Lower Shabelle ( so, Shabeellaha Hoose,
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 ...
: ''Shibelithy Hoosy'', ar, شبيلي السفلى, it, Basso Scebeli) is an administrative region (''
gobol'') in southern
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 ...
.
Geography
Lower Shabelle is bordered by the regions of
Banaadir
Banaadir ( so, Banaadir, ar, بنادر, it, Benadir) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in southeastern Somalia. It covers the same area as the city of Mogadishu, which serves as the capital. It is bordered to the northwest by the Shabel ...
,
Middle Shabelle
Middle Shabelle ( so, Shabeellaha Dhexe, ar, شبيلي الوسطى, it, Medio Scebeli) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in southern Somalia.
Overview
It is bordered by the Somali regions of Galguduud, Hiran, Lower Shabelle (Shabel ...
(Shabeellaha Dhexe),
Hiran,
Bay,
Middle Jubba
Middle Juba ( so, Jubbada Dhexe, Maay: ''Jubithy Dhahy'', ar, جوبا الأوسط, it, Medio Giuba) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in southern Somalia. With its capital at Bu'aale, it is located in the autonomous Jubaland region.
...
(Jubbada Dhexe) and by the Somali Sea. It is named after the
Shebelle River
The Shebelle River ( so, Webi Shabeelle, ar, نهر شبيلي, am, እደላ) begins in the highlands of Ethiopia, and then flows southeast into Somalia towards Mogadishu. Near Mogadishu, it turns sharply southwest, where it follows the coast ...
, which passes through it.
Until 1984, when the regions were reassigned, it was part of the larger
Benadir region and its capital was
Mogadishu
Mogadishu (, also ; so, Muqdisho or ; ar, مقديشو ; it, Mogadiscio ), locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port connecting traders across the Indian Oc ...
. Its capital is now
Merca
Merca ( so, Marka, Maay: ''Marky'', ar, مركة) is a historic port city in the southern Lower Shebelle province of Somalia. It is located approximately to the southwest of the nation's capital Mogadishu. Merca is the traditional home territory ...
.
Districts
Lower Shabelle Region is divided into eleven districts:
*
Afgooye District
Afgooye District is a district in the southeastern Lower Shabelle (Shabeellaha Hoose) region of Somalia. Its capital lies at Afgooye
Afgooye ( so, Afgooye, ar, أفجويى, it, Afgoi) is a town in the southwestern Somalia Lower Shebelle (Sha ...
*
Barawa District
Barawa District ( so, Degmada Baraawe) is a district in the southeastern Lower Shabelle (Shabeellaha Hoose) region of Somalia. Its capital lies at Barawa
Barawa ( so, Baraawe, Maay: ''Barawy'', ar, ﺑﺮﺍﻭة ''Barāwa''), also known as ...
*
Kurtunwarrey District
*
Merca District
Merca District ( so, Degmada Merka) is a district of the southeastern Lower Shebelle (Shabeellaha Hoose) region in Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the ...
*
Qoryooley District
*
Sablaale District
*
Wallaweyn District
*
Awdheegle District
*
Jannaale District
* Shalambood District
*
Buulo marer District
Major towns
Major towns include
*
Afgooye
Afgooye ( so, Afgooye, ar, أفجويى, it, Afgoi) is a town in the southwestern Somalia Lower Shebelle (Shabellaha Hoose) region of Somalia. It is the center of the Afgooye District. Afgooye is the third largest city of Southwest State. Afg ...
*
Merca
Merca ( so, Marka, Maay: ''Marky'', ar, مركة) is a historic port city in the southern Lower Shebelle province of Somalia. It is located approximately to the southwest of the nation's capital Mogadishu. Merca is the traditional home territory ...
*
Qoryoley
Qoryoley ( Maay: ''Qornyooley'', so, Qoryooley, ar, قوريولي) is a city in southern Somalia. It is located in the Lower Shebelle region.
History
The District Mayor after the fall of the Siyad Government was Abdirahmaan Sheikh Mohamed ...
*
Barawa
Barawa ( so, Baraawe, Maay: ''Barawy'', ar, ﺑﺮﺍﻭة ''Barāwa''), also known as Barawe and Brava, is the capital of the South West State of Somalia.Pelizzari, Elisa. "Guerre civile et question de genre en Somalie. Les événements et le ...
*
Awdheegle
Awdheegle (also Awdhegele) is a town in the Lower Shabelle region in southern Somalia.
Demographics
Awdheegle is located west of Mogadishu on the Shebelle River. Awdheegle is predominantly inhabited by the Begedi clan sub-division of the wider Di ...
*
Wanlaweyn
Wanlaweyn ( Maay: ''Wanliwiing'') is a town in the southern Lower Shebelle region of Somalia. Situated around 90km (50 miles) northwest of the capital Mogadishu, it is the center of the Wanlaweyn District.
Demographics
Wanlaweyn has a populati ...
*
Sablale
Sablale is a town in the southeastern Lower Shabelle region of Somalia. The broader Sablale District has a total population of 143,055 residents. The majority of Sablale residents are Dabarre sub-division of the wider Digil Rahanweyn Somalis
...
*
Jannaale
*
Mubaarak
*
Buulo Mareer
Bulo Marer ( so, Buulo Mareer), also written as Bulomarer, is a town in the southwestern Lower Shebelle region of Somalia. It was a base of Al-Shabaab, and was the site of an ill-fated 2013 military operation during which French commandos attempt ...
*
Gobanle
*
Gendershe
*
Daarusalam
Violence in Golweyn
On 30 July 2017, an
AMISOM convoy was
ambushed by
al-Shabaab insurgents, killing and wounding several
Ugandan soldiers.
Eight children were killed and dozens were wounded when a bomb exploded in Golweyn on 31 January 2021.
Notes
External links
Administrative map of Lower Shabelle
Regions of Somalia
{{Somalia-geo-stub