States and regions of Somalia
Somalia is a federal republic consisting of five federal states as well as the claimed region of Somaliland. Somalia is further subdivided into eighteen administrative regions (gobollada, singular gobol),[1] which are in turn subdivided into districts.
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This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Somalia |
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History
Puntland is an autonomous unionist state in the northeast of Somalia that was formed in 1998. Galmudug is a federal state in central Somalia. Jubaland in a federal state in the south of Somalia.[1] In November 2014, the South West State of Somalia was established as a Somali federal state.[2] In October 2016, a formation conference was launched in order to form the Hirshabelle State as a Somali federal state.[3]
The Federal Parliament is tasked with selecting the ultimate number and boundaries of the autonomous regional states (officially, Federal Member States) within the Federal Republic of Somalia.[4][5] To this end, the legislature in December 2014 passed a law establishing the Boundary and Federalization Commission.[6] The body is mandated with determining the boundaries of the country's constituent Federal Member States, as well as arbitrating between these regional states on their respective jurisdiction.[7]
Somaliland
The Republic of Somaliland is a de facto independent country with limited recognition that is located in the north of the Horn of Africa, adjacent to the Federal Republic of Somalia, a member state of the United Nations which claims Somaliland as its territory. Somaliland does not have full diplomatic relations with any other country. According to Somalia, Somaliland comprises the northwestern portion of its territory and around 27.6% of its total claimed territory. Most countries worldwide recognise Somaliland as a breakaway or autonomous region of Somalia. In reality, Somalia has no effective sovereignty over most of Somaliland.
Federal member states
As of 2016, Somalia is officially divided into 5 federal member states:[8][3]
Below are the regions of Somalia, along with their capitals shown in brackets:
- Bakool (Hudur)
- Banadir (Mogadisho)
- Bari (Bosaso)
- Bay (Baidoa)
- Galgaduud (Dhusamareb)
- Gedo (Garbahaarreey)
- Hiiraan (Beledweyn)
- Lower Juba (Kismayo)
- Lower Shabelle (Merca)(established 1984)
- Middle Juba (Bu'ale)
- Middle Shebelle (Jowhar)
- Mudug (Galkayo)
- Nugal (Garowe)
President of Somalia Mohamed Siad Barre established five of the these gobol in 1974-75 for political reasons: Middle Juba, Lower Juba, Gedo, Bay and Bakool;[9] Banaadir shrank to Mogadishu city only at the same time.[10]
- Self-declared Somaliland, claiming:
References
- "Somalia". World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 2009-05-14. Retrieved 2009-05-31.
- "SOMALIA: South-west state endorses a new constitution". Raxanreeb. 8 November 2014. Archived from the original on 9 November 2014. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
- "New President elected for Hir-Shabelle state". Garoweonline. 17 October 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- "The Federal Republic of Somalia - Harmonized Draft Constitution" (PDF). Federal Government of Somalia. Archived from the original on January 24, 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2012.CS1 maint: unfit url (link)
- "Guidebook to the Somali Draft Provisional Constitution". Archived from the original on 14 August 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
- "Somali parliament endorses the bill of boundaries and federalism". Goobjoog. 21 December 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
- "Cabinet approves Bills for National Electoral Commission, Boundary and Federalization Commission and a $216 M budget for 2015". Goobjoog. 18 November 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
- http://somalireview.com/2016/10/somalias-regional-states-submit-upper-house-nominations/
- Mohamed Haji Mukhtar (2011). Historical Dictionary of Somalia. Lanham, MD and Oxford: Scarecrow Press. p. 129.
- Mukhtar, 2011, p.48