Somalia Cities

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Somalia Cities by Population

45 cities shown of 45 total Somalia cities that are over 1,000 in population...

1. Mogadishu 2,587,183
2. Hargeysa 477,876
3. Berbera 242,344
4. Chisimayu 234,852
5. Jamaame 185,270
6. Baidoa 129,839
7. Burao 99,270
8. Bender Cassim 74,287
9. Afgooye 65,461
10. Galcaio 61,200
11. Laascaanood 60,100
12. Beledweyne 55,410
13. Qoryooley 51,720
14. Giohar 47,086
15. Jilib 43,694

16. Baardheere 42,240
17. Erigavo 33,853
18. Luuq 33,820
19. Buurhakaba 27,792
20. Ceeldheer 26,562
21. Wanlaweyn 22,022
22. Eyl 18,904
23. Buulobarde 16,928
24. Qandala 15,923
25. Bandarbeyla 13,753
26. Garbahaarrey 12,652
27. Hobyo 12,564
28. Bereeda 11,262
29. Jalalaqsi 9,743
30. Ceelbuur 9,031

31. Yeed 8,429
32. Mahaddayweyne 8,273
33. Saacow 7,893
34. Laasqoray 6,941
35. Bargaal 6,798
36. Waajid 6,666
37. Iskushuban 5,759
38. Oodweyne 5,491
39. Cadale 5,385
40. Ceek 4,325
41. Buur Gaabo 3,096
42. Dujuuma 2,432
43. Tayeeglow 2,119
44. Xarardheere 2,018
45. Dusa Marreb 1,200

Somalia History

Continuously inhabited for the last 2,500 years by numerous and varied ethnic groups, some Afar or other Cushitic-speaking populations, and the majority Somalis. From the 1st century numerous ports including Hafun and Mosylon-Bandar Gori were trading with Roman and Greek sailors.

The northwest was part of the Aksumite Empire from about the 3rd century to the 7th but between 700 CE and 1200 CE, Islam became firmly established, especially with the founding of Mogadishu in 900. The period following, 1200 CE to 1500 CE, saw the rise of numerous Somali city-states and kingdoms. In northwestern Somalia, the Sultanate of Adal with Ahmad ibn Ibrihim al-Ghazi as their leader in 1520, successfully conquered three-quarters of Ethiopia before being defeated by a joint Ethiopian-Portuguese force at the Battle of Wayna Daga on 21 February 1543.

The Ajuuraan Sultanate flourished from the 14th to the 17th centuries. Following the collapse of Adal and Ajuuraan in the 17th century, the region saw the emergence of new city states such as the Sultanates of eastern Sanaag, of Bari, of Geledi-Afgoye, of Gasar Gudde-Lugh Ganane, of Mogadishu and the Benadir coast, and of Hobyo.

Competition between the Somali clans that lived in these states persisted through the colonial period, when various parts of the region were colonised by Britain and Italy. This era began in the year 1884, the end of a long period of comparative peace. At the Berlin Conference of 1884, the scramble for Africa started the long and bloody process of the imperial partition of Somali lands. The French, British, and Italians came to Somalia in the late 19th century.