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 Ethiopian Highlands, highlands of Ethiopia, and then flows southeast into Somalia towards Mogadishu. Near Mogadishu, it turns sharply southwest, where ...

, 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 List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port ...

. Its capital is now

Merca Merca ( so, Marka, Maay Maay, 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 ...

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. Afgo ...

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 K ...

Barawa Barawa ( so, Baraawe, Maay Maay, Maay: ''Barawy'', ar, ﺑﺮﺍﻭة ''Barāwa''), also known as Barawe and Brava, is the capital city, capital of the South West State of Somalia, South West State of Somalia.Pelizzari, Elisa. "Guerre civile et ...

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 population ...

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 Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Fed ...

* 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