Boosaaso Somalia --For much of its history, this dot on northeastern Somalia's mostly barren desert landscape has been a dreary, underdeveloped outpost with a battered economy, few government services and virtually no infrastructure.

Then, in 1991, Somalia's government fell. The country tumbled into an ongoing civil war. And Somalis were left to fend for themselves.

In Boosaaso, that has meant harnessing community resources and talent to jump-start its import-export-based economy and provide crucial services. A businessman has established a citywide telephone system. Teachers work for no salary. A volunteer police force has been created. Boosaaso's council of Muslim elders effectively acts as the town's judiciary.

Today Boosaaso, without a formal government, has become a boom town, with one of Somalia's busiest ports, a burgeoning population and the kind a daily stability envied by much of this deeply troubled East African country.

 

Hargeisa  is the Capital of the Republic of Somaliland. Hargeisa is located North West of Somaliland (Latitude 9°18' N Longitude 44°03' E).

Hargeisa is the largest city in Somaliland. It was almost completely decimated in 1988 by airstrikes conducted by the regime of former Somali president Siad Barre. More than 50,000 people are said to have died in the attacks on Hargeisa. An MIG plane in the center of the city serves as a memorial and a reminder of that tragedy.

Hargeisa has grown rapidly since the collapse of Somalia in 1991, as its population has been swollen by the return of former refugees. The rapid population growth has considerably strained the city's resources and infrastructure. The stability of Somaliland has aided Hargeisa's reconstruction process - the city is now dotted by new villas built by returnees from the diaspora. In addition, its bustling markets are a source of pride for Somalilanders keen on advertising to the world a sense of prosperity compared to the continued conflict that plagues Somalia. The city has recently benefited from an influx of investment capital from the diaspora.

 

Ceerigaabo Erigabo or Erigavo (Somali: Ceerigaabo) is the administrative capital of Somaliland's Sanaag region, which has an estimated population of just over 100,000. The city, at an altitude of over 1,800 meters above the sea level, is the mildest in Somaliland.

Erigavo is also the seat for many international and local NGOs. Many of Somaliland government offices operate from Erigavo and provide key services including banking which is provided by the Bank of Somaliland. Other services include a regional hospital, and an airfield to the east of the town.

Ten kilometers to the north of Erigavo are the remains of a juniper forest, running along the edge of the escarpment which looks down to the Gulf of Aden. The escarpment is approximately 2000 metres above sea level, where the road from Erigavo drops down to the coast. Two kilometers to the west it rises to the highest point in Somalia (2,416 metres), known variously as Shimbiris/Shimbir Beris (abode of the birds), Surad Cad, and other names. Shimbir Beris was one of the locations where Sayyid Mohammed Abdullah Hassan built a fort, which was subsequently attacked and destroyed by British colonial forces in 1914.

The road was constructed in a form suitable for trucks by the British during the second World War, using the labour of Italian prisoners of war. Before then there was a long established camel track down the escarpment. The road leads to a small port town known as Mayd, or Mait, which is thought to have existed since Roman times. Frankincense grows throughout the area north of the escarpment, and is a source of income for the people of this area.

 

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