Burgabo: Difference between revisions
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{{Infobox settlement |
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{{mergefrom|Port Dunford|discuss=Talk:Port Dunford|date=March 2018}} |
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| name = Burgabo |
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{{Coordinate |article=/ |NS=1/13/3/S |EW=41/50/16/E |type=city |region=SO-JH |map=right}} |
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| native_name = Buur Gaabo |
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'''Burgabo''' ({{lang-so|Buur Gaabo}}) is a port town in [[Lower Jubba]] province in southern [[Somalia]] near the border with [[Kenya]]. |
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| native_name_lang = so |
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| settlement_type = Town |
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| etymology = |
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| nickname = |
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| image_map = |
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| pushpin_map = Somalia |
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| coordinates = {{coord|1|13|3|S|41|50|16|E|region:SO-JH_type:city|display=inline,title}} |
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| coor_pinpoint = |
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| coordinates_footnotes = |
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| subdivision_type = Country |
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| subdivision_name = [[Somalia]] |
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| subdivision_type1 = Province |
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| subdivision_name1 = [[Lower Jubba]] |
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| subdivision_type2 = |
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| established_title = |
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| established_date = 1st Century |
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| founder = |
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| unit_pref = Metric |
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<!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->| area_footnotes = |
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| area_water_km2 = <!-- hectares --> |
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| elevation_footnotes = |
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| population_as_of = 2011 |
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| population_total = 30,000 |
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| population_density_km2 = auto |
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| timezone1 = |
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}} |
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Other names and variants of the town include ''Berikau, Bircao,<ref name="NatGeo">"Africa" [map]. 1:15,840,000. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, September 1960, Plate 54.</ref> Birikao, Birikau, Bur Gabo, Bur Gao, Bur Gavo,<ref name="NatGeo"/> Hohenzollernhafen, Port Dunford, Port Durnford<ref name="NatGeo"/> and Wubushi''. |
'''Burgabo''' ({{lang-so|Buur Gaabo}}) is a port town in [[Lower Jubba]] province in southern [[Somalia]] near the border with [[Kenya]]. Other names and variants of the town include ''Berikau, Bircao,<ref name="NatGeo">"Africa" [map]. 1:15,840,000. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, September 1960, Plate 54.</ref> Birikao, Birikau, Las Bur Gabo, Bur Gao, Bur Gavo,<ref name="NatGeo"/> Hohenzollernhafen, Port Dunford, Port Durnford<ref name="NatGeo"/> and Wubushi''. |
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Burgabo lies at the mouth of the |
Burgabo lies at the mouth of the Burgabo River and is connected via a dirt road to Kamboni, the southernmost town in Somalia, {{convert|55|km}} away at the Kenyan border. The connections with the sparsely populated inland and towards the north consist of barely accessible paths. The district capital [[Badhaadhe]] lies {{convert|43|km}} to the northwest. Offshore are reefs and the [[Bajuni Islands]], which extend northeastward to Kismayo. |
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On the northern edge of the town, there are extensive [[charcoal]] storage sites |
On the northern edge of the town, there are extensive [[charcoal]] storage sites; charcoal is produced in the hinterland and exported from Burgabo to the [[Arabian Peninsula]] via [[dhow]]. This export is banned by the [[United Nations Security Council]] because the Islamic terror group [[Al-Shabaab (militant group)|Al-Shabaab]] is financed by the proceeds.<ref>[http://www.securitycouncilreport.org/atf/cf/%7B65BFCF9B-6D27-4E9C-8CD3-CF6E4FF96FF9%7D/s_2015_801.pdf "Report of the Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea pursuant to Security Council resolution 2182 (2014): Somalia."], Document S/2015/801, 10 October 2015. p. 42. (Photos of storage locations on pages 310–313.)</ref> |
