Gedo - Geography and Habitat

Geography and Habitat

The Gedo region has one of the most varied scenery in Somalia. Parts of the Gedo region, such as the Daawo region, have rocky mountains, while red sand is found in all areas and white sand dunes across the Jubba Valley. There are flat lands in northwestern Bardera District at Gelgel Prairre. In the middle of the region, one finds ancient scarred land with gorges in all directions and rocky mountains. These gorges are filled with southeasterly direction downstream rain waters. On the lower southern portion of the Gedo region is red sandy flat land, running from the Bardera District on the Juba Valley, all the way west to El Wak town on the border with Kenya's North Eastern Province, a district mainly populated by Somalis through the ages.

There are plenty of the four most popular Somali livestock roaming the land. These are camels, cattle, goats, and sheep. In the Somali language, camel, cattle, goats, and sheep are called geel, lo', ari cad and iddo, respectively. A mixture of goats and sheep are normally herded together. This mixture of livestock is called ari in Somali and means a mixture of goats and sheep, which in most cases, is in the hundreds per family. Similarly, the Gedo region is famous for its horse breeding. Large numbers of horses can be found on the Beled Haawo flat lands and Dirharra area near the town of Damase in the Elwak District.

About 40 km (25 mi) from the region's capital, Garbahaarreey, towards Beled Haawo, are the Humbaale Mountain which has the highest peak in all the mountains and hills in Gedo region. To have a feel of how high this mountain is, coming from Bardera and going to Garbahaareey, at the top of Waamo Yarey Hill, from here, you can see Humbaale Mountain peak. At this stage you will be around 140 km (87 mi) away from the mountain, and you will be around 100 km (62 mi) from Garbahaarreey. There is a distance of 130 km (81 mi) between Garbahaarreey and Baardheera. Humbaale Mountain is located 40 km (25 mi) northwest of Garbahaarreey and it will be 20 km (12 mi) off-road on the road to Beled Haawo.

The mountain areas of Gedo region have sizable safari animals from elephants to cheetahs. It is not rare to hear lions roar during the night hours. Lions, ostriches, oryx, giraffes, warthogs and hyenas are plenty around the grassy lands of the western part of the Bardera District, between the towns of Gerileey and Fafahdun. This is in Gelgel Prairies (Banka Gelgel) in Somalia or simply Gelgel (Gelgesha).

The Jubba River from Doolow to Baardheere has large river animals such as crocodiles and hippopotamus, who bask in the sun on the sandy island spots during the drying up of the river.