The plateau of Somaliland

Somaliland is in the Horn of Africa, in East Africa. Its boundaries include the Gulf of Aden in the north, Somalia (Puntland and South Central) in the east, Ethiopia in the southwest, and Dijbouti in the northwest.

It is flat with a mountainous range, up to 7,000 feet, in the central and eastern part of the country, with a coastline of 850 kilometres. Therefore it has three main areas: (1) the coastal plain (guban), (2) the coastal range (ogo), and (3) plateau (hawd). North of the Equator, it is semi-arid with daily temperatures ranging from 25-35C. The coastal plain has high temperatures and low rainfall.

The population of Somaliland was estimated at 3.85 million in 2009, with 55% nomads, and 45% urban and rural dwellers. The population density is about 28 persons per square kilometre. The annual population growth is 3.14% (2011), with a life expectancy between 49 to 60 years.

MARTINA NICOLLSis an international aid and development consultant, and the authorof:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom(2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

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