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Burgabo has a [[tropical savanna climate]] with an average annual temperature of 27.2 °C. The hottest month is April with an average of 28.8 °C; the coolest month is July, averaging 25.6 °C. The annual precipitation amounts to approximately 474 mm. The dry season is from January to March, followed by a rainy season from April to July. After that, rainfall regularly falls with a small peak in October. The wettest month is May when there is then about 130 mm, more than a quarter of the annual total. The annual fluctuations can also be considerable.<ref>[http://en.climate-data.org/location/650250/ Climate data] at Climate-Data.org.</ref> |
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__NOTOC__<!-- Remove this when additional sections are added --> |
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==History== |
==History== |
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===Greco-Roman=== |
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[[File:Tanaland (East Africa Protectorate).png|thumb|250px|right|Map of Burgabo, then Port Durnford, in [[Tanaland]] province of the British [[East Africa Protectorate]] in 1898]] |
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The area is believed to correspond with the ancient emporium of [[Nikon (Somalia)|Nikon]], which is described in the 1st century CE Greco-Roman travelogue the ''[[Periplus of the Erythraean Sea]]''.<ref name="Mokhtar311">{{cite book|last1=Mokhtar|first1=G.|title=Ancient Civilizations of Africa|date=1990|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=0520066979|page=311|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aDxMF-6UdCQC|accessdate=1 November 2014}}</ref> |
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Following an agreement between the [[German East Africa Company]] and Sultan Ali ibn Ismail of [[Kismayo]] at the end of 1886, a [[German Empire|German]] trading station called '''Hohenzollernhafen'''{{refn|group=nb|Hohenzollernhafen was named for Germany's ruling [[House of Hohenzollern]]. However, [[Chancellor of Germany|Chancellor]] [[Otto von Bismarck]] thought the naming premature and called it "arbitrary and not generous" (''willkürlich und nicht genehrn'').<ref>Jutta Bückendorf. ''"Schwarz-weiss-rot über Ostafrika!": deutsche Kolonialpläne und afrikanische Realität''. Münster: LIT Verlag, 1997. p. 231. Note 166. {{ISBN|9783825827557}}</ref>}}<ref>[http://www.zeno.org/Meyers-1905/A/Port+Durnford "Port Durnford."] ''[[Meyers Konversations-Lexikon]]'' 1905.</ref> was established<ref>Jutta Bückendorf. ''"Schwarz-weiss-rot über Ostafrika!": deutsche Kolonialpläne und afrikanische Realität''. Münster: LIT Verlag, 1997. p. 231. {{ISBN|9783825827557}}</ref> at Wubushi (Burgabo) Bay. At that time, the entire southern part of the Somali coast was nominally in the hands of the [[Sultanate of Zanzibar]], but the Germans circumvented that problem by concluding a protection treaty with Ali ibn Ismail, who was hostile to Zanzibar. |
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The archaeological site (known by the early 20th century name ''Port Dunford'') contains a number of ancient ruins, including several [[pillar tomb]]s. Prior to its collapse, one these structures' pillars stood 11 meters high from the ground, making it the tallest tower of its kind in the wider region.<ref name="Adam106">{{cite book|editor-first1=Hussein Mohamed|editor-last1=Adam|editor-first2=Charles Lee|editor-last2=Geshekter|title=The Proceedings of the First International Congress of Somali Studies|date=1992|publisher=Scholars Press|isbn=0891306587|page=106|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mM8tAQAAIAAJ|accessdate=1 November 2014}}</ref> |
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After the [[Heligoland–Zanzibar Treaty]] of 1890, the area came under [[British Empire|British]] suzerainty and the port was renamed '''Port Durnford'''{{refn|group=nb|Port Durnford was probably named after Midshipman Edward Philip Durnford (1803-1824), who died at sea on the [[HMS Leven (1813)|HMS ''Leven'']] off Madagascar.<ref>http://durnfordfamily.com/punta.html and http://durnfordfamily.com/famous.html</ref>}}<ref>''[[Encyclopaedia Britannica]]'' Tenth Edition. Volume 34: Maps. [https://books.google.com/books?id=VNhEAQAAMAAJ&pg=PR54#v=onepage&q&f=false Plate 56.]</ref> (also Port Dunford or Wubushi<ref>''[[Encyclopaedia Britannica]]'' Tenth Edition. Volume 34: Maps. p. 490.</ref>). |
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Additionally, the area features a square edifice covered with a low, dome-shaped vault. It is one of the main local standing structures.<ref name="Petersen262">{{cite book|last1=Petersen|first1=Andrew|title=Dictionary of Islamic Architecture|date=2002|publisher=Routledge|isbn=1134613660|page=262|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eIaEAgAAQBAJ|accessdate=1 November 2014}}</ref> |
