List of cities in Somalia by population
List
Table:
Rank

City

Region

Population

1
Mogadishu
Banaadir
1,250,000[3]

2
Hargeisa
Woqooyi Galbeed
900,000[3]

3
Bosaso
Bari
550,000[4]

4
Burco
Togdheer
350,222[5]

5
Kismayo
Lower Jubba
340,000

6
Borama
Awdal
320,000[6]

7
Baydhabo
Bay, Somalia
300,000[7]

8
Beledweyne
Hiiraan
220,666[8]

9
Galkaio
Mudug
200,000[9]

10
Garowe
Nugal
200,000

11
Laascaanood
Sool
180,000[8]

12
Jawhar
Middle Shabelle
150,000[10]

13
Buurhakaba
Bay
130,000[8]

14
Marka
Lower Shabelle
100,991[9]

15
Bardhere
Gedo
100,800[8]

16
Afgooye
Lower Shebelle
80,200[8]

17
Goryooley
Lower Shabelle
70,033[8]

18
Dhuusamareeb
Galguduud
60,997[8]

Drawing on the accompanying table as well as the relevant paragraphs provided at the end.

Provide an answer to this question: Which empire had the Somalian city with 320,000 residents within its protectorate ? Respond with the correct answer (omit explanations) in JSON format as {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Base your answer solely on the given information.

