Balad, Somalia
Encyclopedia
Balad is one of the districts of Middle Shebelle region of Somalia
. It is located about 36 kilometers northeast of the capital city of Mogadishu
. It has an area of 4400 square kilometre with an estimated population of 480,000. Most of the population is Mataan Abdulle, part of Wabudhan from Abgaal clan of Hawiye. It was once the Headquarters of the Sheikh Hassan Barsane's anticolonial movement, setting up a fort to facilitate the movement.
The district passes one of the Somalia's permanent rivers (Shabelle) which passes through the city of Bal-ad, nevertheless neighbours the Indian Ocean
and has a long coast of about 70 km. The district is famous for agriculture, livestock and marine resources.
Bal'ad has one the nature reserves of the country which is located on the eastern bank of the Shabelle River , immediately south of the town. It has been established by the Somali Ecological Society in 1985, at which that time covered an area of 42 ha and later extended to 190 ha in 1987. The site consists of one of the few patches of riverine forest remaining on the Shabelle River and the surrounding scrub savannah.
The principal trees of the riverine forest include Acacia elatior, Ficus sycamorus, Garcinia livingstonei, Mimusops fruticosa and Tamarindus indica, while the surrounding scrub consists of more stunted Acacia nilotica with a dense undergrowth of herbs and tall grasses.
The reserve included a field-centre which, from 1985 to 1990, burning, cutting and grazing within the site was controlled and there were some signs of recovery of the forest and an increase in wildlife populations.
The natural ports of Eil Ma'an (Ceel Macaan) and Eil Adde (Ceel Cadde), located in the district, became the main gates for the flow of goods into and out of Somalia, similar to Cisiley Airport during the decade-and-a-half when Mogadishu's airport and seaport were closed.
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
. It is located about 36 kilometers northeast of the capital city of Mogadishu
Mogadishu
Mogadishu , popularly known as Xamar, is the largest city in Somalia and the nation's capital. Located in the coastal Benadir region on the Indian Ocean, the city has served as an important port for centuries....
. It has an area of 4400 square kilometre with an estimated population of 480,000. Most of the population is Mataan Abdulle, part of Wabudhan from Abgaal clan of Hawiye. It was once the Headquarters of the Sheikh Hassan Barsane's anticolonial movement, setting up a fort to facilitate the movement.
The district passes one of the Somalia's permanent rivers (Shabelle) which passes through the city of Bal-ad, nevertheless neighbours the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
and has a long coast of about 70 km. The district is famous for agriculture, livestock and marine resources.
Bal'ad has one the nature reserves of the country which is located on the eastern bank of the Shabelle River , immediately south of the town. It has been established by the Somali Ecological Society in 1985, at which that time covered an area of 42 ha and later extended to 190 ha in 1987. The site consists of one of the few patches of riverine forest remaining on the Shabelle River and the surrounding scrub savannah.
The principal trees of the riverine forest include Acacia elatior, Ficus sycamorus, Garcinia livingstonei, Mimusops fruticosa and Tamarindus indica, while the surrounding scrub consists of more stunted Acacia nilotica with a dense undergrowth of herbs and tall grasses.
The reserve included a field-centre which, from 1985 to 1990, burning, cutting and grazing within the site was controlled and there were some signs of recovery of the forest and an increase in wildlife populations.
The natural ports of Eil Ma'an (Ceel Macaan) and Eil Adde (Ceel Cadde), located in the district, became the main gates for the flow of goods into and out of Somalia, similar to Cisiley Airport during the decade-and-a-half when Mogadishu's airport and seaport were closed.