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In 1913, Haywood reportedly found at Port Dunford a large collection of old coins, along with a vessel similar to a Greek [[amphora]].<ref name="Mokhtar307">{{cite book|last1=Mokhtar|first1=G.|title=Ancient Civilizations of Africa|date=1990|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=0520066979|page=307|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aDxMF-6UdCQC|accessdate=1 November 2014}}</ref> He later disposed of the amphora pieces,<ref name="Mdap">{{cite book|title=Discovering Africa's Past|date=1959|publisher=Uganda Museum|page=5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EthfAAAAIAAJ|accessdate=1 April 2015}}</ref> and the vessel was also said to have been crushed during a storm.<ref name="Mokhtar307"/> In 1930, Hayward showed the coins to an official with the [[British Museum]], H. Mattingly.<ref name="Mokhtar307"/> 87 pieces in total, they ranged in date from the 3rd century BCE to the early 4th century CE. Among the coins were 17 copper mints from the [[Ptolemy III Euergetes|Ptolemy III]] to [[Ptolemy V Epiphanes|Ptolemy V]] dynasties of [[Ptolemaic Kingdom|Ptolemaic Egypt]], five pieces of uncertain origin dating from the 1st to 3rd centuries BCE, six pieces that had been minted under [[Roman Empire|Imperial Rome]] between the reigns of [[Nero]] and [[Antoninus Pius]], forty-six coins ranging from Roman Emperors [[Maximinus II]] to [[Constans]], six mints derived from the Egyptian [[Mamluk Sultanate (Cairo)|Mamluk Sultanate]], and seven pieces from [[Ottoman Egypt]].<ref name="Mdap"/><ref name="Temporini977">{{cite book|editor-first=Hildegard|editor-last=Temporini|title=Politische Geschichte: (Provinzien und Randvölker: Mesopotamien, Armenien, Iran, Südarabien, Rom und der Ferne Osten)], Part 2, Volume 9|date=1978|publisher=Walter de Gruyter|isbn=3110071754|page=977|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ig0_4HeMh-AC|accessdate=1 November 2014}}</ref> |
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===Early trading=== |
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Based on the archaeological finds, [[Mortimer Wheeler]] suggested that Port Dunford was likely a trading station from at least the Roman period. In 1955, he and Dr. A.G. Mathew in turn visited the area. They discovered porcelain, pottery and building remains dating from the 16th century onwards.<ref name="Mdap"/> |
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===19th century=== |
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Following an agreement between the [[German East Africa Company]] and Sultan Ali ibn Ismail of [[Kismayo]] at the end of 1886, a [[German Empire|German]] trading station called '''Hohenzollernhafen'''{{refn|group=nb|Hohenzollernhafen was named for Germany's ruling [[House of Hohenzollern]]. However, [[Chancellor of Germany|Chancellor]] [[Otto von Bismarck]] thought the naming premature and called it "arbitrary and not generous" (''willkürlich und nicht genehrn'').<ref>Jutta Bückendorf. ''"Schwarz-weiss-rot über Ostafrika!": deutsche Kolonialpläne und afrikanische Realität''. Münster: LIT Verlag, 1997. p. 231. Note 166. {{ISBN|9783825827557}}</ref>}}<ref>[http://www.zeno.org/Meyers-1905/A/Port+Durnford "Port Durnford."] ''[[Meyers Konversations-Lexikon]]'' 1905.</ref> was established<ref>Jutta Bückendorf. ''"Schwarz-weiss-rot über Ostafrika!": deutsche Kolonialpläne und afrikanische Realität''. Münster: LIT Verlag, 1997. p. 231. {{ISBN|9783825827557}}</ref> at Wubushi (Burgabo) Bay. At that time, the entire southern part of the Somali coast was nominally in the hands of the [[Sultanate of Zanzibar]], but the Germans circumvented that problem by concluding a protection treaty with Ali ibn Ismail, who was hostile to Zanzibar.{{citation needed|date=April 2018}} |
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After the [[Heligoland–Zanzibar Treaty]] of 1890, the area came under [[British Empire|British]] suzerainty and the port was renamed '''Port Durnford'''{{refn|group=nb|Port Durnford was probably named after Midshipman Edward Philip Durnford (1803–1824), who died at sea on [[HMS Leven (1813)|HMS ''Leven'']] off Madagascar.<ref>[http://durnfordfamily.com/punta.html "The Mystery of Punta Durnford"] and [http://durnfordfamily.com/famous.html "Famous Durnfords"] at The Durnford Family website. Retrieved 5 April 2018.</ref>}}<ref>''[[Encyclopaedia Britannica]]'' Tenth Edition. Volume 34: Maps. [https://books.google.com/books?id=VNhEAQAAMAAJ&pg=PR54 Plate 56.]</ref> (also Port Dunford or Wubushi<ref>''[[Encyclopaedia Britannica]]'' Tenth Edition. Volume 34: Maps. p. 490.</ref>). |
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===20th century=== |
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In 1905, the area was described as follows: |
In 1905, the area was described as follows: |
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{{ |
