Formerly known as Bandar Qasim, Bosaso's population is estimated at about 402,318 residents.[1] It is the third largest city in the country after Mogadishu and Hargeisa. While Bosaso is a melting pot, with residents hailing from all the major clans of Somalia, most of its population is from the Harti confederation of Darod sub-clans.[2]
Contents
History
Main articles: Maritime history of Somalia, Majeerteen Sultanate and Somali aristocratic and court titles
The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea indicates that ancient Greek
merchants sailed to Bosaso, providing notes about the strategic and
geographical location of the current Bosaso area, which was known as Mosylon in ancient times.[3]
Overview of Bosaso.
Near Bosaso, at the end of the Baladi valley, lies a 2 km to 3 km long earthwork.[5][6] Local tradition recounts that the massive embankment marks the grave of a community matriarch. It is the largest such structure in the wider Horn region.[6]
In the mid-18th to early 20th centuries, the city was among the areas ruled by the Majeerteen Sultanate (Migiurtinia). Later forming a part of Italian Somaliland, Bosaso was represented in the parliament of the succeeding Trust Territory of Somalia by the MPs Haji Bashir Ismail Yusuf and Ugaas Yassin Ugaas Abdirahman.[7][8] The town would eventually be administered through the official Bari region in the post-independence period.
With the start of the Somali Civil War and the subsequent formation of Puntland in the 1990s, Bosaso has become the business capital of the northeastern regions of Somalia. In recent years, it has served as a refueling station for maritime transport between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf ports, and has also become an important commercial point of entry.
Geography
Location and habitat
Bosaso is situated in northeastern Somalia, on the Gulf of Aden coast. Nearby settlements include to the east Rehiss (2.0 nm), to the northeast Mareroo (7.5 nm), to the west El Ad (1.9 nm), to the southwest Laas Geel (8.8 nm), to the south Lasgoriga (11.2 nm), and to the southeast El Dhurre (19.5 nm).[9] The largest cities in the country most proximate to Bosaso are Erigavo (212 km), Burao (442 km), and Berbera (465 km). Shimbiris, the highest peak in Somalia, is located some 220 km to the southwest in the Cal Madow mountain range.[10]In June 2014, the Puntland government launched a new tree-planting campaign in the state, with the regional Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism slated to plant 25,000 trees by the end of the year. Bosaso is among the seven cities and towns earmarked for the reforestation initiative, which also include Garowe, Qardho, Dhahar, Buuhoodle, Baran and Galkayo. The campaign is part of a broader partnership between the Puntland authorities and EU to set up various environmental protection measures in the region, with the aim of promoting reforestation and afforestation.[11]
 |
Gulf of Aden | Mareroo | |
|
| El Ad |  |
Rehiss | ||
|
||||
 |
||||
| Laas Geel | Lasgoriga | El Dhurre |
Climate
Bosaso has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh). It has a mean annual relative humidity of around 60%. The average daily mean temperature year-round is 30 °C, with an average annual high of 35 °C and an average annual low of 25 °C. Average low temperatures are coolest during the winter months of December to February, when thermometer readings typically level out at 20 °C. The weather slowly heats up in the spring, as the April rainy season begins. Average high temperatures later peak during the summer months of June to August, when they consistently exceed 40 °C (104 °F). Come September, cooler weather starts to set in again. Rainfall reaches a high over this period, with an average precipitation of 7 mm (0.28 inches) in November. Total rainfall year-round is around 19 mm (0.76 inches).[12]| Climate data for Bosaso | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 29.0 (84.2) |
30.0 (86) |
31.0 (87.8) |
34.0 (93.2) |
37.0 (98.6) |
41.0 (105.8) |
41.0 (105.8) |
40.0 (104) |
39.0 (102.2) |
33.0 (91.4) |
30.0 (86) |
29.0 (84.2) |
35.0 (95) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 25.0 (77) |
25.0 (77) |
26.7 (80.1) |
28.8 (83.8) |
31.1 (88) |
35.6 (96.1) |
36.1 (97) |
35.6 (96.1) |
33.3 (91.9) |
27.8 (82) |
25.6 (78.1) |
25.6 (78.1) |
30.0 (86) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 20.6 (69.1) |
20.6 (69.1) |
21.6 (70.9) |
24.4 (75.9) |
26.1 (79) |
30.6 (87.1) |
31.7 (89.1) |
30.0 (86) |
28.3 (82.9) |
22.2 (72) |
21.1 (70) |
20.0 (68) |
25.0 (77) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 0 (0) |
0 (0) |
1 (0.04) |
3 (0.12) |
3 (0.12) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
2 (0.08) |
7 (0.28) |
3 (0.12) |
19 (0.76) |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 66 | 68 | 64 | 64 | 62 | 48 | 40 | 48 | 56 | 70 | 74 | 71 | 60.9 |
| Source: Arab Meteorology Book[12] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
A residential area in Bosaso.
