Burhakaba ( so, Buurhakaba) is a town located in the

Bay region Bay ( so, Baay, ar, باي, it, Bai) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in southern Somalia. Overview It is bordered by the Somali regions of Bakool, Hiran, Lower Shebelle (Shabeellaha Hoose), Middle Juba (Jubbada Dhexe), and Gedo. B ...

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...

. The town takes its name from a big mountain in the city's center.

Overview

Burhakaba is the second largest town in the Bay region, with a reported population of 360,795. It is southwest of the capital

Mogadishu Mogadishu (, also ; so, Muqdisho or ; ar, مقديشو ; it, Mogadiscio ), locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port ...

and northeast from the regional center

Baidoa Baidoa (, Somali: Maay.html"_;"title="f-Maxaa:_Baydhabo,_Maay">f-Maxaa:_Baydhabo,_Maay:_''Baydhowy)''_is_the_largest_city_of_the_South_West_State_of_Somalia. Between_2002_and_2014,_Baidoa_was_the_capital_of_the_South_West_State_of_Somalia.html ...

. Burhakaba administrative district encompasses nearly 400 villages. The town is estimated to have been settled six centuries ago. Burhakaba is subdivided into several administrative villages: Waaberi, Wadajir and Hoolwadaag.

Geography and demographics

Burhakaba is situated at the coordinates of 2.7991° N, 44.0794° E with an elevation of 196 meters above sea level. It lacks a permanent river, but it does have a large valley known as "Bohol Wiinti" that runs through the town from the north, east, and south-east. After seasonal rainfall, the valley supports farming in the area it drains. The annual rainfall in the town is estimated to be . The town is primarily populated by the Eelaay clan, a sub-clan of

Rahanweyn The Rahanweyn (Maay: ''Reewin or Roowing'', Northern Somali: ''Raxanweyn'', ar, رحنوين), also known as the Digil and Mirifle () are a Somali clan. It is one of the major Somali clans in the Horn of Africa, with a large territory and dense ...

. The main language spoken in the town is

Maay Mai-Mai, commonly spelled Maay Maay (also known as ''Af-Maay'', ''Af-Maymay'', or simply ''Maay''; the ''Mai-Mai'' spelling is rarely used but it is most often spoken), is a dialect of the Somali language of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiat ...

, the second largest dialect in Somalia. Burhakaba is thought to hold vast mineral and rock reserves, including uranium (in the Aliyow Geele area), iron, aluminum, phosphorus, kaolin, bauxite, granite, marbles, sandstones, crushed rocks, and limestone, despite the fact that it has yet to be properly explored.Minerals of Somalia
/ref> Burhakaba has the strategic advantage of connecting the three regions of Bakool, Hiiraan, and Lower Shabelle.

Climate

Buurhakaba has a

hot semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi-ar ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

''BSh''), like most of southern Somalia. The average mean temperature is , but the temperature can reach as high as in December and January. By contrast, towns in the northern part of the country generally have a

hot arid climate The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk''), is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...

(Köppen ''BWh''). ''(direct
Final Revised Paper
''

Economy

Burhakaba is a livestock trading hub due to its strategic location. On Mondays, business people from the surrounding areas come to this town to trade livestock. Agricultural products also contribute significantly to the town's

GDP Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjective nature this measure is ofte ...

. Over the last ten years, cultivating has shifted from primarily crops to crops, vegetables, and fruits. Mondays have the highest level of economic activity compared to the other days of the week. There are also modern services such as telecommunications, internet access, and shopping malls.

Health

Burhakaba has two hospitals ( Hakaba Referral Hospital and Falsan Medical Center) and two MCHs (BTSC and the Burhakaba) which mainly carry nutrition support in a mandated form. Pregnant women in the town do not visit it as antenatal or post-natal care. It also has a T.B. center and dozens of unregistered pharmacies and clinics. The town experienced cholera epidemics several times that claimed the lives of hundreds of people.

Education

Burhakaba has one university and five primary and secondary schools (Dr. Ayub Sheekh Yarow, Amar Binu-Yasir, Zaad, Darulxikma and Albushra) and primary and intermediate schools (Waberi, Hakaba, Aaran, AlxunaynAnd Imamu-Nawawi) as well as dozens of madaris. There are three institutions; Banooda Institute of Science and Technology, Mountain Collage and Najuum international Collage.

References

{{coord, 2, 47, N, 44, 05, E, region:SO_type:city, display=title Populated places in Bay, Somalia