{{Blockquote|"To the south of Kismayu the coast presents a series of small islands, but no feature of importance, except Port Durnford, a harbour of some size and depth. It was formerly a Government station, it being thought unadvisable in the old slaving days to leave a long stretch of coast without any officer ; but now that the slave trade has been abolished, this station has been closed, though the buildings still remain in the charge of a few police. There are a few inhabitants, but the scrub and sand begin immediately round the village, and give one a good idea of the desolation of the district."<ref>Charles Eliot. ''The East Africa Protectorate''. Psychology Press, 1966. (First Edition 1905). [https://books.google.com/books?id=ZvAoasZjI8wC&pg=PA38 p. 38.]</ref>}} |
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Port Durnford formed part of the [[East Africa Protectorate]] (first part of [[Tanaland]] province and later [[Jubaland]]) until, along with the rest of Jubaland, was ceded to the [[Italian Empire| |
Port Durnford formed part of the [[East Africa Protectorate]] (first part of [[Tanaland]] province and later [[Jubaland]]) until, along with the rest of Jubaland, was ceded to the [[Italian Empire|Italians]] in 1924 when it became known as '''Bur Gavo'''. First part of [[Italian Trans-Juba|Trans-Juba]], it became part of [[Italian Somaliland]] in 1926 and, with independence in 1960, part of Somalia.{{citation needed|date=April 2018}} |
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===21st century=== |
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At the beginning of the 20th century, the town numbered about 3,500 souls, and at the beginning of the 21st century, just under 4,000. In the [[Somali Civil War (2009–present)|Somali Civil War]], the city was a haven for various Islamist groups, and the population fell to around 300 in 2011. Expeditionary [[Kenya Defence Forces]] and [[Somali Armed Forces]] of the [[Federal Government of Somalia]], supported by French naval artillery and U.S. air strikes, occupied the area of Burgabo at the end of October 2011 in the campaign against [[Al-Shabaab (militant group)|Al-Shabaab]] terrorists.<ref>[http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2011/10/27/Kenyans-head-for-showdown-in-Somalia/UPI-88241319730246/ "Kenyans head for showdown in Somalia."] UPI. 27 October 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2018.</ref><ref>[http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Another+town+falls+to+Kenyan+military+/-/1056/1263666/-/s2bb91z/-/ "Another town falls to Kenyan military."] ''Daily Nation''. 28 October 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2018.</ref> |
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At the beginning of the 21st century, the town numbered just under 4,000 residents, similar to the population at the start of the 20th century (about 3,500 residents). In the [[Somali Civil War (2009–present)|Somali Civil War]], the city was a haven for various Islamist groups, and the population fell to around 300 in 2011. Expeditionary [[Kenya Defence Forces]] and [[Somali Armed Forces]] of the [[Federal Government of Somalia]], supported by French naval artillery and U.S. air strikes, occupied the area of Burgabo at the end of October 2011 in the campaign against [[Al-Shabaab (militant group)|Al-Shabaab]] terrorists.<ref>[http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2011/10/27/Kenyans-head-for-showdown-in-Somalia/UPI-88241319730246/ "Kenyans head for showdown in Somalia."] UPI. 27 October 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2018.</ref><ref>[http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Another+town+falls+to+Kenyan+military+/-/1056/1263666/-/s2bb91z/-/ "Another town falls to Kenyan military."] ''Daily Nation''. 28 October 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2018.</ref> |
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==Climate== |
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Burgabo has a [[hot semi-arid climate]] with an average annual temperature of {{convert|27.2|°C|1|disp=or}}. The hottest month is April with an average of {{convert|28.8|°C|1|disp=or}} the coolest month is July, averaging {{convert|25.6|°C|1|disp=or}}. The annual precipitation amounts to approximately {{convert|612|mm|in|0|disp=or}}. The dry season is from January to March, followed by a rainy season from April to July. After that, rainfall regularly falls with a small peak in October. The wettest month is May when there is then about {{convert|130|mm|0|disp=or}}, more than a fifth of the annual total. The annual fluctuations can also be considerable.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Dewar |first1=Robert E.|last2=Wallis|first2=James R.|title=Geographical Patterning of Interannual Rainfall Variability in the Tropics and Near Tropics: An L-Moments Approach|journal=Journal of Climate |date=December 1999|volume=12|issue=12|pages=3457-3466}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Camberlin|first=Pierre|title=More variable tropical climates have a slower demographic growth|journal=Climate Research|date=April 15, 2010|volume=41|pages=157-167}}</ref> |
