Hargeisa
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Image:So-map-en.png Hargeisa (Somali: Hargeysa) (coordinates: Template:Coor dm) is a city in northwestern Somalia; it is also the capital and largest city of the self-declared but unrecognized Republic of Somaliland which was formed in 1991. It was the colonial capital of British Somaliland.
Hargeisa is located in a valley in the northwestern section of the country. It is in a mountainous area, and is about 1260 meters above sea level. This altitude gives Hargeisa and the surrounding area a milder climate than the Gulf of Aden coastal area (one of the hottest areas on earth). The temperature ranges between 23 and 32 degrees Celsius (74-89 degrees Fahrenheit). Hargeisa also receives larger amounts of rain, and used to be surrounded by forest when the city was smaller.
The city was devastated by bombing performed by the Somali military in 1988 due to the rebel activity that was forming in Northern Somalia during the beginning of the ongoing Somali Civil War. A war memorial in the form of a MiG fighter jet marks this event.
Since 1991, the city has been rebuilt and is now in better condition than before the war. Money sent from overseas relatives was more important in the reconstruction of the city than aid from foreign governments, making it unusual in Africa for its low level of dependence on foreign aid. International aid is not certain because Somaliland is not recognized by any nation.
Hargeisa has working traffic lights and traffic laws are respected. In contrast, all of the traffic lights in Mogadishu have been destroyed. There has been no public construction or rehabilation since the military government was overthrown in 1991.
Hargeisa's population is between 600,000 and 1,000,000. Some suggest it is over a million because no census has been performed in almost 30 years and there are many squatters and homeless people in the city. This is a considerable amount of growth since 1990, when the population was only 60,000.
Hargeisa is also home to many companies that process remittances from relatives abroad who send money. Some families have moved back to the city, living in mansions in the hills during the summer. The city has seen considerable development of this sort in recent years.
Two major hotels in Hargeisa are the Ambassador and Al-Maan Soor. The Ambassador is just a few minutes' travel to or from the airport, while Maan Soor hotel is located on the outskirts of the city.
Hargeisa is home to an international airport, with flights to Addis Ababa, Djibouti City and Dubai. All foreigners are required to exchange 50 USD to local currency. (1 USD=5000 Somaliland Shillings as of Jan. 2006)
Mobile communication is available by Telesom.
Simon Reeve visited the city as part of his television series, Places That Don't Exist.
External links
es:Hargeisa fr:Hargeisa ko:하르게이사 id:Hargeisa nl:Hargeisa ja:ハルゲイサ no:Hargeisa pl:Hargeisa fi:Hargeisa