Beledhawo
Encyclopedia
Beled Hawo is the second largest city in Gedo
, the largest province in Somalia
situated in the southwestern part of the country. The town is also the headquarters of Beled Hawo District, which, like most other districts in the region, is named after its principal town.
soldier, Khalif Shire, who was based in the Mandhera District of what was then the Northern Frontier District
(NFD).
The town was completely rebuilt in the early 1960s, after the British had burned down its original structures.
Beled Hawo replaced Garbaharey as the capital of the Gedo region in 1985. The border with the Ogaden
and the NFD, as well as its close proximity to Kismaayo brought wealth into the city, which made it grow dramatically. Beled Hawo then became Gedo's second largest town after Baardheere, and one of the most important cities in Somalia. Songs and plays have been dedicated to the city by many well-known Somali artists, praising its natural scenery and its hospitable and generous residents.
, locally known as "white horses" or faras cadeyaal (in Somali). The taxis are usually minibuses that can sit at least twelve people and small sedans imported from Japan
. Two people are responsible for each taxi, the driver and a Kirishboy (Garage Boy in English) who collects fares and calls out the taxi's destination.
The town is served by a makeshift, where a new paved landing opened in 2004. The old makeshift airport in the western district is used mostly by small craft and carrier jets. Neighboring cities in the region include Garbaharey, Luuq
, Doollow, and Dhamasa
.
Gedo
Gedo is an administrative region , formerly part of the historic Upper Juba Region in southern Somalia. Its regional capital is Garbahaarreey. Gedo is a region created in 1980s and is bordered by the Ogaden in Ethiopia, the North Eastern Province in Kenya, and the Somali regions of Bakool, Bay,...
, the largest province in Somalia
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...
situated in the southwestern part of the country. The town is also the headquarters of Beled Hawo District, which, like most other districts in the region, is named after its principal town.
History
Beled Hawo was founded in 1910 by Xaawo Cismaan Gurey, a woman from whom the town's name is ultimately derived. Beled Hawo literally means "City of Xawo" in Somali. Samater was the wife of a SomaliSomali people
Somalis are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family...
soldier, Khalif Shire, who was based in the Mandhera District of what was then the Northern Frontier District
North Eastern Province (Kenya)
North Eastern Province is the third largest province in Kenya and has thirteen constituencies represented in the Kenya National Assembly.The region is home to a rare type of antelope called the Hirola, which is classified as an endangered species. The NFD's pastoralists also possess livestock in...
(NFD).
The town was completely rebuilt in the early 1960s, after the British had burned down its original structures.
Beled Hawo replaced Garbaharey as the capital of the Gedo region in 1985. The border with the Ogaden
Ogaden
Ogaden is the name of a territory comprising the southeastern portion of the Somali Regional State in Ethiopia. The inhabitants are predominantly ethnic Somali and Muslim. The title "Somali Galbeed", which means "Western Somalia," is often preferred by Somali irredentists.The region, which is...
and the NFD, as well as its close proximity to Kismaayo brought wealth into the city, which made it grow dramatically. Beled Hawo then became Gedo's second largest town after Baardheere, and one of the most important cities in Somalia. Songs and plays have been dedicated to the city by many well-known Somali artists, praising its natural scenery and its hospitable and generous residents.
Transportation
Public transportation is through public buses or blue and white share taxisTaxis
A taxis is an innate behavioral response by an organism to a directional stimulus or gradient of stimulus intensity. A taxis differs from a tropism in that the organism has motility and demonstrates guided movement towards or away from the stimulus source ...
, locally known as "white horses" or faras cadeyaal (in Somali). The taxis are usually minibuses that can sit at least twelve people and small sedans imported from Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Two people are responsible for each taxi, the driver and a Kirishboy (Garage Boy in English) who collects fares and calls out the taxi's destination.
The town is served by a makeshift, where a new paved landing opened in 2004. The old makeshift airport in the western district is used mostly by small craft and carrier jets. Neighboring cities in the region include Garbaharey, Luuq
Luuq
Luuq or Lugh is a city in the southern Gedo province of Somalia. It is one of the oldest cities in the country, and is the seat of the Luuq District, one of the region's seven districts. The town is located in a bend of the Juba River, where the river flows down from north to south in a horseshoe...
, Doollow, and Dhamasa
Dhamasa
-Overview:The settlement was founded in the early 1950s by Somali nomads from the larger region. Dhamasa is bordered by Beledhawo, Baardheere and Ceelwaaq.The town has an estimated population of 27,000 residents.-References:*...
.