Wanlaweyn

Wanlaweyn is a town in the southern Lower Shebelle region of Somalia. Situated around 90km (50 miles) northwest of the capital Mogadishu, it is the center of the Wanlaweyn District. The town is predominantly inhabited by the Garre and Rahanweyn Somalis.

Street in Wanlaweyn

Wanlaweyn Caanaweyn Daafeed
Town
Wanlaweyn Location in Somalia.
Coordinates: 2°37′00″N 44°54′00″E
Country	Somalia
Region	Lower Shebelle
District	Wanlaweyne
Population
• Total	140,600
Time zone	UTC+3 (EAT)

Demographics

Wanlaweyn has a population of around 140,600 inhabitants.[1] The broader Wanlaweyn District has a total population of 250,643 residents.[2]

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

1. "Somalia City & Town Population". Tageo. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
2. "Regions, districts, and their populations: Somalia 2005 (draft)" (PDF). UNDP. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
3. Abdullahi, Mohamed Diriye (2001). Culture and Customs of Somalia. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-313-31333-2.
4. Adam, Hussein Mohamed (2008). From Tyranny to Anarchy: The Somali Experience. Red Sea Press. ISBN 978-1-56902-288-7.

References

• Wanlaweyn, Somalia