Erigavo

Erigavo (Somali: Ceerigaabo), also spelled as Erigabo, is the capital and largest city of the Sanaag region of Somaliland.[2]

Erigavo

Ceerigaabo

عيرجابو
City
Local council Seal of Erigavo
Erigavo
Location in Somaliland
Coordinates: 10°37′05″N 047°22′12″E
Country Somaliland
RegionSanaag
DistrictErigavo
Government
 • MayorIsmail Haji Nour[1]
Population
 • Total114,846
Time zoneUTC+3 (EAT)

History
Main articles: Somali aristocratic and court titles and Dervish State
Pathway in old Erigavo.

The Erigavo settlement is several centuries old. The surrounding area was supposedly built by the Madigan Dir.[3] Modern Erigavo was founded by the Musa Ismail sub-clan of the Habr Yunis as a Home Well for passing nomads and caravans.[4] The general area is noted for its numerous historical tombs, where various Somali clan patriarchs are buried.[5]

Geography

Environment
The Dorcas Gazelle.

10 km (6 m) to the north of the town are the remains of a juniper forest,[6] running along the edge of the escarpment overlooking the Gulf of Aden. The escarpment is approximately 2,000 m (6,562 ft) above sea level, where the road from Erigavo drops down to the coast. 2 km (1.2 mi) to the west, it rises to the highest point in Somaliland, Shimbiris. A popular local attraction, the summit sits at an elevation of about 2670 m above sea level. A road also leads up from Erigavo to Daallo mountain. At the mountain's peak, the sea can be observed in addition to the ancient town of Hiis situated nearby.

Erigavo is also home to many animal and plant species. Wildlife native to the area include dorcas gazelle, gerenuk, Salt's dik-dik, hamadryas baboon, desert warthog, spotted hyena, striped hyena, black-backed jackal, African golden wolf, honey badger and Somali ostrich.

.

Climate

Under the Köppen climate classification, Erigavo features a mild version of the semi-arid climate. The city generally sees equable temperatures year round, with some of the mildest weather in all of Somaliland. Despite its location in the tropics, due to the high altitude, temperatures rarely exceed 30 degrees Celsius. Nights are frequently chilly, even during the summer season. This is a trait shared with very few places in the world; notable locations with similar climate are Sana'a in Yemen or Arequipa in Peru. The city receives on average under 400 mm of precipitation annually. Average monthly temperatures range from 14.3 C in the month of December to 19.7 C in the month of July. Absolute minimum temperatures sometimes touch or cross zero degrees Celsius isotherm.

Climate data for Erigavo
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 30.5
(86.9)		 33.5
(92.3)		 32.0
(89.6)		 33.5
(92.3)		 31.5
(88.7)		 30.5
(86.9)		 30.5
(86.9)		 30.0
(86.0)		 30.0
(86.0)		 29.5
(85.1)		 29.5
(85.1)		 28.0
(82.4)		 33.5
(92.3)
Average high °C (°F) 24.5
(76.1)		 25.5
(77.9)		 25.5
(77.9)		 26.5
(79.7)		 26.5
(79.7)		 26.0
(78.8)		 26.0
(78.8)		 26.0
(78.8)		 25.5
(77.9)		 25.0
(77.0)		 24.0
(75.2)		 23.5
(74.3)		 25.5
(77.9)
Daily mean °C (°F) 15.0
(59.0)		 16.0
(60.8)		 17.0
(62.6)		 18.0
(64.4)		 19.0
(66.2)		 19.5
(67.1)		 19.5
(67.1)		 19.5
(67.1)		 18.5
(65.3)		 16.5
(61.7)		 15.5
(59.9)		 14.5
(58.1)		 17.5
(63.5)
Average low °C (°F) 5.5
(41.9)		 7.0
(44.6)		 8.5
(47.3)		 10.0
(50.0)		 11.5
(52.7)		 13.0
(55.4)		 13.5
(56.3)		 13.5
(56.3)		 11.5
(52.7)		 8.5
(47.3)		 7.0
(44.6)		 5.5
(41.9)		 9.5
(49.1)
Record low °C (°F) −3.5
(25.7)		 0.5
(32.9)		 0.5
(32.9)		 2.0
(35.6)		 1.5
(34.7)		 4.0
(39.2)		 5.0
(41.0)		 4.5
(40.1)		 3.0
(37.4)		 0.0
(32.0)		 −3.0
(26.6)		 −3.5
(25.7)		 −3.5
(25.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 18
(0.7)		 13
(0.5)		 33
(1.3)		 38
(1.5)		 81
(3.2)		 64
(2.5)		 10
(0.4)		 41
(1.6)		 114
(4.5)		 8
(0.3)		 13
(0.5)		 2
(0.1)		 435
(17.1)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 1 3 6 5 8 9 1 5 15 1 2 0 56
Average relative humidity (%) (at 14:00) 34 35 42 56 51 48 43 49 55 43 34 37 44
Source: Deutscher Wetterdienst[7]

