Borama

---

title: "Borama" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["populated-places-in-awdal", "cities-of-the-adal-sultanate", "british-somaliland-in-world-war-ii"] description: "City in Awdal, Somaliland" topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borama" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary City in Awdal, Somaliland ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
official_name	Borama
native_name	so
ar
settlement_type	City
image_skyline	{{Photomontage
color	#ffffff
photo1a	Borama 2.jpg
photo2a	Saw Hotel, Borama, Somaliland.jpg
photo2b	Rays Hotel, Borama, Somaliland.jpg
photo3a	Safari resort Park borama.jpg
photo3b	Borama_night.jpg
photo4a	Safari resort hotels1.jpg
photo4b	Safari resort hotels.jpg
photo5a	Safari Hotel borama.jpg
spacing	2
border	0
size	266
image_flag	Flag of Borama.svg
image_blank_emblem	Borama local council logo.svg
blank_emblem_type	Local council Seal of Borama
pushpin_map	Awdal#Somaliland
pushpin_label_position	right
pushpin_map_caption	Location of Borama
pushpin_relief	yes
coordinates
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name	Somaliland
subdivision_type2	Region
subdivision_type3	District
subdivision_name1	Somaliland
subdivision_name2	Awdal
subdivision_name3	Borama District
leader_title	Mayor
leader_name	Mahamud Sh. Ibrahim
unit_pref	Metric
area_total_km2	3,130
elevation_m	1,433
population_density_km2	191.0
population_est	300,000
pop_est_as_of	2023
population_rank	2nd
pop_est_footnotes
area_code	+252
timezone	EAT
utc_offset	+3
blank_name	Climate
blank_info	BSh
population_demonym	BOORAMAWI بورماوي
iso_code	SO-AW
::

| official_name = Borama | native_name = so ar | other_name = | settlement_type = City | image_skyline = {{Photomontage |color=#ffffff | photo1a = Borama 2.jpg | photo2a = Saw Hotel, Borama, Somaliland.jpg | photo2b =Rays Hotel, Borama, Somaliland.jpg | photo3a = Safari resort Park borama.jpg | photo3b = Borama_night.jpg | photo4a = Safari resort hotels1.jpg | photo4b = Safari resort hotels.jpg | photo5a = Safari Hotel borama.jpg | spacing = 2 | border = 0 | size = 266 | imagesize = | image_caption = | image_flag = Flag of Borama.svg | flag_size = | image_blank_emblem = Borama local council logo.svg | blank_emblem_type = Local council Seal of Borama | nickname = | motto = | image_map = | mapsize = | map_caption = | pushpin_map = Awdal#Somaliland | pushpin_label_position = right | pushpin_mapsize = | pushpin_map_caption = Location of Borama | pushpin_relief = yes | coordinates = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Somaliland | subdivision_type1 = | subdivision_type2 = Region | subdivision_type3 = District | subdivision_name1 = Somaliland | subdivision_name2 = Awdal | subdivision_name3 = Borama District | established_title = | established_date = | government_footnotes = | government_type = | leader_title = Mayor | leader_name = Mahamud Sh. Ibrahim | unit_pref = Metric | area_footnotes = | area_magnitude = | area_total_km2 = 3,130 | area_land_km2 = | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = 1,433 | elevation_ft = | population_density_km2 = 191.0 | population_est = 300,000 | pop_est_as_of = 2023 | population_rank = 2nd | pop_est_footnotes = | population_note = | postal_code_type = | postal_code = | area_code = +252 | website = | timezone = EAT | utc_offset = +3 | timezone_DST = | utc_offset_DST = | blank_name = Climate | blank_info = BSh | name = | population_demonym = BOORAMAWI بورماوي | iso_code = SO-AW

Borama (, ) is the largest city of the northwestern Awdal region of Somaliland. The commercial seat of the province, it is situated near the border with Ethiopia.

During the Middle Ages, Borama was ruled by the Adal Sultanate. It later formed a part of the British Somaliland protectorate in the first half of the 20th century.

