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Bardere باردير Bardhere
City
A section of Bardere City
Bardere بارديرLocation within SomaliaShow map of SomaliaBardere بارديرLocation within the Horn of AfricaShow map of Horn of AfricaBardere بارديرLocation within AfricaShow map of Africa
Coordinates: 2°20′N 42°17′E / 2.333°N 42.283°E / 2.333; 42.283
Country	Somalia
State	Jubaland
Region	Gedo
District	Bardhere
Government
• Type	Mayor
• Bardere District Commissioner	Mohamed Wali Qorax
Area
• City	6,853 sq mi (17,748 km)
• Land	6 sq mi (15 km)
• Water	5 sq mi (5 km)  8%
• Urban	6 sq mi (15 km)
• Metro	17 sq mi (45 km)
•	6 sq mi (15 km)
Elevation	551 ft (168 m)
Population
• Estimate	755,500
• Density	70/sq mi (26/km)
	2021 estimate
Time zone	UTC+3 (EAT)

Bardere (Arabic: باردير, Somali: Bardhere, Italian: Bardera) also known as Bardera, is a city in Jubaland State of Somalia. It is the second most populous city in Jubaland with Kismayo being the largest and most densely populated city in the region. Bardere sits on the Jubba River around 250 km west of the city of Baidoa and is in a highland area with fertile soil.

Etymology

Bardera is an important agricultural centre living up to its name Bar meaning “palm tree”, and Dhere meaning “tall” a reference to the ubiquitous palm trees that have grown expansively in the area.

The river banks are lined by beautiful palm trees and so are the farms of this town that lies at an intersection of all major roads that links Somalia to Elwak and Mandera in Kenya, Kismayo, Baidoa, Barawe and Dinsoor within Somalia.

History

Medieval

During the Middle Ages, Bardera and its surrounding area was part of the Ajuran Empire that governed much of southern Somalia and eastern Ethiopia, with its domain extending from Hobyo in the north, to Qelafo in the west, to Kismayo in the south. Bardera was one of the most important cities in the Jubba river during the Ajuran period. It was an agricultural and commercial center. Known as a centre for Islamic scholarship, it also had roads that connected the Benadir ports built by Ajuran. Bardhere provided many goods to the coastal provinces and many merchants across the region came to Bardera for trade.

Early Modern

Bardera continued its agricultural and commercial legacy under Geledi Sultanate rule where it was surrounded by a citadel and with increased link between the coast and interior, both the Benadir ports and Bardera flourished with the city serving as the key ivory hub in the southern part of the Horn.

In the 1830s, a new militant extremist group rose in the citadel of Bardera, overlooking the Jubba River, and began imposing their interpretation of Islam on the surrounding regions, including the coastal city of Barawa, which they subdued and captured in 1840. In response, Sultan Yusuf Mahamud gathered his armies into a coalition and marched towards Bardera. The citadel was besieged and then burned to the ground, solidifying Sultan Yusuf's paramount authority in southern Somalia following his Conquest of Bardera. Following the defeat of the Bardera recovered and remained relatively quiet until the eventual end of the Geledi Sultanate and subsequent incorporation into Italian Somaliland.

Modern

After independence in 1960, the city was made the center of the official Bardera District. Bardera became the first place in Somalia were onions were grown commercially. This production began to increase rapidly but eventually fell off in the 1980s due to failed agricultural policies of the Somali government. The actual quality soil is in a narrow strip on either side of the river where pumps can feed private farms. Other produce such as sorghum can be found in Markabley/Hayranta although still in the district. German Explorer Carl Von Der Decken was killed at this same site in 1860, remnants of his wrecked ship still remain.

Economy

The economy of Bardera is largely agriculture-based. Animal husbandry also figures prominently, with livestock kept for meat, milk and butter.

Agriculture

There are two types of farming which exist in Bardera area: Irrigated farming and seasonal farming.

Many medium- and small-scale farms near the river use water pumping machines. These motors irrigate the land with canals, and farmers plant crops.

The majority of farmers use a low-tech farming method of farming during the two rainy seasons . Small operation farms are found throughout Jubaland, far away from the river banks where families plant sorghum, maize, and beans on any land that is suitable for farming.

Mogadishu's fruit and vegetable market used to have a section containing Bardera's famous onion product. Since the start of the civil war in Somalia, produce from Bardera to large urban centers like Mogadishu, Kismayo, or Baidoa were diverted to Kenyan markets such as Wajir, Garissa, Mombasa, and Nairobi.

Sorghum, corn or maize, different types of onions, beans, sesame, tobacco, and fruits such as bananas, watermelon, oranges, papayas, and mangoes, from Bardera farms reach markets as far as Djibouti, about 3,000 km away to the north of Somalia.

Education

Bardera for ages was a center of higher learning, The city is famously associated with the study of Islamic jurisprudence.

