Garissa
| Garissa Gaarisa |
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|---|---|
| — City — | |
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 Garissa
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| Coordinates: 0°27′25″S 39°39′30″E / 0.45694°S 39.65833°ECoordinates: 0°27′25″S 39°39′30″E / 0.45694°S 39.65833°E | |
| Country |  Kenya |
| County | Garissa County |
| Population (2009) | |
| • Total | 119,696 |
| Time zone | EAT (UTC+3) |
Garissa (Somali: Gaarisa) is the capital of Garissa County in the former North Eastern Province of Kenya.
Contents |
Geography [edit]
Garissa is located at 0°27′25″S 39°39′30″E / 0.45694°S 39.65833°E. The Tana River that rises at the Aberdare Mountains west of Nyeri flows through the city.
The Bour-Algi Giraffe Sanctuary, situated 5 km south of Garissa, is home to endangered wildlife including the Rothschild Giraffe, Gerenuk and other herbivores including Kirk's dik-dik, Lesser kudu, Warthog and Waterbuck.
Demographics [edit]
According to the 2009 census, the town has a total population of 119,696.[1]
Most of Garissa's inhabitants are Somalis.[2] These are further sub-divided into clans, with the Ogaden sub-clan of the Somali Darod especially well represented. There are also a small number of other minority ethnic groups, commonly referred to as corner tribes.
Economy [edit]
Garissa is a market center and the commercial hub of the Garissa County.[3] According to Interpol, the city is also one of the safer areas in the larger eastern Great Lakes region.[4]
Banks with a presence in Garissa include the Gulf African Bank situated in the Al-Wayf Quran House, the Postbank in the Garissa Shopping Centre, and the First Community Bank (FCB) in the Bajwed Building.[5] Other banks with branches in the city include Barclays Bank, Equity Bank,[6] Kenya Commercial Bank,[7] National Bank of Kenya,[8] and Cooperative Bank of Kenya.[9]
Livestock production is a significant part of the town's economy. Between 2005 and 2007, Garissa cattle producers earned over 1.8 billion shillings in sales in domestic and overseas markets. Construction on a new abattoir also began in October 2007.[10] In terms of livestock imports, most of Garissa's cattle comes from cross-border trade between Somali livestock merchants.[11]
Governance [edit]
As the capital of Garissa County, Garissa is the seat of the County Government of Garissa as well as the County Assembly. The city is represented by Aden Bare Duale, a Somali Member of Parliament for the Garissa Township Constituency in the National Assembly of Kenya. He was appointed to the position in the 2013 General Elections.
Accommodation [edit]
Several establishments in the city offer accommodation. Among these hotels and guest houses are the Almond Hotel, Xiddig Hotel and Nomad Palace Hotel.[12]
Climate [edit]
Garissa's landscape is mostly arid, desert terrain. The city lies along the Tana River, and has a very warm/hot climate due to the low elevation and distance away from the cooler coastal areas. The daytime temperature typically rises above 33°C (91°F), every day, but returns to a mild temperature, every night (see chart below).
| Climate data for Garissa | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °F (°C) | 98.1 (36.7) |
100 (38) |
100.9 (38.3) |
98.6 (37) |
96.4 (35.8) |
93.4 (34.1) |
92.5 (33.6) |
92.8 (33.8) |
95.2 (35.1) |
97.3 (36.3) |
97.2 (36.2) |
95.7 (35.4) |
96.51 (35.86) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 72.7 (22.6) |
73.9 (23.3) |
75.9 (24.4) |
76.1 (24.5) |
73.9 (23.3) |
71.2 (21.8) |
70.2 (21.2) |
70.3 (21.3) |
71.1 (21.7) |
73.6 (23.1) |
74.5 (23.6) |
73.4 (23) |
73.07 (22.82) |
| Source: Climate-Charts.com[13] | |||||||||||||
See also [edit]
Notes [edit]
- ^ https://opendata.go.ke/Population/2009-Census-Vol-1-Table-3-Rural-and-Urban-Populati/e7c7-w67t
- ^ North Eastern Province
- ^ Encyclopedia Britannica - Garissa
- ^ Garissa; The safest town in East and central Africa
- ^ Garissa City - Banks
- ^ Equity Bank
- ^ Kenya Commercial Bank
- ^ National Bank of Kenya
- ^ Cooperative Bank of Kenya
- ^ Government targets Kshs 12 b for development in N. Eastern
- ^ Livestock Supply in Kenya
- ^ Garissa City - Hotels
- ^ "Garissa, Kenya: Climate, Global Warming, and Daylight Charts and Data". 2008. Retrieved 2009-06-01.
