Coordinates: 11°17′N 49°10′E / 11.283°N 49.167°E
Country Somalia
Region
Bari Region
District
Population
- Total 950,000 (est)
Time zone
East Africa Time (UTC+3)
Bosaso (Somali: Boosaaso, Arabic: بوساسو) is a city in northern Somalia, which serves as the nation’s main port. Situated on the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden ( 11°17′0.70″N 49°10′52.10″E / 11.2835278°N 49.1811389°E) at the estuary of Baalade Wadi, it is the de facto capital of the Bari Region (gobolka) in the autonomous Puntland macro-region.
Formerly known as Bender Qassim, Boosaaso is sub-divided into eight districts: Qandala, Caluula, Iskushuban, Bandar Bayla, Waa’iye, Qardho, Galgala and many other small hamlets such as Laag, which is situated at the mouth of Boosaaso. The city’s population in August 2008 was estimated at about 955,000 (up from about 30,000 in the 1990s). While Boosaaso is a melting pot, with citizens representing all the major clans in Somalia, most of its population is from the Harti confederation of Darod sub-clans. It also has a significant number of Meheri Arabs, also known as Arab (Maxamuud) Saalax.
A highway connects Boosaaso to Garoowe (the capital of Puntland), Las Anod, Galkacyo, and from there to Mogadishu and Berbera. Boosaaso has the busiest port in Somalia, along with a major airport, Bender Qassim International Airport.
Relatively stable in comparison to the southern parts of Somalia, Boosaaso is a rapidly growing city. As with Hargeisa and Galkacyo, the rapid construction it has enjoyed of late has largely been financed by Somalis from the diaspora. Boosaaso has grown exponentially since the civil war, as it has attracted people from all over the country. Economically, it is actually doing better now than it was prior to the war.
Boosaaso is also a major port for boats carrying Somali emigrants across the Gulf of Aden to settle (sometimes illegally) in Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and the other Persian Gulf states. Khat is also shipped from the port.