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{{Weather box |
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| width = auto |
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| open = yes |
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| metric first = yes |
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| single line = yes |
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| location = Burgabo |
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| temperature colour = pastel |
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| Jan high C = 30.2 |
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| Feb high C = 30.4 |
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| Mar high C = 31.2 |
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| Apr high C = 30.8 |
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| May high C = 29.0 |
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| Jun high C = 28.1 |
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| Jul high C = 27.6 |
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| Aug high C = 27.7 |
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| Sep high C = 28.5 |
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| Oct high C = 29.2 |
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| Nov high C = 29.8 |
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| Dec high C = 30.1 |
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| year high C = 29.4 |
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| Jan mean C = 27.0 |
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| Feb mean C = 27.1 |
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| Mar mean C = 28.1 |
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| Apr mean C = 28.1 |
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| May mean C = 26.8 |
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| Jun mean C = 25.9 |
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| Jul mean C = 25.3 |
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| Aug mean C = 25.3 |
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| Sep mean C = 25.8 |
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| Oct mean C = 26.6 |
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| Nov mean C = 27.2 |
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| Dec mean C = 27.4 |
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| year mean C = 26.7 |
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| Jan low C = 25.1 |
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| Feb low C = 25.1 |
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| Mar low C = 26.0 |
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| Apr low C = 26.1 |
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| May low C = 25.1 |
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| Jun low C = 24.3 |
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| Jul low C = 23.6 |
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| Aug low C = 23.5 |
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| Sep low C = 24.0 |
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| Oct low C = 24.6 |
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| Nov low C = 25.2 |
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| Dec low C = 25.6 |
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| year low C = 24.9 |
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| rain colour = green |
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| Jan rain mm = 23 |
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| Feb rain mm = 5 |
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| Mar rain mm = 20 |
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| Apr rain mm = 84 |
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| May rain mm = 128 |
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| Jun rain mm = 62 |
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| Jul rain mm = 47 |
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| Aug rain mm = 36 |
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| Sep rain mm = 32 |
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| Oct rain mm = 53 |
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| Nov rain mm = 74 |
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| Dec rain mm = 48 |
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| Jan rain days = 2 |
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| Feb rain days = 1 |
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| Mar rain days = 4 |
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| Apr rain days = 14 |
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| May rain days = 17 |
