Southern Somalia
Southern Somalia Koonfurta Soomaaliya (somali) | |
|---|---|
| Map of Southern Somalia (yellow highlighted area) location of Southern Somalia( yellow highlighted area) | |
| Country | Somalia |
| Federal member states and municipality | |
| Most populous cities | |
| Area | |
| • City | 635,780 km2 (245,480 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 610 m (2,000 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Population (2025) | |
| • City | 9,600,000 |
| • Density | 15/km2 (39/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 1,751,254 |
| Demonym(s) | |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (EAT) |
| Ethnic groups | |
| Official languages |
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Southern Somalia (Somali: Koonfurta Soomaaliya), less commonly known as South Somalia, is the southernmost geographical region of Somalia, encompassing the federal member states of Galmudug [note 1], Hirshabelle, South West State, Jubbaland, and the Banaadir municipality. Southern Somalia lies south of the northern Somali coast (the Gulf of Aden) and along the western Indian Ocean, referred to as the Somali Sea. It is bordered by the Northeastern Region (Puntland State) to the north, Ethiopia's Somali region to the west, Kenya to the south and southwest, and the Indian Ocean to the east. The coastline of Southern Somalia is referred to by northern Somalis as the Southern Somali coast or Southern Somali Sea, and is widely known in modern usage simply as the Somali Sea, a marginal sea along the western part of the Indian Ocean.
The starting point of Southern Somalia has traditionally been the southern part of Mudug, which is administered by Galmudug State and forms the historical boundary between northern and southern Somalia. Southern Somalia stretches northward from Hobyo and southward to Ras Kamboni, which mark its northern and southern extremes. Most of Somalia’s archipelagos and islands are located in Southern Somalia, extending from the area south of Kismayo toward Shakani. The largest of these archipelagos is the Bajuni Islands, though several others exist along the coastline. The region occupies roughly half of Somalia’s total land area and is the largest part of the country. It also contains more than half of the nation’s population, making it the most populous and densely inhabited part of Somalia. While most of Southern Somalia lies in the Northern Hemisphere, areas where the Equator passes, such as Badhadhe District in Lower Jubba, are in the Southern Hemisphere.
Southern Somalia is dominated geographically by the Jubba and Shabelle river valleys, which are its defining features. In contrast to the north, where only seasonal rivers exist, Southern Somalia is home to the country’s major perennial rivers, including the Jubba, Shabelle, Dawa, Ganale Doria, and Lagh Dera. The most populated urban center in Southern Somalia is Mogadishu, with an estimated population of 2.846 million, followed by Kismayo, Baidoa, Hobyo, Beledweyne, Merka, and Barawe. Southern Somalia is mainly inhabited by southern Somali clans such as the Hawiye, alongside the Rahanweyn, Somali Bantu, Benadiri Somali, and the Dir and Darood clans.The Somali language is the primary spoken language in Southern Somalia, but Standard Somali (known as Maxaa-tiri or Northern Somali) is the more dominant standardized form. The southern Somali dialect, known as Maay Maay, is the second most widely spoken, followed by other southern Somali varieties such as Benadiri Somali, Af Tunni, Af Boni (Aweer), Jiddu, Garre, and Dabarre.
Etymology
The term Southern Somalia or South Somalia know in Somali as Koonfurta Soomaaliya literally refers to the southern region of the country. Koonfur or Koonfurta in Somali means “the south” or “southern.” It is primarily a geopolitical term, used to distinguish the southern part of Somalia from the northern regions (called Waqooyi" lit Gods land), which comprise Somaliland, Khaatumo (including Maakhir), and Puntland. The name reflects basic geography: “Southern” denotes its position relative to the rest of the country, while “Somalia” refers to the nation as a whole. However, the term also carries historical significance, as the area was—and continues to be—its own cultural sphere and historical region, as well as a distinct geographical, ethnolinguistic, and geopolitical area separate from Northern Somalia.
Names of Southern somalia
Southern Somalia is also known as the Great River Valley region (with the exception of Galmudug, which is an arid area) due to far southern region of Somalia—comprising Jubbaland, Hirshabelle, Southwest, and Banaadir—is home to the country’s major rivers and is dominated by two large river valleys: the Jubba River Valley and the Shabelle River Valley, which lie within the Jubba River basin in the central and southern parts of the region. The Dawa, Genale Doria, Jubba, and Shabelle rivers are the perennial rivers and mportant sources of water for southern Somalia. Additionally, there is another river system, known as the Lag Dera, which runs through Lower Jubba, Gedo, and Middle Jubba, with the Lag Dera River eventually joining the Jubba basin, forming the great southern river system. The river deltas and floodplains in these areas are primarily at Jamaame, Goobweyn, Beledweyne, and Kismayo, as well as Buur Gabo. Other notable areas include Jilib, Baardheere, and Luuq. Thus, in contrast to northern Somalia, where there are only seasonal rivers and long streams such as the Togdheer and Nugal rivers, southern Somalia is defined by the country’s main perennial rivers, which give the region its designation as the Riverine or River Valley region.
References
Notes
- ↑ Gal Mudug is considered central region ( central somalia) or south-central Somalia, but it is often grouped with the far southern regions and is thus regarded as part of southern Somalia.
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