Wanlaweyn (

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 ...

: ''Wanliwiing'') is a town in the southern

Lower Shebelle Lower Shabelle ( so, Shabeellaha Hoose, Maay: ''Shibelithy Hoosy'', ar, شبيلي السفلى, it, Basso Scebeli) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in southern Somalia. Geography Lower Shabelle is bordered by the regions of Banaadir ...

region of

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 ...

. Situated around 90km (50 miles) northwest 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 ...

, it is the center of the

Wanlaweyn District Wanlaweyn District ( so, Degmada Wanlaweyn) is a district in the southeastern Lower Shabelle (Shabeellaha Hoose) region of Somalia. Its capital lies at Wanlaweyn Wanlaweyn ( Maay: ''Wanliwiing'') is a town in the southern Lower Shebelle region ...

2012 10 27 AMISOM WanlaWeyn A (8134729906)

Demographics

Wanlaweyn has a population of around 27,600 inhabitants. The broader Wanlaweyn District has a total population of 250,643 residents. The town is predominantly inhabited by the Shanta Caleemood clan sub-division of the

Digil 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 ...

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 ...

Somalis The Somalis ( so, Soomaalida 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒆𐒖, ar, صوماليون) are an ethnic group native to the Horn of Africa who share a common ancestry, culture and history. The Lowland East Cushitic Somali language is the shared ...

History

During the 1961 Somali constitutional referendum, in order to secure a substantial "Yes" vote for southerners, the small town reported 100,000 votes. This was higher than total ballots cast in the North (

British Somaliland British Somaliland, officially the Somaliland Protectorate ( so, Dhulka Maxmiyada Soomaalida ee Biritishka), was a British Empire, British protectorate in present-day Somaliland. During its existence, the territory was bordered by Italian Soma ...

), therefore Northerners became suspicious of the political nature of Southerners. As a result, coining the new term "Wanlaweyn" for Southerners, which is still used today.

Notes

{{Reflist

References

Wanlaweyn, Somalia
Populated places in Lower Shebelle