Mogadishu
Mogadishu
مقديشو | |
|---|---|
| Mogadishu Skyline, circa 1980s Mogadishu Skyline, circa 1980s | |
| Nickname: Xamar | |
 Mogadishu's location in Somalia | |
| Country | Somalia |
| Region | Banadir |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Mohamed Omar Habeb Dhere |
| • Police chief | Abdi Hasan Awale Qeybdiid |
| Population (2006) | |
| • Total | 1,700,000 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EAT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EAT) |
Mogadishu (Somali: Muqdisho, popularly Xamar; Arabic: مقديشو Maqadīshū; Italian: Mogadiscio), is the largest city in Somalia, and its capital.
Mogadishu is in Benadir region on the Indian Ocean, and the city has served as an important regional port for centuries.
With the 1991 collapse of central governance in Somalia, Mogadishu has seen 16 years of fighting by rival militias. Estimates of the city's current population vary wildly, between 1.5 and 3 million.
History
Trade connected Somalis in the Mogadishu area to other communities along the Indian coast as early as the 1st century according to the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea. With Muslim traders from the Arabian Peninsula arriving in circa 900 CE, Mogadishu was well suited to become a regional centre for commerce. The northernmost of the East African city-states, Mogadishu prospered with trade with the interior, which spread Islam throughout Somalia. The Portuguese visited the city but never succeeded in taking it. In 1871 Barghash bin Said, the sultan of Zanzibar, occupied the city.
In 1892, Ali bin Said leased the city to Italy. Italy purchased the city in 1905 and made Mogadiscio (Italian for Mogadishu) the capital of Italian Somaliland. The surrounding territory came under Italian control in 1936 after heavy resistance. British forces operating from Kenya during World War II captured and occupied Mogadishu. The capital of Italian Somaliland fell to the British forces on February 26, 1941. The British continued to rule until Italy returned in 1952 to administer their former Somali protectorate. Somalia achieved independence in 1960 with Mogadishu as its capital.
Rebel forces entered and took the city in 1990, forcing President Mohamed Siad Barre to resign and flee in January 1991 to Lagos, Nigeria. One faction proclaimed Ali Mahdi Muhammad president, another Mohamed Farrah Aidid. A contingent of United States Marines landed near Mogadishu on December 9, 1992 to spearhead the United Nations peacekeeping forces during Operation Restore Hope.
Geography
Mogadishu is located at 2° 4' North, 45° 22' East (2.06667, 45.36667). The Shebelle River (Webe Shabelle) rises in central Ethiopia and comes within Template:Km to mi of the Indian Ocean near Mogadishu before turning southwestward. Usually dry during February and March, the river provides water essential for the cultivation of sugarcane, cotton, and bananas.
Features of the city include the Hammawein Old Town, the Bakaara Market, and the former resort of Gezira Beach.
Economy
Mogadishu serves as a commercial and financial center. The economy recovered somewhat from the worst civil unrest although the Somali Civil War still presents problems. The effective absence of government yields free trade without taxes or regulatory expenditures, making business relatively inexpensive. Businesses have hired armed militias to provide security against gunmen, leading to a gradual reduction in street violence.
Principal industries include food and beverage processing and textiles, especially cotton ginning. The main market offers a variety of goods from food to electronic gadgets.
Telcom a telecommunications network operator in Somalia has its headquarters in the city.
Roads link the city with many Somali locales and with Kenya and Ethiopia. Private airlines service Mogadishu at various airports within and around the city; the intense fighting largely destroyed the old Mogadishu International Airport, which has been recently reopened with flights, the first being a Daallo Airlines flight to Hargeisa. Mogadishu leads Somalia in port traffic and still serves as a major seaport. International traders actively benefit from its de facto duty-free status. However, piracy is widespread around Somalia's coastal areas, making it risky.?
Government
The Government have been unable to settle the instability in and around Mogadishu for many years
Education
The Mogadishu University is a non-governmental university that is governed by the Board of Trustees and the University Council. The Somalia National University has been closed indefinitely due to extensive damage. Benadir University was started in 2002 with the intention to train doctors but has expanded into other fields.
Sport
The city is home to the Mogadiscio Stadium which has seen football (soccer) teams play in the Somalia League and the Somalia Cup.
Notable Mogadishans
See also
References
- ^ "Mayor of Mogadishu bans weapons". Retrieved 2007-05-04.
External links
- GlobalSecurity.org page on the city's history
- BBC News Mogadishu photo gallery
- Mogadishu: Images from the Past
- Maps of Mogadishu in 1894, 1915, 1934, 1975, 1987
- Mogadishu at Google Maps
- Map of Mogadishu (1997)
- "The Village, the Market, and the Street: A Study of Disadvantaged Areas and Groups in Mogadishu, Somalia" 1987 Chapters 1-10 (1 Mb), Chapters 11-18 (1 Mb)
- Guns banned from Somali streets BBC May 4, 2007
