Wanlaweyn
Wanlaweyn (Maay: Wanliwiing) is a town in the nothern Lower Shebelle region of Somalia. Situated around 90km (50 miles) northwest of the capital Mogadishu, it is the center of the Wanlaweyn District.
Wanlaweyn
Wanliwiing | |
---|---|
Town | |
Wanlaweyn Location in Somalia. | |
Coordinates: 2°37′00″N 44°54′00″E | |
Country | Somalia |
Region | Lower Shebelle |
District | Wanlaweyne |
Population | |
• Total | 26,700 |
Time zone | UTC+3 (EAT) |
Demographics
Wanlaweyn has a population of around 27,600 inhabitants.[1] The broader Wanlaweyn District has a total population of 250,643 residents.[2] The town is predominantly inhabited by the Shanta Caleemood clan sub-division of the Digil Rahanweyn Somalis.
History
During the 1961 Somali constitutional referendum, in order to secure a substantial "Yes" vote for southerners, the small town reported 100,000 votes.[3] This was higher than total ballots cast in the North (British Somaliland), therefore Northerners became suspicious of the political nature of Southerners.[3] As a result, coining the new term "Wanlaweyn" for Southerners, which is still used today.[3][4]
Notes
- "Somalia City & Town Population". Tageo. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- "Regions, districts, and their populations: Somalia 2005 (draft)" (PDF). UNDP. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
- Abdullahi, Mohamed Diriye (2001). Culture and Customs of Somalia. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-313-31333-2.
- Adam, Hussein Mohamed (2008). From Tyranny to Anarchy: The Somali Experience. Red Sea Press. ISBN 978-1-56902-288-7.