split into seven districts: four of them keeping their original names (Bosaso, Iskushuban, Qandala and Alula), as well as three new ones: Carmo, Ufayn and Bargal.[6]

In 2011, some separatists briefly declared an autonomous administration in Bari, which they dubbed Ras Assayr state. The leaders of this prospective polity retracted their claims a few months later in June 2012, indicating that they now supported Puntland and were satisfied with the Puntland authorities' new development projects in the region.[7]

On 8 April 2013, the Puntland government announced the creation of a new region named Gardafuul. Carved out of the Bari region, it consists of three districts and has its capital at Alula.[8]

Major towns

Notes

  1. ↑ "Somalia". The World Factbook. Langley, Virginia: Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  2. ↑ Robert Buijtenhuijs, Piet Konings, Wim M. J. van Binsbergen, Gerti Hesseling, Trajectoires de libération en Afrique contemporaine: hommage à Robert Buijtenhuijs, (KARTHALA Editions: 2000), p.134.
  3. ↑ Bader, Christian (1999). Le sang et le lait: brève histoire des clans somal. Maisonneuve & Larose. p. 236. ISBN 2-7068-1373-3.
  4. ↑ "Bari Region" (PDF). Retrieved 30 December 2013.
  5. ↑ See Article 3.1. (Territory, Borders and Its Inviolability and Sacredness) of the Transitional Constitution of the Puntland Regional Government at: http://www.puntlandgovt.com/puntland-constitution/
  6. ↑ List of Primary Schools in Puntland, see website of Puntland's Ministry of Education at: http://www.moepuntland.com/primary/
  7. ↑ "No more Raas Assayr State as its founders retreated their claims and supported Puntland". Puntlandi. 11 June 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2014.
  8. ↑ Garoowe: Gobal & Degmooyin cusub oo maalmahan si rasmi ah ugu soo biiraaya Gobalada & Degmooyinka Puntland