Sanag ( so, Sanaag, ar, سَنَاج) is an administrative region (''
gobol'') in north eastern
Somaliland
Somaliland,; ar, صوماليلاند ', ' officially the Republic of Somaliland,, ar, جمهورية صوماليلاند, link=no ''Jumhūrīyat Ṣūmālīlānd'' is a ''de facto'' sovereign state in the Horn of Africa, still conside ...
.
[Regions of Somalia](_blank)
Sanaag has a long coastline facing the
Gulf of Aden to the north, and is bordered by the region of
Sahil to the west,
Sool
Sool ( so, Sool, ar, صول) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in south eastern Somaliland/north western Somalia. It borders Togdheer to the west, Sanaag to the north, Ethiopia to the south and Nugal, Bari to the east. Its capital city ...
to the south and
Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constitut ...
to the east. The region is disputed by the self-declared Republic of
Somaliland
Somaliland,; ar, صوماليلاند ', ' officially the Republic of Somaliland,, ar, جمهورية صوماليلاند, link=no ''Jumhūrīyat Ṣūmālīlānd'' is a ''de facto'' sovereign state in the Horn of Africa, still conside ...
and
Puntland, a Federal Member State of
Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constitut ...
. Its capital city is
Erigavo
Erigavo ( so, Ceerigaabo, ), also spelled as Erigabo, is the capital and largest city of the Sanaag region of Somaliland.
History
The Erigavo settlement is several centuries old. The surrounding area was supposedly built by the Madigan Dir ...
. Sanaag is the largest region of Somaliland, accounting for 35% of Somaliland's total land area.
The region is partially controlled by
Puntland and Somaliland.
Puntland disputes the
Harti inhabited parts of region as being part of Somaliland while the later claims the entire region based on the
British Somaliland
British Somaliland, officially the Somaliland Protectorate ( so, Dhulka Maxmiyada Soomaalida ee Biritishka), was a British protectorate in present-day Somaliland. During its existence, the territory was bordered by Italian Somalia, French So ...
boundaries.
Territorial dispute
The Sanaag region is disputed between Somaliland and
Puntland. Somaliland effectively controls the western and central parts of Sanaag. Puntland has effective control over
Badhan and other areas in the east.
Somaliland has declared its claim to all of Sanaag, but some areas (that it struggles to control) do not actually participate in Somaliland's elections.
History
From 1944 to 1974, modern-day Sanaag region was one of three districts of the Burao region. The other two districts were Burao and Las Anod.
Sanaag was carved out of
Togdheer region and was established as a separate region on June 23, 1973, comprising the three districts of
Erigavo
Erigavo ( so, Ceerigaabo, ), also spelled as Erigabo, is the capital and largest city of the Sanaag region of Somaliland.
History
The Erigavo settlement is several centuries old. The surrounding area was supposedly built by the Madigan Dir ...
,
Las Qorey and
Garadag.
Sanaag is home to numerous
archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology an ...
s, with rock art, ancient ruins, buildings and
cairn
A cairn is a man-made pile (or stack) of stones raised for a purpose, usually as a marker or as a burial mound. The word ''cairn'' comes from the gd, càrn (plural ).
Cairns have been and are used for a broad variety of purposes. In prehi ...
s found at numerous sites, such as
Gudmo Biyo Cas,
Heis,
Maydh,
Haylan,
Qa'ableh,
Qombo'ul,
Gelweita
Gelweita ( so, Geel Wayta), also known as Las Galwayta or Galwayta is an archaeological site and a key rock art site in the eastern Sanaag region of Somaliland.
Overview
Gelweita is at an altitude of 7500ft and is near a plateau. The archeologi ...
and
El Ayo. However, many of these old structures have yet to be properly explored, a process which would help shed further light on local history and facilitate their preservation for posterity.
[Michael Hodd, ''East African Handbook'', (Trade & Travel Publications: 1994), p.640.]
Sanaag is also home to the ruined Islamic city of
Maduna near
El Afweyn
El Afweyn ( so, Ceelafweyn, ) is a town in the Sanaag region of Somaliland.
El Afweyn is a major historical town in western Sanaag region and sits at the major road connecting the cities of Burao and Erigavo. By road, the town is approximately 283 ...
, which is considered the most substantial and most accessible ruin of its type in Somaliland.
The main feature of the ruined city includes a large rectangular mosque, its 3 metre high walls still standing and which include a mihrab and possibly several smaller arched niches.
Swedish-Somali archaeologist
Sada Mire dates the ruined city to the 15th–17th centuries.
Environment
A severe
drought
A drought is defined as drier than normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D. Jiang, A. Khan, W. Pokam Mba, D. Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, an ...
in the region in the early part of the 21st century caused an 80% or greater loss of livestock, though two good
rainy seasons in 2004–2005 helped restore the area. Over a 15-year period of analysis, from 1988–2003, there was a 52% loss of
forest
A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
and a 40% loss of
grassland
A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses ( Poaceae). However, sedge ( Cyperaceae) and rush ( Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur na ...
, and a 370% increase in bare land. Soil
erosion
Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as water flow or wind) that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust, and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is d ...
due to
weather
Weather is the state of the atmosphere, describing for example the degree to which it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. On Earth, most weather phenomena occur in the lowest layer of the planet's atmosphere, the ...
and human activities and clearing of wood and brush for such uses as
charcoal
Charcoal is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by strongly heating wood (or other animal and plant materials) in minimal oxygen to remove all water and volatile constituents. In the traditional version of this pyrolysis process, ...
and fuel are issues leading to a degradation of the environment.
