Country Somalia Region Galdogob Elevation 373 m Local time Friday 12:11 AM | Regional State Mudug Time zone EAT (UTC+3) Population 40,433 (2005) | |
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Weather 23°C, Wind E at 18 km/h, 62% Humidity | ||
Galdogob (Somali: Galdogob, Arabic: جلدغب), also spelled Goldogob, is a town wholly administered by the government of autonomous Puntland as the capital of the Galdogob District within the Mudug province. The town technically straddles the disputed 1950's-era Provisional Administrative Line (as depicted on virtually all worldwide maps, atlases, and geographic websites) that separates the Ogaden region of Ethiopia from north-central Somalia.
Contents
Map of Goldogob, Ethiopia
Overview
Galdogob is located in the western part of the Mudug region bordering Ethiopia's portion of the Somali-majority Kilinka Shanaad and is a popular rest stop for Somali travelers heading to and from Addis Ababa, Werder, Djibouti, Jijiga, Dire Dawa, and Geladi. Over 100 small cars and heavy trucks pass through the city every day.
Galdogob is a rapidly growing town and is populated mainly by the Tanada Darood tribe. It has a very reliable electricity and telecommunications network. The district's fresh water is provided by the Galdogob Water System (GWS), which was founded by a group of local businessmen.
All this has helped Galdogob develop into a relatively large urban area for this region. Visitors to Galdogob will find high-speed internet cafés, hotels, taxis, and other amenities. Education plays a vital role in the lives of the people, and private schools teach computer skills, English, mathematics, science, and Islamic studies.
Galdogob also has a thriving livestock industry: hundreds of thousands of camels, sheep, goats and cattle are purchased here and shipped through the busy port of Bosaso every year. The city's livestock trade is at its most brisk during the hajj period, when over a hundred thousand heads of livestock are sold and shipped to the Gulf states, again through Bosaso. Galdogob has recently also seen the arrival of migrants from the more southernly areas of Somalia seeking work and a safer place to live.
In October 2014, the firm Tawakal Money Express (Tawakal) began construction of the four-storey Tawakal Plaza Galdogob. The building features a Tawakal Global Bank customer and financial services center, conference and event halls, restaurant and coffee shop facilities, and a luxury hotel.
Demographics
As of 2005, the broader Galdogob District had a total population of 40,433 residents mostly Leelkase 33,366 of inhabitants were urban and 57,067 were non-urban.
Education
Galdogob has several academic institutions. According to the Puntland Ministry of Education, there are 25 primary schools and 5 secondary schools in the Galdogob District. Among these are Ciro, Al-Nur Galdogob, Kulmiye Galdogob and Qansaxle. Secondary schools in the area include Ain Shams and Galdogob Secondary. Higher learning is provided by East Africa University (EAU), International African University, and Puntland State University [PSU].
Goldogob East Africa University is a unique Somali university with headquarters in Bosasso and a new Golgodob campus with a student body of over 1000 students.
Climate
Galdogob has a hot arid climate (Köppen BWh). Coldest average temperatures occur during the winter months of November to February, when thermometer readings range from 23 to 25 °C (73 to 77 °F). The weather slowly heats up in the spring, as the April rainy season begins. Average temperatures later reach a maximum of around 41 °C over the summer period. Come September, a gradual fall chill starts to set in again.