Furthermore, Bosaso is a major port for boats carrying emigrants from within the country as well as adjacent territories across the Gulf of Aden to settle (sometimes illegally) in the Persian Gulf states.[2]
While Bosaso today is a melting pot, with residents hailing from many different parts of Somalia in addition to some neighboring Northeast African countries like Ethiopia, most of the city's population is from the Harti confederation of Darod sub-clans. Bosaso also has a significant number of Meheri Arabs, known as Arab Salah.[14][15]
Municipality
The Bosaso horizon.
Each of the city's various districts also has its own municipal sub-authorities, complete with a mayor and civil servants.[1]
Economy
Bosaso is a city that is experiencing a period of rapid growth. Prior to the Somali civil war, it had a population of under 50,000 inhabitants. Since the conflict, Somalis belonging to the Harti Darod sub-clans began migrating back to their ancestral areas of Puntland.[17] As a consequence of these migrations, Bosaso's population and the local housing industry have grown tremendously.
An Amal Bank branch in Bosaso.
Bosaso is home to Golis Telecom Somalia, the largest telecommunications operator in northeastern Somalia. Founded in 2002 with the objective of supplying the country with GSM mobile services, fixed line and internet services, it has an extensive network that covers all of the nation's major cities and more than 40 districts in both Puntland and Somaliland.[20] According to The Economist, Golis offers one of the cheapest international calling rates on the planet, at $0.2 USD less than anywhere else in the world.[21] In addition, Netco has its headquarters in the city. Other telecommunication firms serving the region include Telcom and NationLink.
In September 2013, Puntland Deputy Minister of Environment Burhan Elmi Hirsi also announced a plan by the Puntland government to establish a gas manufacturing plant in Bosaso. The new project is part of a broader campaign by the Puntland environmental authorities to avert deforestation and promote alternative sources of fuel.[22]
Cement making machines on the outskirts of Bosaso.
Additionally, the Bosaso Tannery is based in the city. A ten-year-old manufacturing, distributing, wholesale and import/export company, it processes wet salted, dry salted, wet blue, limed, pickled, and air/frame dried sheep and goat hides and skin.[25][26] Principle wet blue exports are to Turkey, Pakistan, India and China.[25] Raw camel hides and sheep and goat skin are also exported to the United Arab Emirates.[27]
Commercial banks serving Bosaso include Amal Bank and Salaam Bank. Salaam Bank provides personal banking and corporate banking. Its Islamic banking services and facilities include Mudarabah, Murabaha, Musharakah and Istisnaa. Additionally, the bank offers electronic banking, SMS banking, mobile banking and internet debit.[28] In August 2011, the bank also launched an independent (Kaaftoon) service partnering the institution with Golis Telecom Somalia.[29]
Transportation
The Bender Qassim International Airport in 2007, prior to renovations.
The Port of Bosaso.
Besides its busy seaport, Bosaso has a major airport, the Bender Qassim International Airport. In 2008, the Puntland government signed a multi-million-dollar deal with Dubai's Lootah Group, a regional industrial group operating in the Middle East and Africa. According to the agreement, the first phase of the investment is worth Dhs 170m ($46.28m) and will see a set of new companies established to operate, manage and build Bosaso's free trade zone and sea and airport facilities. The Bosaso Airport Company is slated to develop the airport complex to meet international standards, including a new 3.4 km runway, main and auxiliary buildings, taxi and apron areas, and security perimeters.[35] In December 2014, the foundation stone for a new runway was also laid at the airport. The China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation is now slated to upgrade the airport's existing gravel runway, pave it with asphalt, and convert it from 1.8 km to 2.65 km in accordance with the code 4C operations clause.[36]
Education
Entrance to East Africa University's Bosaso campus.
Tertiary education is provided by Bosaso College (BC),[39] as well as the Puntland Nursing Institute (PNI). East Africa University (EAU) also has a Bosaso branch, one of its seven campuses in Puntland.[40] Additionally, the Sam Greathouse School of Modern Technology (SG-SMT) has been working with the local government to construct a large scale dial-up network linking Bosaso to other northern Somali cities, including Berbera and Las Anod.
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