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| Jun rain days = 13 |
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| Jul rain days = 11 |
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| Aug rain days = 10 |
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| Sep rain days = 8 |
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| Oct rain days = 10 |
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| Nov rain days = 12 |
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| Dec rain days = 8 |
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| year rain days = |
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| Jan humidity = 74 |
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| Feb humidity = 73 |
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| Mar humidity = 73 |
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| Apr humidity = 75 |
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| May humidity = 79 |
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| Jun humidity = 76 |
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| Jul humidity = 74 |
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| Aug humidity = 74 |
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| Sep humidity = 73 |
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| Oct humidity = 75 |
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| Nov humidity = 77 |
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| Dec humidity = 76 |
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| year humidity = 75 |
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| Jand sun = 8.5 |
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| Febd sun = 8.6 |
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| Mard sun = 8.9 |
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| Aprd sun = 8.3 |
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| Mayd sun = 7.7 |
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| Jund sun = 8.5 |
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| Juld sun = 8.7 |
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| Augd sun = 8.6 |
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| Sepd sun = 8.3 |
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| Octd sun = 8.1 |
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| Novd sun = 8.7 |
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| Decd sun = 8.9 |
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| yeard sun = 8.5 |
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| source = <ref name="Climate">{{cite web|url=http://en.climate-data.org/location/650250/|title= Buur Gaabo Climate (Somalia)|publisher=Climate-Data.org}}</ref> |
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}} |
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==See also== |
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*[[Nikon (Somalia)|Nikon]] |
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*[[Sarapion]] |
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*[[Somali aristocratic and court titles]] |
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==Notes== |
==Notes== |
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{{ |
{{Reflist|group=nb}} |
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== References == |
== References == |
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{{ |
{{Reflist|30em}} |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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*[https://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/maps/topo/somalia/txu-pclmaps-oclc-56953734-sa-37-48-badhaadhe.jpg Detailed topographical map of the Burgabo area] |
* [https://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/maps/topo/somalia/txu-pclmaps-oclc-56953734-sa-37-48-badhaadhe.jpg Detailed topographical map of the Burgabo area] |
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{{Authority control}} |
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[[Category:Populated places in Lower Juba]] |
[[Category:Populated places in Lower Juba]] |
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[[Category:Populated coastal places in Somalia]] |
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Somalia]] |
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[[Category:Populated places established in 1886]] |
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[[Category:Archaeological sites of Eastern Africa]] |
Latest revision as of 06:46, 19 April 2024
Burgabo
Buur Gaabo | |
---|---|
Town | |
Coordinates: 1°13′3″S 41°50′16″E / 1.21750°S 41.83778°E | |
Country | Somalia |
Province | Lower Jubba |
Population (2011) | |
• Total | 30,000 |
Burgabo (Somali: Buur Gaabo) is a port town in Lower Jubba province in southern Somalia near the border with Kenya. Other names and variants of the town include Berikau, Bircao,[1] Birikao, Birikau, Las Bur Gabo, Bur Gao, Bur Gavo,[1] Hohenzollernhafen, Port Dunford, Port Durnford[1] and Wubushi.
