| Erigavo Ceerigaabo إرجفو |
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| Town | |
Overview of Erigavo
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 Erigavo
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| Coordinates: 10°37′05″N 047°22′12″E / 10.61806°N 47.37000°ECoordinates: 10°37′05″N 047°22′12″E / 10.61806°N 47.37000°E | |
| Country | Template:Country data Somalila |
| Region | Sanaag |
| District | Erigavo |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Ismaiil Haji Nuur |
| Population | |
| • Total | 41,000 |
| Time zone | EAT (UTC+3) |
Erigavo (Somali: Ceerigaabo), also spelled as Erigabo, is a town in the northern Sanaag region of Somalia. It serves as the province's administrative capital.
Contents
History[edit]
The Erigavo settlement is several centuries old. It lies approximately 60 km from the ancient northern town of Maydh. The general area is noted for its numerous historical tombs, where various Somali clan patriarchs are buried.[1]
As of 2013, Erigavo is the administrative capital of the northern Sanaag region. It is also the center of the Erigavo District.
Geography[edit]
Environment[edit]
10 km (6 m) to the north of the town are the remains of a juniper forest,[2] 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 Somalia, Shimbiris. A popular local attraction, the summit sits at an elevation of about 2670 ft above sea level. A road also leads up from Erigavo to Mountain Daallo. At the mountain's peak, the sea can be observed in addition to the ancient town of Maydh, situated nearby.
Erigavo is also home to animal and plant species. Wildlife endemic to the area include the black-backed jackal, Dorcas gazelle, hamadryas baboon, Suidae, common dwarf mongoose, Abdim's stork, long-crested eagle and hartebeest.
Climate[edit]
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 Somalia. 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 |
| Average high °C (°F) | 24.5 (76.1) |
25.0 (77) |
25.3 (77.5) |
26.1 (79) |
26.4 (79.5) |
25.1 (77.2) |
25.0 (77) |
25.0 (77) |
24.5 (76.1) |
24.0 (75.2) |
23.5 (74.3) |
23.0 (73.4) |
24.78 (76.61) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 15.0 (59) |
16.4 (61.5) |
16.9 (62.4) |
18.3 (64.9) |
19.2 (66.6) |
19.4 (66.9) |
19.7 (67.5) |
19.7 (67.5) |
18.6 (65.5) |
16.7 (62.1) |
15.5 (59.9) |
14.4 (57.9) |
17.48 (63.47) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 6.7 (44.1) |
7.1 (44.8) |
7.6 (45.7) |
10.1 (50.2) |
11.0 (51.8) |
12.2 (54) |
14.3 (57.7) |
14.2 (57.6) |
11.5 (52.7) |
9.0 (48.2) |
8.5 (47.3) |
6.5 (43.7) |
9.89 (49.82) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 10 (0.39) |
8 (0.31) |
22 (0.87) |
39 (1.54) |
59 (2.32) |
38 (1.5) |
8 (0.31) |
31 (1.22) |
88 (3.46) |
4 (0.16) |
5 (0.2) |
1 (0.04) |
313 (12.32) |
| Source: Levoyageur Weather[3] | |||||||||||||
Demographics[edit]
Erigavo has a population of around 41,000 inhabitants.[4] The broader Erigavo District has a total population of 114,846 residents.[5]
The city is primarily inhabited by people from the Somali ethnic group, with the Warsangali and Dhulbahante clans of the Harti Darod as well as the Habr Jallo and Habr Yonis clans of the Isaaq being well-represented.[6][7] Erigavo is also inhabited by various minority clans.[7]
Education[edit]
Higher learning in Erigavo is provided by East Africa University (EAU), which has one of its six branches in the city.[8] The Sanaag University also offers tertiary courses and degrees.
Administration[edit]
Town affairs are managed by the Erigavo Municipality. The city authority is led by Mayor Mudane Ismail Haji Nuur.
Services[edit]
As of 2009, Erigavo has two hospitals serving residents, with another being constructed. The Erigavo Airport also lies to the east of the town. Additionally, the city is the seat of a few local non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Erigavo has a modern telephone system, with widespread access to landline and mobile services. The main mobile communication services in the city are operated by the Puntland-based Golis Telecom, as well as Telcom and Telesom. STC Somaliland, another major local telecommunications company, manages electricity and telephone landlines only.
Additionally, 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.[9]
Notable residents[edit]
- Abdullahi Qarshe - Father of Somali music.
- Jama Korshel – former Vice President of the Supreme Revolutionary Council
Notes[edit]
- ^ A.H. Keane, Man, Past and Present, (Cambridge University Press: 1920), p.485.
- ^ "Somali montane xeric woodlands". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
- ^ "Levoyageur Weather : Somalia". Retrieved 20 July 2012.
- ^ Somalia City & Town Population. Tageo.com. Retrieved on 2011-12-15.
- ^ "Regions, districts, and their populations: Somalia 2005 (draft)" (PDF). UNDP. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
- ^ Royal African Society, African affairs, Volume 101, Issues 402-405, (Oxford University Press: 2002), p.103.
- ^ a b "Erigavo - Observatory of Conflict and Violence Prevention (OCVP)". OCVP. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
- ^ "A programme for improving governance, leadership and management capacity of the three health authorities in Somalia". Mannion Daniels Limited. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
- ^ Erigavos Students Trained In Leadership