According to a 2023 estimate the city had a population of 300,000, with the broader district having a population of 398,609 according to a UN 2014 population estimate. making it one of the largest cities inside Somaliland. It has been a leading example in community organizing, having been the first area in Somaliland to adopt a self-help scheme in the wake of the civil war.

Etymology

The name Borama comes from the word booraan (pl. booraamo), which is a deep hole or geological depression (e.g. basin, valley). The city was named after the valleys in the surrounding areas, with Borama meaning place of valleys.

History

Main article: Adal Sultanate, Somali aristocratic and court titles

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/Qorgab_Valley.jpg" caption="The Qorgab Valley outside Borama"] ::

As with several nearby towns such as Amud, numerous archaeological finds have been discovered in the Borama area that point to an eventful past. The latter include ancient remains of tombs, houses and mosques, in addition to sherds of Oriental wares, particularly Chinese porcelain. The artefacts and structures date from various historical periods, ranging from the 12th through to the 18th centuries. Most, however, are from the 15th and 16th centuries, a time of great commercial activity in the region that is associated with the medieval Adal Sultanate.

Excavations in the late 1800s and early 1900s at over fourteen sites in the vicinity of Borama unearthed, among other things, coins identified as having been derived from Kait Bey, the eighteenth Burji Mamluk Sultan of Egypt. Most of these finds were sent to the British Museum for preservation shortly after their discovery.

During the Middle Ages, the region surrounding the Borama area was ruled by the Adal Sultanate. In the first half of the 20th century, Borama formed a part of the British Somaliland protectorate. The modern town of Borama was established in 1921 by Ughaz 'Elmi Warfa, Ughaz of the Gadabuursi, under the directive of the British, who laid its foundations. It was subsequently designated as a district in 1925.

In 1933, Sheikh Abdurahman Sheikh Nuur, a Qur'anic teacher and son of Borama's qadi (judge), devised a new orthography for transcribing the Afro-Asiatic Cushitic Somali language. A quite accurate phonetic writing system, this Borama script was principally used by Nuur, his circle of associates in the city and some of the merchants in control of trade in Zeila and Borama. Students of Sheikh Nuur were also trained in the use of this script. The alphabet is also generally known as the Gadabuursi script.

In the post-independence period, Borama was administered as part of the official Awdal administrative region of Somalia. During the Ogaden War in the late 1970s, Borama was one of several northern cities aerially bombarded by Ethiopian forces who were aligned with the Somali National Movement.

Geography

Location and Habitat

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Borama_countryside.jpg" caption="Borama countryside"] ::

Borama is situated in a mountainous and hilly area. It has green meadows and fields and represents a key focal point for wildlife. The town's unusual fertility and greenery in the largely arid countryside have attracted many faunas, such as gazelles, birds, and camels.

Climate

The prevailing climate in Borama is known as a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). The hottest month of the year is June, with an average temperature of 24.1 °C, whilst the coolest month is January, whose average temperature is 17.1 °C. The difference in rainfall between the driest month and the wettest month is 110 mm. The average temperatures vary during the year by 7 C-change. |width = auto |location = Borama |metric first = yes |single line = yes |temperature colour = pastel |Jan high C = 24.6 |Feb high C = 25.4 |Mar high C = 27.5 |Apr high C = 27.8 |May high C = 29.3 |Jun high C = 30.0 |Jul high C = 28.8 |Aug high C = 28.8 |Sep high C = 29.0 |Oct high C = 27.4 |Nov high C = 25.8 |Dec high C = 24.4 |Jan low C = 9.7 |Feb low C = 11.7 |Mar low C = 13.8 |Apr low C = 15.7 |May low C = 17.0 |Jun low C = 18.3 |Jul low C = 17.8 |Aug low C = 17.6 |Sep low C = 17.3 |Oct low C = 13.7 |Nov low C = 11.3 |Dec low C = 10.4 |rain colour = green |Jan rain mm = 6 |Feb rain mm = 21 |Mar rain mm = 36 |Apr rain mm = 86 |May rain mm = 61 |Jun rain mm = 32 |Jul rain mm = 78 |Aug rain mm = 112 |Sep rain mm = 86 |Oct rain mm = 18 |Nov rain mm = 10 |Dec rain mm = 2 |source 1 = Climate-Data.org, altitude: 1454 m

Demographics

The Awdal Region in which the city is situated is mainly inhabited by the Gadabuursi subclan of the Dir who are especially well represented and considered the predominant clan of the region.

