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 ...

is officially divided into 18 administrative regions (''gobollo'', singular ''gobol'') . These are in turn subdivided into seventy-two districts (plural ''degmooyin''; singular ''degmo'') On a ''de facto'' basis, northern Somalia is now divided up among the autonomous region of Puntland (which considers itself an autonomous state) and Somaliland (a self-declared but unrecognized sovereign state). In central Somalia,

Galmudug Galmudug ( ar, جلمدج; it, Galmudugh), officially Galmudug State of Somalia ( so, Dowlad Goboleedka Galmudug ee Soomaaliya), is a Federal Member State in central Somalia, with its capital at Dhusamareb. It is bordered to the north by the Pu ...

is another regional entity that emerged south of Puntland. For these

civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...

divisions, see '' States and regions of Somalia''.

Regions and districts

Historical divisions

Pre-independence

In 1931, Italian Somaliland consisted of seven commissariats."Regions of Somalia"
''Statoids''. Retrieved 20 February 2011. * Alto Giuba * Alto Uebi-Scebeli * Basso Giuba * Basso Uebi-Scebeli * Migiurtinia * Mogadiscio * Mudugh Following the 1935–36 Second Italo-Abyssinian War, Italian Somaliland became part of Italian East Africa with

Abyssinia The Ethiopian Empire (), also formerly known by the exonym Abyssinia, or just simply known as Ethiopia (; Amharic and Tigrinya: ኢትዮጵያ , , Oromo: Itoophiyaa, Somali: Itoobiya, Afar: ''Itiyoophiyaa''), was an empire that historica ...

(Ethiopia) and Eritrea. Italian Somaliland was one of six governorates of the new colony, the

Somalia Governorate Somalia Governorate was one of the six governorates of Italian East Africa. It was formed from the previously separate colony of Italian Somalia, enlarged by the Ogaden region of the conquered Ethiopian Empire following the Second Italo-Ethiopian ...

, and incorporated

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 ...

-inhabited parts of the former Abyssinia. The governorate was subdivided into 10 commissariats, which were themselves divided into residencies. * Alto Giuba ''(English: Upper Juba)'' (capital: Baidoa) * Alto Scebeli ''(Upper Shabele)'' ( Bulo Burti) * Basso Scebeli ''( Lower Shabele)'' ( Merca) * Migiurtinia ''(

Migiurtinia The Majeerteen Sultanate ( so, Suldanadda Majeerteen 𐒈𐒚𐒐𐒆𐒖𐒒𐒖𐒆𐒆𐒖 𐒑𐒖𐒃𐒜𐒇𐒂𐒜𐒒, lit=Boqortooyada Majerteen, ar, سلطنة مجرتين), also known as Majeerteen Kingdom or Majeerteenia and Migiu ...

)'' (

Dante Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: ' ...

) * Mogadiscio ''(

Mogadishu Mogadishu (, also ; so, Muqdisho or ; ar, مقديشو ; it, Mogadiscio ), locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port ...

)'' ( Mogadiscio) * Mudugh ''( Mudug)'' ( Rocca Littorio) * Ogaden ''( Ogaden)'' ( Uarder) * Uebi Gestro ''(

Gestro River Raffaello Gestro (21 March 1845, Genoa – 6 June 1936, Genoa) was an Italian entomologist who specialised in Coleoptera. Gestro was the Director of the Natural History Museum of Giacomo Doria Genoa where his collection is conserved. He was a Membe ...

)'' ( Callafo) * Basso Giuba ''( Lower Juba)'' ( Chisimaio) * Nogal ''( Nugaal)'' (

Eil Eil may refer to: Places * Eil (crater), on Mars * Eil, Cologne, a quarter of Cologne, Germany * Eil, Somalia * Eil District, Somalia * Loch Eil, a lake in Scotland Other uses * Eastern Independent League, an American high school sports con ...

) Following World War II, the Italian-administered Trust Territory of Somalia consisted of six Regions. * Alto Giuba * Basso Giuba * Benadir * Hiiraan * Migiurtinia * Mudugh The British Somaliland

protectorate A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over most of its in ...

also consisted of two Regions. * Burao * Hargeisa

Somalia

Upon independence in 1960, the Somali Republic maintained the 12 districts of the former Italian Somaliland and British Somaliland that merged to form the new country. In 1964, a new Northeastern (Burao) Province was established by merging Burao, Erigavo, and Las Anod and a Northwestern (Hargeisa) Province was formed from Berbera, Borama, and Hargeisa districts. In 1968, the capital of Basso Giuba was moved from Kismayo to

Jamame Jamame ( so, Jamaame, ar, جمامة, it, Giamama formerly ''Villaggio Regina Margherita''), also spelled Giamame, is a town in the southern Lower Juba (Jubbada Hoose) region of Somalia. There are many farms located near Jamame. The equator pas ...

. The 8 provinces at this time were: In 1982, Somalia reorganized from eight provinces into 16 regions. In June 1984, Awdal was split from Woqooyi Galbeed and Sool was split from Nugaal to form the current 18 regions.

References

{{Articles on second-level administrative divisions of African countries

Somalia geography-related lists

Regions and districts

Historical divisions

Pre-independence

Somalia

See also

References