Bardera's Islamic centers attracted students seeking knowledge and teachers seeking employment used to come from across Somalia. Bardera has 20 elementary schools, seventeen primary and secondary schools. Bardera polytechnic college was founded in July 2008. This college was established to cover the higher education needs of the Bardera area community, which has been growing since the start of the 1990s. Bardera polytechnic college s policy is give vocational training, real marketable skills for 16 to 60 age population.

Juba Valley Agricultural Institute is an academic institute within the Bardera Polytechnic College in Bardera, Somalia. It is situated within the southern Jubaland.

Juba Valley Veterinary Institute is a veterinary institute in Bardera, Somalia. The institute is part of Bardera Polytechnic specialized schools and institutes within the college system.

Both Juba Valley Agricultural Institute and Jubba Valley Veterinary institute were part of the second phase of development at Bardera Polytechnic.

For centuries, students traveled from far distances and from all points on the Horn as a whole. Every Somali who came of age before the 1950s, knows the importance of Bardera as a religious education center.

Later generations found different kind of class spaces at Somali National University (SNU), Lafole, Lafole Agricultural College and Sidam management training school.

Geography

Bardera is situated 2-3 degrees latitude north of the equator and at a longitude of 42-43 degrees.

Climate

Bardera is characterized by warm weather and high humidity, having a hot arid climate (Köppen climate classification BWh) despite receiving around 380 millimetres or 15 inches of annual rainfall, owing to its extremely high potential evapotranspiration.

Photos

Notable People

Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed, Former Prime minister of Somalia.

Sheikh Abukar Abdirahim, figh,hadith lecturer in maay dialect.

Sheikh Abdilow isaagow, poet in maay dialect.

Farah Hussein Sharmarke, Philosopher, Poet.

Fatimo Isaak Bihi, First Somali female ambassador, Ambassador to Geneva, Director of the African Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Aden Ibrahim Aw Hirsi, Author, Somali Politician.

Ahmed Warsame, Head of the Somali Military Academy.

Mohamud Ali Magan, Somali Foreign Affairs, Consul General to United States Of America and Canada.

Ali shire Warsame, Somali Politician

References

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3. "FAO/GIEWS - WFP - SPECIAL REPORT on SOMALIA, 3 SEPTEMBER 1999". www.fao.org.
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6. "Bardhere oo laga qabsaday al-Shabaab". BBC News Somali (in Somali). 2015-07-22. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
7. Lee V. Cassanelli, The shaping of Somali society: reconstructing the history of a pastoral people, 1600-1900, (University of Pennsylvania Press: 1982), p.102.
8. Obba, Gufu (2014). Climate Change Adaptation in Africa. Routledge. ISBN 9781317745914.
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11. Obba, Gufu (2014). Climate Change Adaptation in Africa. Routledge. ISBN 9781317745914.
12. Africa in the Nineteenth Century Until the 1880s edited by J. F. Ade Ajayi Page 387
13. Cassanelli, Lee Vincent (1973). The Benaadir Past: Essays in Southern Somali History. University Microfilms International. p. 149.
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15. "UNITED NATIONS OPERATION IN SOMALIA II (UNOSOM II) - Background (Full text)". peacekeeping.un.org. Retrieved 2022-06-06.
16. Bardera Maternity Hospital Archived 2010-01-02 at the Wayback Machine
17. "Bardera Town". Fortune of Africa Somalia. 2013-09-02. Retrieved 2022-06-06.
18. "Cash-based assistance to support displaced families in Bardera - Somalia | ReliefWeb". reliefweb.int. 24 November 2020. Retrieved 2022-06-06.
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21. "Assessments | Assessment & Analysis Knowledge Management Platform". assessments.hpc.tools. Retrieved 2022-06-06.
22. Glavin, Chris (2017-02-13). "Education in Somalia | K12 Academics". www.k12academics.com. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
23. "Bardera Polytechnic | Academic Influence". academicinfluence.com. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
24. "Juba Valley Veterinary Institute". Mapio.net. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
25. "Juba Valley Veterinary Institute". Mapio.net. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
26. "DEVELOPMENT OF THE JUBA VALLEY: PRESENT SITUATION, POTENTIAL, PLANNING" (PDF). USAid. January 1985. Retrieved 2013-10-05.
27. "Secondary and Vocational Education Evaluation 2013-2015, in Gedo Region of Somalia". Norad. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
28. "Somali National University | Mogadishu, Somalia |". ResearchGate. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
29. "Bardera, Somalia — Geographical Names, map, geographic coordinates". geographic.org. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
30. "Klimatafel von Bardera / Somalia" (PDF). Baseline climate means (1961-1990) from stations all over the world (in German). Deutscher Wetterdienst. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
31. "Long term mean monthly sunshine fraction in Somalia". Food and Agriculture Organization. Archived from the original on 5 October 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016.

External links

• Bardhere city portal (in Somali)

• Populated places in Gedo
• Jubba River