Harirad ( so, Xariirad) is a town in the northwestern

Awdal Awdal ( so, Awdal, ar, أودَل) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in western Somaliland. It was separated from Woqooyi Galbeed and became a province in 1984 and is the most northwesterly province of Somaliland. To the east it borders ...

region 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 ...

. It is about 87 kilometers northwest of

Borama Borama ( so, Boorama, ar, بورما) is the Second capital city of Somaliland and the largest city of the northwestern Awdal region of Somaliland The commercial seat of the province, it is situated near the border with Ethiopia. During the M ...

and 3 km (2 mi) north of the border with

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

. With an elevation of 972 meters above sea level, the settlement sprawls on a wide basin surrounded by granite mountains on all sides.

History

According to legend, the present-day territory of Harirad was covered by trees and a wadi. On their way to

Zeila Zeila ( so, Saylac, ar, زيلع, Zayla), also known as Zaila or Zayla, is a historical port town in the western Awdal region of Somaliland. In the Middle Ages, the Jewish traveller Benjamin of Tudela identified Zeila (or Hawilah) with the Bibl ...

, nomadic pastoralists sometimes stopped in the town to water their flock. The town houses the burial sites for many of the historical figures of the town, among them Ugaas Samatar (died: 1812), of the Reer Ugaas subclan of the Makayl-Dheere, who was the chief of the

Gadabuursi The Gadabuursi (Somali: ''Gadabuursi'', Arabic: جادابورسي), also known as ''Samaroon'' (Arabic: ''قبيلة سَمَرُون)'', is a northern Somali clan, a sub-division of the Dir clan family. The Gadabuursi are geographically sp ...

clan.Nur, Sheikh Abdurahman 1993 Also, buried in the town is Dudub Osman, who is the ancestor of the Reer Dudub branch of the Jibriil Yoonis subclan of the

.Nur, Sheikh Abdurahman 1993

Demographics

The town of Harirad is mainly inhabited by the Reer Dudub subclan of the Jibriil Yoonis and the Bahabar 'Eli subclan of the Mahad 'Ase, both branches of the

Dir clan. The Reer Geedi subclan of the Issa Dir clan mainly graze in the rural countryside of Harirad. The FSAU Monthly Food Security Report March (2003) states that the

clan are the main local inhabitants of Harirad whilst Issa pastoralists migrate to the region seasonally from

"Following discussions with the Issa (from Ethiopia) and Gadabursi (local inhabitants) livestock owners and local leaders in Gerissa, Xariradd, Jidhi, Karuure, Ceel Gal, Zeyla, Lughaye, Kalalwe and Osooli."

Geography

Harirad is situated in a mountainous area, in an enclosed valley of the

highlands Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau. Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to: Places Albania * Dukagjin Highlands Armenia * Armenian Highlands Australia *Sou ...

. One can also take in the local wildlife, such as the

black-backed jackal The black-backed jackal (''Lupulella mesomelas),'' also called the silver-backed jackal, is a medium-sized canine native to eastern and southern Africa. These regions are separated by roughly 900 kilometers. One region includes the southe ...

dorcas gazelle The dorcas gazelle (''Gazella dorcas''), also known as the ariel gazelle, is a small and common gazelle. The dorcas gazelle stands about at the shoulder, with a head and body length of and a weight of . The numerous subspecies survive on vegeta ...

caracal The caracal (''Caracal caracal'') () is a medium-sized wild cat native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and arid areas of Pakistan and northwestern India. It is characterised by a robust build, long legs, a short face, long tufted ...

hamadryas baboon The hamadryas baboon (''Papio hamadryas'' ) is a species of baboon within the Old World monkey family. It is the northernmost of all the baboons, being native to the Horn of Africa and the southwestern region of the Arabian Peninsula. These re ...

and various bird species.

Climate

The weather in Harirad is

semi-arid A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi- ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

: ''BSk''). It has a

mountain climate Alpine climate is the typical weather (climate) for elevations above the tree line, where trees fail to grow due to cold. This climate is also referred to as a mountain climate or highland climate. Definition There are multiple definitions of ...

, with hot and dry summers and cold winters. This is attributed to the fact that Harirad is located on a plain surrounded by mountains as well as near the sea. The town sits at an altitude of 972 meters above sea level, in low-shrouded mountains and hills.

Notes

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References

Xariirad Dix Gudban, Somalia
Populated places in Awdal