Middle Shabelle (, , ) is an administrative region (''
gobol'') in southern
Somalia
Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...
.
It is bordered by
Hiran to the north,
Galgaduud to the east, the Indian Ocean to the south and the region of
Lower Shabelle
Lower Shabelle (, , , ) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in southern Somalia.
Geography
Lower Shabelle is bordered by the regions of Banaadir, Middle Shabelle (Shabeellaha Dhexe), Hiran, Bay, Middle Jubba (Jubbada Dhexe) and by the ...
and the capital
Mogadishu
Mogadishu, 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 connecting traders across the Indian Ocean for millennia and has ...
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
A federal republic is a federation of Federated state, states with a republican form of government. At its core, the literal meaning of the word republic when used to reference a form of government means a country that is governed by elected re ...
of Somalia, as defined by the
Provisional Constitution of the Federal Republic of Somalia.
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
Mogadishu, 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 connecting traders across the Indian Ocean for millennia and has ...
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.
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.
However, the FSNAU population estimate survey in 2022 estimated the population as being 1,618,324, which is highly disputed.
The majority clans in the region Are the Abgaal and Galjecel. Other clans that live in the region include other Mudulood clans.
Districts
Middle Shabelle Region consists of 11 districts:
*
Jowhar District
*
Balcad District
*
Adale District
*
Adan Yabaal District
*
Warsheikh District
*
Ruun-Nirgood District
*
Mahadaay District
*
Gambole District
*
Ceel Baraf District
*
Jameeca Jilyaale District
*
Cali Guduud District
References
External links
Administrative map of Middle Shabelle
{{Authority control
Regions of Somalia