Ali Sabieh

Ali Sabieh Cali Sabiix علي صبيح
Town
Ali Sabieh Location in Djibouti
Coordinates: 11°09′N 42°43′E / 11.150°N 42.717°E / 11.150; 42.717Coordinates: 11°09′N 42°43′E / 11.150°N 42.717°E / 11.150; 42.717
Country	Djibouti
Region	Ali Sabieh
Established	14th century
Area
• Total	15 km2 (6 sq mi)
Elevation	756 m (2,480 ft)
Population (2012)
• Total	71,230
• Density	4,700/km2 (12,000/sq mi)
Time zone	EAT (UTC+3)

Ali Sabieh (Somali: Cali Sabiix, Arabic: علي صبيح‎) is the second largest city in Djibouti. It is situated about 93 kilometers Southwest of Djibouti City and 10 km (6 mi) north of the border with Ethiopia. It sprawls on a wide basin surrounded by granitic mountains on all sides. Ali Sabieh is served by a station on the Addis Ababa - Djibouti Railway. The famous landmark of Ali Sabieh is located near the city.

History

The Ali Sabieh settlement is several centuries old. During the Middle Ages, it was ruled by the Ifat and Adal sultanates. According to an old legend, the present-day territory of Ali Sabieh was covered by some trees and wadis. The nomadic sometime stop here for water on the way to the town of Zeila. In 1894, after signing successive treaties with the then ruling Issa Somali Sultans, the French established a protectorate in the region referred to as French Somaliland.

In December 1942, British invasion of French Somaliland about 2,000 British troops and Free French troops occupied the town. Following the conclusion of the 1977-1978 Ogaden War, Ali Sabieh, along with Dikhil, accommodated three quarters of the 8,000 Issa Somalis who had fled Ethiopia. This was to protect the construction of the railway Franco-Ethiopian military post that was installed 90 km (56 mi) of the line to July 1899. It was then guarded by the military "Sudan" from the Marchand mission.

Considered the border with Ethiopia, the area had few permanent settlements at the turn of the 20th century. In 1904, a report notes that "when the border post of Ali Sabieh, it has the appearance of a fortress. Attached to the circle of "Gobad-Dikkil" from its inception in 1931, Ali Sabieh became the chief town of a circle autonomously 1939. He was briefly attached to the circle of Djibouti between 1946 and 1949. It is managed by the commander of the circle Dikhil between 1952 and 1958, before finally receive its own administration.

Overview

Downtown Ali Sabieh in 1971

Ali Sabieh is the capital of the Ali Sabieh Region. It lies along National Highway 5.

Nearby towns and villages include Dikhil (20.1 nm), Arta (23.3 nm), Digri (11.9 nm), Ali Adde (10.3 nm), Dewele (8.7 nm) and Guelile (5.5 nm). Public buses go from Djibouti City to Ali Sabieh. It takes two hour to get to Ali Sabieh. A contracted bus ride from Djibouti city to Ali Sabieh can charge between 700 Djiboutian franc. Ali Sabieh's central location has contributed to its economic revival. Goods travelling to other parts of Djibouti all depart from the city's outskirts.

Demographics

As of 2012, the population of Ali Sabieh has been estimated to be 71,230. The city inhabitants belong to various mainly Afro-Asiatic-speaking ethnic groups, with the Issa Somali predominant. Ali Sabieh is the second largest cities of Djibouti after Djibouti city with about 71,230 residents.

Sports

A famous landmark in Ali Sabieh

Ali has two soccer fields and one basketball court. One of the football fields has a capacity of 1,500 spectators. It is home to the Djibouti Super Football League's Ali Sabieh FC.

Economy

Ali Sabieh economy today relies on tourism, agriculture and a number of small factories, most of which are involved in the building trade. The city was visited by more than 2,000 tourists over the years. For its famous landmark Ali Sabieh Mountain of national emblem of Djibouti symbol and for the Arrei Mountains highest point in Ali Sabieh region.

Education

There are several state-run owned secondary and high schools in the city. Among these is the premiere secondary school in the capital region. Many primary schools and nurseries are also found in the town.

Transport

Paved roads are available in Ali Sabieh, The vast majority of the roads were paved by the French, during colonial rule. The local government has repaired some of the roads but many others are still awaiting repair. There are also other buses and shared taxis that goes to other cities in Djibouti. The Ethio-Djibouti Railway was built between 1894 and 1915 during the colonial period, the Ethio-Djibouti Railways connected the city with Addis Ababa. Although the railway is no longer operational, there are plans for the construction of a new modern rail line in the near future. The fact that Ali Sabieh is not near a large navigable body of water has meant that ground transportation has been the most important method of transporting people and goods in and out of the town. Ali Sabieh has benefit because for its railway location between Addis Ababa and Djibouti City.

Geography

The dorcas gazelle

Ali Sabieh is located in a valley in the southern section of the country. The city is situated in a mountainous area, in an enclosed valley of the highlands. It sits at an elevation of 756 meters (2,480 ft) above sea level. Ali Sabieh is a mountainous and hilly town. This altitude gives the settlement and the surrounding area a milder climate than the Djibouti city coastal area, where the weather is typically hot. The city's layout is partially scattered and irregular. Houses are generally single storey and mostly cement made. To the east of Ali Sabieh is a grassland savannah, which attracts many types of wildlife to the area, including black-backed jackal, dorcas gazelle, Felis, caracal, various bird species, and the hamadryas baboon.

Climate

Ali Sabieh extremely hot during summer and warm during winter. The rainy season extends from February to May. From November to March, the town experiences the warm winter season. It heats up from June to October, though the nights are warm.

Elevation is the major factor in temperature levels. The higher areas on average register temperatures 11 °C (52 °F) cooler, day or night. Temperature drops to about 57 to 61 °C (135 to 142 °F) (14–16 °C) every night.

Ali Sabieh has a hot desert climate (BWh) in Köppen-Geiger system.

Notable people

Born in Ali Sabieh, Mahamoud Harbi Independence leader

• Mahamoud Harbi, Independence leader
• Hussein Ahmed Salah, A marathon runner and Olympic medalist
• Aden Robleh Awaleh, President of the National Democratic Party
• Nimo Djama Miguil, Musician

Sister towns

•  United States, Willits
•  United States, Pocatello
•  Canada, Kamloops
•  Chile, Vicuña
• Morocco, Safi
•  Australia, Narrogin
•  Turkey, Bayburt

See also

• Railway stations in Djibouti

References

External links