Burgabo lies at the mouth of the Burgabo River and is connected via a dirt road to Kamboni, the southernmost town in Somalia, 55 kilometres (34 mi) away at the Kenyan border. The connections with the sparsely populated inland and towards the north consist of barely accessible paths. The district capital Badhaadhe lies 43 kilometres (27 mi) to the northwest. Offshore are reefs and the Bajuni Islands, which extend northeastward to Kismayo.
On the northern edge of the town, there are extensive charcoal storage sites; charcoal is produced in the hinterland and exported from Burgabo to the Arabian Peninsula via dhow. This export is banned by the United Nations Security Council because the Islamic terror group Al-Shabaab is financed by the proceeds.[2]
History
[edit]Greco-Roman
[edit]The area is believed to correspond with the ancient emporium of Nikon, which is described in the 1st century CE Greco-Roman travelogue the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea.[3]
The archaeological site (known by the early 20th century name Port Dunford) contains a number of ancient ruins, including several pillar tombs. Prior to its collapse, one these structures' pillars stood 11 meters high from the ground, making it the tallest tower of its kind in the wider region.[4]
Additionally, the area features a square edifice covered with a low, dome-shaped vault. It is one of the main local standing structures.[5]
In 1913, Haywood reportedly found at Port Dunford a large collection of old coins, along with a vessel similar to a Greek amphora.[6] He later disposed of the amphora pieces,[7] and the vessel was also said to have been crushed during a storm.[6] In 1930, Hayward showed the coins to an official with the British Museum, H. Mattingly.[6] 87 pieces in total, they ranged in date from the 3rd century BCE to the early 4th century CE. Among the coins were 17 copper mints from the Ptolemy III to Ptolemy V dynasties of Ptolemaic Egypt, five pieces of uncertain origin dating from the 1st to 3rd centuries BCE, six pieces that had been minted under Imperial Rome between the reigns of Nero and Antoninus Pius, forty-six coins ranging from Roman Emperors Maximinus II to Constans, six mints derived from the Egyptian Mamluk Sultanate, and seven pieces from Ottoman Egypt.[7][8]
Early trading
[edit]Based on the archaeological finds, Mortimer Wheeler suggested that Port Dunford was likely a trading station from at least the Roman period. In 1955, he and Dr. A.G. Mathew in turn visited the area. They discovered porcelain, pottery and building remains dating from the 16th century onwards.[7]
19th century
[edit]Following an agreement between the German East Africa Company and Sultan Ali ibn Ismail of Kismayo at the end of 1886, a German trading station called Hohenzollernhafen[nb 1][10] was established[11] at Wubushi (Burgabo) Bay. At that time, the entire southern part of the Somali coast was nominally in the hands of the Sultanate of Zanzibar, but the Germans circumvented that problem by concluding a protection treaty with Ali ibn Ismail, who was hostile to Zanzibar.[citation needed]
After the Heligoland–Zanzibar Treaty of 1890, the area came under British suzerainty and the port was renamed Port Durnford[nb 2][13] (also Port Dunford or Wubushi[14]).
20th century
[edit]In 1905, the area was described as follows:
"To the south of Kismayu the coast presents a series of small islands, but no feature of importance, except Port Durnford, a harbour of some size and depth. It was formerly a Government station, it being thought unadvisable in the old slaving days to leave a long stretch of coast without any officer ; but now that the slave trade has been abolished, this station has been closed, though the buildings still remain in the charge of a few police. There are a few inhabitants, but the scrub and sand begin immediately round the village, and give one a good idea of the desolation of the district."[15]
Port Durnford formed part of the East Africa Protectorate (first part of Tanaland province and later Jubaland) until, along with the rest of Jubaland, was ceded to the Italians in 1924 when it became known as Bur Gavo. First part of Trans-Juba, it became part of Italian Somaliland in 1926 and, with independence in 1960, part of Somalia.[citation needed]
21st century
[edit]At the beginning of the 21st century, the town numbered just under 4,000 residents, similar to the population at the start of the 20th century (about 3,500 residents). In the Somali Civil War, the city was a haven for various Islamist groups, and the population fell to around 300 in 2011. Expeditionary Kenya Defence Forces and Somali Armed Forces of the Federal Government of Somalia, supported by French naval artillery and U.S. air strikes, occupied the area of Burgabo at the end of October 2011 in the campaign against Al-Shabaab terrorists.[16][17]
Climate
