Middle Shabelle
Shabeellaha Dhexe
Medio Scebeli
Region
Nickname: 
Shabellaha Dhexe
Location in Southern Somalia.
Location in Southern Somalia.
Coordinates: 6°6′47″N 47°59′17″E / 6.11306°N 47.98806°E / 6.11306; 47.98806
Country Somalia
State Hirshabelle
Established on10/10/2016
CapitalJowhar
Government
 • TypeRegional Government
 • GovernorAhmed Meyere Makaran[1]
Area
 • Total22,663 km2 (8,750 sq mi)
Population
 (2019[2])
 • Total622,700
 • Density27/km2 (71/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+3 (EAT)
HDI (2021)0.315[3]
low · 12th of 18

Middle Shabelle (Somali: Shabeellaha Dhexe,[4] Arabic: شبيلي الوسطى, Italian: Medio Scebeli) is an administrative region (gobol) in southern Somalia.[5]

It is bordered by Hiran to the north, Galgaduud to the east, the Indian Ocean to the south and the region of Lower Shabelle and the capital Mogadishu to the west. The Shabelle River also passes through this region.

The region of Middle Shabelle formed the Hirshabelle State by 2016, which considers itself an autonomous state within the larger Federal Republic of Somalia, as defined by the Provisional Constitution of the Federal Republic of Somalia.[6]

The regional capital is Jowhar. The Hawadle clan dominate economically, politically, and rules across all districts.

RADIO ASAL Radio Asal is private Radio located jowhar city capital of Hir-Shabelle State in Somalia. Radio Asal is a local Radio 88.6 MHz jowhar-somali.

Overview

As part of the former Benadir region, Middle Shabelle's capital was Mogadishu up until the mid-1980s, when the town of Jowhar became the capital. It is named after the Shebelle River that passes through this region.

The region is regarded as one of the most fertile regions in Somalia and was the first region to have multiple factories opened up in it, such as a sugar and clothes factory. It was also the main source of local grown food before the civil war.

Today, the region supports livestock production, rain-fed and irrigated agriculture and fisheries, with an annual rainfall between 150 and 500 millimeters. Covering an area of approximately 60,000 square kilometres, the region has a 400 kilometre coastline on the Indian Ocean. The Shabelle river runs for 150 kilometres through the region.[7][8]

Demographics

A pre-war census estimated the population at 2 million and today the Regional Council claims that the region's population is around 1.5 million. It is also estimated that 60% of the regions population are nomads or farmers.[9]

However, the FSNAU population estimate survey in 2022 estimated the population as being 918,463, which is highly disputed.[10]

The majority clan in the region is the Abgaal. The region has suffered from "intense intra-clan conflict that has impoverished the region leading to a regional power struggle that divides the Hawadle". Other clans that live in the region include other Mudulood clans and the Jareerweyne.[11]

Districts

Middle Shabelle Region consists of 8 districts:[12]

References

  1. ^ "News in Brief, 21st March 2014" (PDF). Embassy of The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  2. ^ "Somalia: Subdivision and cities". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  3. ^ "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  4. ^ http://geonames.nga.mil/namesgaz/[dead link]
  5. ^ "Somalia". The World Factbook. Langley, Virginia: Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  6. ^ "Somalia's Federal Govt Endorses Central State". All Africa. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  7. ^ http://www.pitt.edu/~ginie/somalia/pdf/mishabe.pdf[bare URL PDF]
  8. ^ "Somalia: Assessment report on the mechanisms and needs of the population living in Jowhar, Adale, and Adal Yabal, Warsheikh districts of Middle Shabelle region - Somalia". ReliefWeb. 19 June 2008. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  9. ^ University of Pittsburgh (February 1994). "Middle Shabelle introduction" (PDF). sites.pitts.edu.
  10. ^ "Population" (PDF). FSNAU. 2022.
  11. ^ "Our Library" (PDF).
  12. ^ "Region: Middle Shabelle Region" (PDF). University of Pittsburgh. 1994.

External links


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