Federico Battera (2005) states about the Awdal Region: ::quote "Awdal is mainly inhabited by the Gadabuursi confederation of clans." ::

A UN report published by Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (1999), states concerning Awdal: ::quote "The Gadabuursi clan dominates Awdal region. As a result, regional politics in Awdal is almost synonymous with Gadabuursi internal clan affairs." ::

Roland Marchal (1997) states that numerically, the Gadabuursi are the predominant inhabitants of the Awdal Region: ::quote "The Gadabuursi's numerical predominance in Awdal virtually ensures that Gadabuursi interests drive the politics of the region." ::

Marleen Renders and Ulf Terlinden (2010) both state that the Gadabuursi almost exclusively inhabit the Awdal Region: ::quote "Awdal in western Somaliland is situated between Djibouti, Ethiopia, and the Issaq-populated mainland of Somaliland. It is primarily inhabited by the three sub-clans of the Gadabursi clan, whose traditional institutions survived the colonial period, Somali statehood and the war in good shape, remaining functionally intact and highly relevant to public security." ::

There is also a sizeable minority of the Issa subclan of the Dir who mainly inhabit the Zeila district.{{cite book | last1 = Janzen | first1 = J. | last2 = von Vitzthum | first2 = S. | author3 = Somali Studies International Association | title = What are Somalia's Development Perspectives?: Science Between Resignation and Hope? : Proceedings of the 6th SSIA Congress, Berlin 6-9 December 1996 | publisher = Das Arabische Buch | series = Proceedings of the ... SSIA-Congress | year = 2001 | isbn = 978-3-86093-230-8 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=DZJPm2j2iz4C&pg=PA132 | access-date = 20 July 2018 | page = 132 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180720102419/https://books.google.com/books?id=DZJPm2j2iz4C&pg=PA132 | archive-date = 20 July 2018 | url-status = live | df = dmy-all

Education

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Amoud_University2.jpg" caption="Amoud University"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c4/Annalena_Deaf_School_-_Borama,_Somaliland.JPG" caption="Annalena Deaf School - Borama"] ::

Currently, there are 52 primary and secondary schools in Borama. These schools can be divided into three main categories: public primary and secondary schools, private primary and secondary schools and Religious schools.

Total number of students in Borama is 15,314.

Transportation

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/Boracity.jpg" caption="Borama"] ::

For air transportation, Borama is served by the Borama International Airport. It is the only airport in the Awdal region. The facility was named in honor of Aden Isaq Ahmed, Somalia's first Minister of Education. The airport is not in use; however, there are plans to rejuvenate it.

Notable residents

• Sheikh Abdurahman Sh. Nur - Inventor of the Gadabuursi Somali Script
• Yussur A.F. Abrar – former Governor of the Central Bank of Somalia
• Hassan Sheikh Mumin - Somali poet, playwright, broadcaster, actor and composer.
• Suleiman Ahmed Guleid - President of Amoud University
• Sh. Abdillahi Sh. Ali Jawhar - Son of Sh. Ali Jawhar and religious leader

Notes

References

• {{cite book | author = Borama Local Council. Economic and Project Management Committee | title = The Statistical Abstract of Borama Municipality: Borama, Regional Capital of Awdal | publisher = Borama Local Council | year = 2003 | url = http://siteresources.worldbank.org/SOMALIAEXTN/Resources/Boroma_Statistical_Abstract.pdf
• Somali reconstruction and Local Initiative: Amoud University. Published in World Development (2001).