[edit]Burgabo has a hot semi-arid climate with an average annual temperature of 27.2 °C or 81.0 °F. The hottest month is April with an average of 28.8 °C or 83.8 °F the coolest month is July, averaging 25.6 °C or 78.1 °F. The annual precipitation amounts to approximately 612 millimetres or 24 inches. The dry season is from January to March, followed by a rainy season from April to July. After that, rainfall regularly falls with a small peak in October. The wettest month is May when there is then about 130 millimetres or 5 inches, more than a fifth of the annual total. The annual fluctuations can also be considerable.[18][19]
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 30.2 (86.4) |
30.4 (86.7) |
31.2 (88.2) |
30.8 (87.4) |
29.0 (84.2) |
28.1 (82.6) |
27.6 (81.7) |
27.7 (81.9) |
28.5 (83.3) |
29.2 (84.6) |
29.8 (85.6) |
30.1 (86.2) |
29.4 (84.9) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 27.0 (80.6) |
27.1 (80.8) |
28.1 (82.6) |
28.1 (82.6) |
26.8 (80.2) |
25.9 (78.6) |
25.3 (77.5) |
25.3 (77.5) |
25.8 (78.4) |
26.6 (79.9) |
27.2 (81.0) |
27.4 (81.3) |
26.7 (80.1) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 25.1 (77.2) |
25.1 (77.2) |
26.0 (78.8) |
26.1 (79.0) |
25.1 (77.2) |
24.3 (75.7) |
23.6 (74.5) |
23.5 (74.3) |
24.0 (75.2) |
24.6 (76.3) |
25.2 (77.4) |
25.6 (78.1) |
24.9 (76.8) |
Average rainfall mm (inches) | 23 (0.9) |
5 (0.2) |
20 (0.8) |
84 (3.3) |
128 (5.0) |
62 (2.4) |
47 (1.9) |
36 (1.4) |
32 (1.3) |
53 (2.1) |
74 (2.9) |
48 (1.9) |
612 (24.1) |
Average rainy days | 2 | 1 | 4 | 14 | 17 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 8 | 110 |
Average relative humidity (%) | 74 | 73 | 73 | 75 | 79 | 76 | 74 | 74 | 73 | 75 | 77 | 76 | 75 |
Mean daily sunshine hours | 8.5 | 8.6 | 8.9 | 8.3 | 7.7 | 8.5 | 8.7 | 8.6 | 8.3 | 8.1 | 8.7 | 8.9 | 8.5 |
Source: [20] |
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ Hohenzollernhafen was named for Germany's ruling House of Hohenzollern. However, Chancellor Otto von Bismarck thought the naming premature and called it "arbitrary and not generous" (willkürlich und nicht genehrn).[9]
- ^ Port Durnford was probably named after Midshipman Edward Philip Durnford (1803–1824), who died at sea on HMS Leven off Madagascar.[12]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Africa" [map]. 1:15,840,000. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, September 1960, Plate 54.
- ^ "Report of the Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea pursuant to Security Council resolution 2182 (2014): Somalia.", Document S/2015/801, 10 October 2015. p. 42. (Photos of storage locations on pages 310–313.)
- ^ Mokhtar, G. (1990). Ancient Civilizations of Africa. University of California Press. p. 311. ISBN 0520066979. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
- ^ Adam, Hussein Mohamed; Geshekter, Charles Lee, eds. (1992). The Proceedings of the First International Congress of Somali Studies. Scholars Press. p. 106. ISBN 0891306587. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
- ^ Petersen, Andrew (2002). Dictionary of Islamic Architecture. Routledge. p. 262. ISBN 1134613660. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
- ^ a b c Mokhtar, G. (1990). Ancient Civilizations of Africa. University of California Press. p. 307. ISBN 0520066979. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
- ^ a b c Discovering Africa's Past. Uganda Museum. 1959. p. 5. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
- ^ Temporini, Hildegard, ed. (1978). Politische Geschichte: (Provinzien und Randvölker: Mesopotamien, Armenien, Iran, Südarabien, Rom und der Ferne Osten)], Part 2, Volume 9. Walter de Gruyter. p. 977. ISBN 3110071754. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
- ^ Jutta Bückendorf. "Schwarz-weiss-rot über Ostafrika!": deutsche Kolonialpläne und afrikanische Realität. Münster: LIT Verlag, 1997. p. 231. Note 166. ISBN 9783825827557
- ^ "Port Durnford." Meyers Konversations-Lexikon 1905.
- ^ Jutta Bückendorf. "Schwarz-weiss-rot über Ostafrika!": deutsche Kolonialpläne und afrikanische Realität. Münster: LIT Verlag, 1997. p. 231. ISBN 9783825827557
- ^ "The Mystery of Punta Durnford" and "Famous Durnfords" at The Durnford Family website. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
- ^ Encyclopaedia Britannica Tenth Edition. Volume 34: Maps. Plate 56.
- ^ Encyclopaedia Britannica Tenth Edition. Volume 34: Maps. p. 490.
- ^ Charles Eliot. The East Africa Protectorate. Psychology Press, 1966. (First Edition 1905). p. 38.
- ^ "Kenyans head for showdown in Somalia." UPI. 27 October 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
- ^ "Another town falls to Kenyan military." Daily Nation. 28 October 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
- ^ Dewar, Robert E.; Wallis, James R. (December 1999). "Geographical Patterning of Interannual Rainfall Variability in the Tropics and Near Tropics: An L-Moments Approach". Journal of Climate. 12 (12): 3457–3466.
- ^ Camberlin, Pierre (April 15, 2010). "More variable tropical climates have a slower demographic growth". Climate Research. 41: 157–167.
- ^ "Buur Gaabo Climate (Somalia)". Climate-Data.org.