Demographics

The total population of Erigavo (Ceerigaabo) city is 114,846 residents.[8] The city is primarily inhabited by people from the Somali ethnic group, and is wholly dominated by the Habr Yunis and the Habr Je'lo sub-clans of the Isaaq clan.[9] Other minority groups inhabiting Erigavo include the Dhulbahante and the Warsangeli sub-clans of the Darod, as well as the Magaadle Dir.[10][11]

Education

Higher learning in Erigavo is provided by East Africa University (EAU), which has one of its six branches in the city.[12] The Sanaag University also offers tertiary courses and degrees, and Gollis university has a branch and many colleges. Queen of Sheba University offers women in Sanaag free degree courses and a limited number of places worldwide in distance mode.

Administration

Town affairs are managed by the mayor of Erigavo, as appointed by Somaliland. Taxes are levied and collected by the local town council as of 1999.[13]

Services

The city is home to a Boy Scouts organization. Formed in 2005 by the local Sanaag administration, the Scouts partake in various activities, including a 2006 training program on governance, peace and leadership.[14]

Notable residents

References
  1. https://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.aspx?storyid=1095348715&title=Somaliland-The-UN-and-its-JPLG-Program-have-Orphaned-Erigavo-Mayor-Ismail-Haji-Nur
  2. Renders, Marleen (2012-01-20). Consider Somalia: State-Building with Traditional Leaders and Institutions. BRILL. ISBN 9789004222540.
  3. Ali, Ibrahim (1993). The History of the Somali People. p. 44. (Erigaavo) it is where Madigan Dir built their castles, famous still. All around Daryale the splendors of the past are seen.
  4. A General survey of the Somaliland protectorate 1944-1950, p.164
  5. A.H. Keane, Man, Past and Present, (Cambridge University Press: 1920), p.485.
  6. "Somali montane xeric woodlands". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
  7. "Klimatafel von Erigavo / Somalia" (PDF). Baseline climate means (1961-1990) from stations all over the world (in German). Deutscher Wetterdienst. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  8. "Regions, districts, and their populations: Somalia 2005 (Draft)" (PDF). Docs.unocha.org. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  9. Refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for. "Refworld | Report on the Fact-finding Mission to Somalia and Kenya (27 October - 7 November 1997)". Refworld.org. Retrieved 2017-05-20. Yet the region's main city Erigavo was wholly dominated by the Habr Jallo and Habr Yonis.
  10. "District Conflict and Security Assessment Report" (PDF) (Assessment). 2015: 8. Retrieved 14 November 2017. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  11. Royal African Society, African Affairs, Volume 101, Issues 402-405, (Oxford University Press: 2002), p.103.
  12. "A programme for improving governance, leadership and management capacity of the three health authorities in Somalia". Mannion Daniels Limited. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  13. Renders, Marleen (2012-01-20). Consider Somaliland: State-Building with Traditional Leaders and Institutions. BRILL. ISBN 9789004222540.
  14. "Erigavo's Students Trained In Leadership". Ssmalaysia.com. Archived from the original on 25 March 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
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