References

1. (12 October 2023). "SDF funded Borama Water Supply Expansion Project Commissioned". Horn Diplomat.
2. "Somalia City & Town Population". FAO.
3. (12 October 2023). "SDF funded Borama Water Supply Expansion Project Commissioned". Horn Diplomat.
4. "Regions, districts, and their populations: Somalia 2005 (draft)". [[United Nations Development Programme]].
5. "Boorama (District, Somalia) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location".
6. (13 March 2023). "Solar Eclipses 2024–2027: Where and When to Experience Totality". Bradt Travel Guides.
7. "Utilization pattern of antenatal care and determining factors among reproductive-age women in Borama, Somaliland".
8. Borama Local Council, p.10.
9. C. Faarax "Barwaaqo", Cabdiraxmaan. (2003). "UJEEDOOYINKA MAGACYADA MAGAALOOYINKA SOOMAALIYEED*".
10. Bernard Samuel Myers, ed., ''Encyclopedia of World Art'', Volume 13, (McGraw-Hill: 1959), p.xcii.
11. Royal Geographical Society (Great Britain), ''The Geographical Journal'', Volume 87, (Royal Geographical Society: 1936), p.301.
12. Briggs, Philip. (2012). "Somaliland: With Addis Ababa & Eastern Ethiopia". Bradt Travel Guides.
13. Chittick, Neville. (1975). "An Archaeological Reconnaissance of the Horn: The British-Somali Expedition".
14. Torres, Jorge de. (2020). "The fort of Queen Kola: Abasa". StateHorn project.
15. Mekonnen, Yohannes K.. (2013). "Ethiopia: The Land, Its People, History and Culture". New Africa Press.
16. (1993). "Ilbaxnimadii Adal Iyo Sooyaalkii Soomaaliyeed: The Renaissance of Adal Somali history".
17. Mukhtar, Mohamed Haji. (2003-02-25). "Historical Dictionary of Somalia". Scarecrow Press.
18. David D. Laitin, ''Politics, Language, and Thought: The Somali Experience'', (University Of Chicago Press: 1977), pp.86-87.
19. Macalaster College]], Vol. 1, pp. 115-116
20. "Somali alphabets, pronunciation and language". Omniglot.
21. "The Night SNM Fighters came to Hargeisa".
22. "Climate: Borama – Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table". Climate-Data.org.
23. (June 2009). "Land Resources Assessment of Somalia". [[Somalia Water and Land Information Management Project]].
24. Ambroso, G (2002). "Pastoral society and transnational refugees:population movements in Somaliland and eastern Ethiopia 1988 - 2000".
25. Samatar, Abdi I.. (4 November 2008). "Somali Reconstruction and Local Initiative: Amoud University". Bildhaan.
26. (2005). "Shattering Tradition: Custom, Law and the Individual in the Muslim Mediterranean". I.B. Taurus.
27. UN (1999) Somaliland: Update to SML26165.E of 14 February 1997 on the situation in Zeila, including who is controlling it, whether there is fighting in the area, and whether refugees are returning. "Gadabuursi clan dominates Awdal region. As a result, regional politics in Awdal is almost synonymous with Gadabuursi internal clan affairs." p. 5.
28. "Negotiating Statehood: Dynamics of Power and Domination in Africa".
29. Jörg, J. (2001). "What are Somalia's Development Perspectives?". Verlag Hans Schiler.
30. "Countries That Aren't Really Countries".
31. Bruchhaus, E. M, Sommer, M. M.. (2008). "Hot Spot Horn of Africa Revisited (2008)".
32. Deutsches Institut für Afrika-Forschung. (2008). "Afrika Spectrum Volume 43".
33. (2005). "Shattering Tradition: Custom, Law and the Individual in the Muslim Mediterranean". I.B. Taurus.
34. (1997). "United Nations Development Office for Somalia: Studies on Governance: Awdal Region".
35. "Negotiating Statehood: Dynamics of Power and Domination in Africa".
36. "2011/2 Primary School Census Statistics Yearbook".
37. "Borama International Airport". Altius Directory.
38. "Minister of Aviation pledges to rejuvenate Borama airport | SOMALILANDINFORMER".

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