Economy
In recent history, the Sanaag region normally maintained a diverse economy, producing and then exporting to other regions, it produced
livestock
Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to ani ...
,
frankincense
Frankincense (also known as olibanum) is an aromatic resin used in incense and perfumes, obtained from trees of the genus '' Boswellia'' in the family Burseraceae. The word is from Old French ('high-quality incense').
There are several species ...
, and leather for export, this was happening while the region lacked basic
infrastructure
Infrastructure is the set of facilities and systems that serve a country, city, or other area, and encompasses the services and facilities necessary for its economy, households and firms to function. Infrastructure is composed of public and priv ...
, but sadly, after the outbreak of civil war the region's economy collapsed from loss of markets and dilapidated
infrastructure
Infrastructure is the set of facilities and systems that serve a country, city, or other area, and encompasses the services and facilities necessary for its economy, households and firms to function. Infrastructure is composed of public and priv ...
has never helped, and lack of investment. Now the region only supports one main economy,
livestock
Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to ani ...
rearing. The Somali livestock ban imposed by Gulf countries in which was Sanaag's largest market has virtually destroyed the economy in the region, reducing purchasing power and forcing pastoralists in the region to survive on subsistence activities.
Demographics
The region is mainly inhabited by people from the
Somali
Somali may refer to:
Horn of Africa
* Somalis, an inhabitant or ethnicity associated with Greater Somali Region
** Proto-Somali, the ancestors of modern Somalis
** Somali culture
** Somali cuisine
** Somali language, a Cushitic language
** Somali ...
ethnic group, principally the
Habr Yunis and
Habar Jeclo
The Habr Je'lo ( so, Habar Jeclo, ar, هبر جعلو , Full Name: ''Mūsa ibn ash-Shaykh Isḥāq ibn Aḥmad,'' historically known as the Habr Toljaala ( so, Habar Toljeclo) is a major sub-tribe of the wider Isaaq family. Its members form ...
sub-clans of the
Isaaq and the
Dhulbahante and
Warsangali sub-divisions of the
Harti Darod.
Districts
The region of Sanag is divided into 5 districts as follows:
*
El Afweyn District
*
Erigavo District
*
Garadag District
*
Badhan District
*
Dhahar District
Towns and Cities
*
Erigavo
Erigavo ( so, Ceerigaabo, ), also spelled as Erigabo, is the capital and largest city of the Sanaag region of Somaliland.
History
The Erigavo settlement is several centuries old. The surrounding area was supposedly built by the Madigan Dir ...
*
El Afweyne
El Afweyn ( so, Ceelafweyn, ) is a town in the Sanaag region of Somaliland.
El Afweyn is a major historical town in western Sanaag region and sits at the major road connecting the cities of Burao and Erigavo. By road, the town is approximately ...
*
Maydh
*
Badhan
*
Dararweyne
Dararweyne is a town in south-central Sanaag in Somaliland.
Dararweyne is a town of the Habar Yoonis clan, and two kilometers east of it is Kulaal, a town of the Dhulbahante clan.
Do not confuse this town with the place where has a police & mi ...
*
Las Khorey
*
Garadag
*
Heis
*
Midhisho
*
Yubbe
Yubbe (also known as Yobe, Yube, Yubeh and Yubbe Tug) is a town in the Sanaag of Somaliland .http://www.maplandia.com/somalia/sanaag/Badhan-Badhan/yube/ There is a Somaliland military base.
History Archaeology
A desert town mostly inhabited by ...
*
Hadaaftimo
*
Hingalol
Hingalol or Hingalool ( so, Xingalool) is a district located in the Sanaag region of Somalia.
Overview
Hingalol is situated on the Hadeed Plateau of the Sanaag region. Hingalol was established in 1958. A small hamlet, it increased in size and ...
*
Dhahar
*
Buraan
Buraan, also known as Hiil Buraan or Hiil Borraan, is a town in the eastern Sanaag region of Somaliland/Somalia. It is effectively controlled by Puntland, but it is a disputed area with Somaliland.
Overview
Buraan is situated in eastern Sanaag ...
*
El Buh
*
Gudmo Biyo Cas
*
Ruguda
Ruguda, also known as Rakudah ( so, Ruguuda) is a historic coastal port town located in the Sanaag region of Somaliland, near Heis.
Overview
Ruguda is a coastal town approximately 38km away from the larger Heis town nearby. Other nearby cities ...
*
Yufle
*
Dayaha Dayaha ( so, Dayaxa) is a town in the Sanaag region of Somaliland.
Overview
Dayaha is 20km west of Erigavo, the administrative seat of the Sanaag region the town lies in. Other nearby cities and towns include Burao (363km), El Afweyn (85km) an ...
*
Guud Caanood
See also
*
Ogo Mountains
The Ogo Mountains, also known as the Galgodon Highlands, (, ) are a mountain range in Somaliland. They cross the Sanaag and Togdheer regions. With a mean peak height of , the ecology of this landform is semi-desert.
Ecology
Due to the Ogo Mo ...
References
External links
*Gwillim Law
"Districts of Somalia" ''Statoids'', December 31, 1990
*SOMALIA NATIONAL PEACE CONFERENCE
''PEACE PLAN'' DJIBOUTI, 20 APRIL - 5 MAY 2000
Warsangeli Sultanate
{{Authority control
Sanaag
Regions of Somaliland
Disputed territory between Somaliland and Puntland
Archaeology of Eastern Africa