Sahil | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Location in Somaliland | |
| Country |  Somaliland |
| Administrative centre | Berbera |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Cali Cabdi Cabdillaahi Faarax |
| Area | |
• Total | 13,930 km2 (5,380 sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (EAT) |
Sahil (Somali:Saaxil,Arabic:ساحل) is an administrative region (gobol) in northernSomaliland with the port city ofBerbera as its capital. It was separated fromWoqooyi Galbeed and became a province in 1991. In 1998, theSheikh District ofTogdheer was incorporated into Sahil region.[1] The region has a long coastline facing theGulf of Aden to the north. Sahil bordersAwdal to the northwest,Maroodi Jeex to the southwest,Togdheer to the south andSanaag to the east.
The name Sahil originates from the Arabic word “ساحل” which translates to Coast. The name was used to refer to northernSomali coast of modern-daySomaliland.
Formerly known as the Berbera District, it was one of six districts that made up theBritish Somaliland protectorate. In 1960, the then independentState of Somaliland merged with Italian Somaliland to form theSomali Republic. By 1964, the then Berbera District merged with the Borama district (nowAwdal) and the Hargeisa district (nowMaroodi Jeh) to form the Woqooyi Galbeed region (literallyNorth West, also known as Hargeisa region).
During the period from 1968 to 1982, parts of the district were incorporated intoTogdheer region. Awdal was carved out of the western parts of Woqooyi Galbeed region in June 1984.[2] However, Sahil was the only of the six former British territories to be rebuilt during the Somali government's reign.
When the Somali Civil War broke out, the former British territory declared the revival of the pre-independent state of Somaliland. In December 1989, theSomaliland government established Sahil region. In 1998, theSheikh District was incorporated fromTogdheer. Under the Local Autonomy Act of 2002, it was positioned as one of the six regions that make up Somaliland.[3]
TheSomaliland was reorganized on March 22, 2008, and the territory of Sahil was changed. However, a new local government law came into force on January 4, 2020, and the territory was restored.[4]
The regional capital of the Sahil region is the port city ofBerbera. The region is further divided into the following two districts:[5]
| District | Grade | Capital | Comments | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berbera | A | Berbera | Regional capital | .svg) |
| Sheikh | C | Sheikh | .svg) |
According to the Somaliland Ministry of National Planning Sahil had a population of 149,244 in 1997.[6]
The region is inhabited by theIssa Musse include sub-clan of theHabr Awal,[7] who are the majority of inhabitants. Minorities include, theHabr Yunis, primarily belonging to the Musa Abdallah branch, theHabr Je'lo as well as the AbdallahArap, all clans of the widerIsaaq clan-family.[8][9]
The 'Iise Muuse clan for whom Berbera and its environs are their traditional area of settlement saw it differently. Retrieved on 2011-12-15.
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