Mogadishu ( /ˌmɒɡəˈdiːʃuː , -ˈdɪʃ-/ , also US : /ˌmoʊɡ- , ˌmɔːɡ-/ ; Somali : Muqdisho [ mʉqdɪʃɔ ] ; [ stress and tone ? ] Arabic : مقديشو , romanized : Muqadīshū [ muqaˈdiːʃuː ] ; Italian : Mogadiscio [ moɡaˈdiʃʃo ] ) , locally known as Xamar or Hamar , is the capital and most populous city of Somalia . Located in the coastal Banadir region on the Somali Sea , the city has served as an important port for millennia . The original inhabitants are known as Reer Xamar ( English : Hamar people ) . As of 2017 [ update ] , it had a population of 2,425,000 residents . Mogadishu is the nearest foreign mainland city to Seychelles , at a distance of 835 mi ( 1,344 km ) over the Somali Sea . Tradition and old records assert that southern Somalia , including the Mogadishu area , was historically inhabited by hunter-gatherers . These were later joined by Cushitic-speaking agro-pastoralists , who would go on to establish local aristocracies . During its medieval Golden Age , Mogadishu was ruled by the Muzaffar dynasty , and later by the Ajuran Sultanate . This is found mainly in the Banaadiri oral traditions who are the native population . It subsequently fell under the control of an assortment of local Sultanates and polities , most notably the Sultanate of the Geledi . The sultanate of the Geledi were in an alliance with the Zanbiar Dynasty .
Benaadir ( Somali : Banaadir , Arabic : بنادر , Italian : Benadir ) is an administrative region ( gobol ) in southeastern Somalia . It covers the same area as the city of Mogadishu , Somalia 's capital . It is bordered to the northwest by the Shabelle river , and to the southeast by the Somali Sea . Although by far the smallest administrative region in Somalia , it has the largest population , estimated at 1,650,227 ( including 369,288 internally displaced persons ) in 2014 .
Hargeisa ( Somali : Hargeysa , Arabic : هرجيسا ) is a city situated in the Maroodi Jeex region of Somaliland in the Horn of Africa . It is the current capital and largest city of Somaliland . During the Middle Ages , Hargeisa was part of the domain of the Adal Sultanate . The city later succeeded Berbera as the capital of the British Somaliland protectorate in 1941 . In 1960 , the protectorate gained independence and united as scheduled days later with the Trust Territory of Somaliland ( former Italian Somaliland ) to form the Somali Republic ( Somalia ) on July 1 . Hargeisa is situated in a valley in the Galgodon ( Ogo ) highlands , and sits at an elevation of 1,334 m ( 4,377 ft ) . Home to rock art from the Neolithic period , the city is also a commercial hub for precious stone-cutting , construction , retail services and trading , among other activities .
Woqooyi Galbeed ( Somali : Woqooyi Galbeed , Arabic : وقويي جالبيد ) , also known as Maroodi Jeex , is an administrative region ( gobol ) located in Somaliland . It is considered to be the most populous region in the self-declared but internationally unrecognised Republic of Somaliland .
Bosaso ( Somali : Boosaaso , Arabic : بوصاصو ) is a city in the northeastern Bari province ( gobol ) of Somalia . It is the seat of the Bosaso District . Located on the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden , the municipality serves as the region 's commercial capital and is a major seaport within the autonomous Puntland state . It has an estimated population of around 164,906 residents ( 2005 est. ) . The city has a diverse economy centred on education , government , banking , tourism , aviation , food , clothes , logistics , steel , energy , health care , hospitality , retail and technology . The area 's many colleges and universities make it a regional hub of higher education , including law , medicine , engineering and business and entrepreneurship .
Bari ( /ˈbɑːri/ BAR-ee , Italian : [ ˈbaːri ] ( listen ) ; Barese : Bare [ ˈbæːrə ] ; Latin : Barium ; Ancient Greek : Βάριον , romanized : Bárion ) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia region , on the Adriatic Sea , in southern Italy . It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples ( and the third after Palermo , if Insular Italy is included ) , a port and university city , as well as the city of Saint Nicholas . The city itself has a population of 320,257 inhabitants , over 116 square kilometres ( 45 sq mi ) , while the urban area has 750,000 inhabitants . The metropolitan area has 1.3 million inhabitants . Bari is made up of four different urban sections . To the north is the closely built old town on the peninsula between two modern harbours , with the Basilica of Saint Nicholas , the Cathedral of San Sabino ( 1035-1171 ) and the Hohenstaufen Castle built for Frederick II , which is now also a major nightlife district . To the south is the Murat quarter ( erected by Joachim Murat ) , the modern heart of the city , which is laid out on a rectangular grid-plan with a promenade on the sea and the major shopping district ( the via Sparano and via Argiro ) . Modern residential zones surrounding the centre of Bari were built during the 1960s and 1970s replacing the old suburbs that had developed along roads splaying outwards from gates in the city walls . In addition , the outer suburbs developed rapidly during the 1990s . The city has a redeveloped airport named after Pope John Paul II , Karol Wojtyła Airport , with connections to several European cities .
Burao ( var . Bur ' o ) ( Somali : Burco , Arabic : برعو ) is the largest city in the Togdheer , Somaliland , and also serves as the capital of Togdheer region . Burao was the site of the unilateral declaration of an independent Somaliland on May 18 , 1991 .
Togdheer ( Somali : Togdheer , Arabic : تُوْجْدَيْر , romanized : Tūjdayr ) is an administrative region ( gobol ) in northern Somalia , although it is de facto part of the Somaliland region , a self-declared state but internationally unrecognized .
Kismayo ( Somali : Kismaayo ; Arabic : كيسمايو , Kīsmāyū ; Italian : Chisimaio ) is a port city in the southern Lower Juba ( Jubbada Hoose ) province of Somalia . It is the commercial capital of the autonomous Jubaland region . The city is situated 528 kilometres ( 328 miles ) southwest of Mogadishu , near the mouth of the Jubba River , where the waters empty into the Somali Sea . According to the United Nations Development Programme , the city of Kismayo had a population of around 89,333 in 2005 . During the Middle Ages , Kismayo and its surrounding area was part of the Ajuran Empire that governed much of southern Somalia and eastern Ethiopia , with its domain extending from Hobyo in the north , to Qelafo in the west , to Kismayo in the south . In the early modern period , Kismayo was ruled by the Geledi Sultanate and by the later 1800s , the Boqow dynasty . The kingdom was eventually incorporated into Italian Somaliland in 1910 after the death of the last sultan , Osman Ahmed . After independence in 1960 , the city was made the center of the official Kismayo District . Kismayo was the site of numerous battles during the civil war , from the early 1990s . In late 2006 , Islamist militants gained control of most of the city . To reclaim possession of the territory , a new autonomous regional administration dubbed Azania was announced in 2010 and formalized in 2011 . In September 2012 , the Somali National Army and AMISOM troops re-captured the city from the Al-Shabaab insurgents .
Borama ( Somali : Boorama , Arabic : بوراما ) is the capital and the largest city of the northwestern Awdal region of Somalia . 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 the UNDP in 2005 the city had a population of around 215,616 , making it one of the largest cities inside Somalia . 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 .
Awdal ( Somali : Awdal ) is an administrative region in Somaliland . It was separated from Woqooyi Galbeed and became a province in 1984 ; it is the most westerly province of Somalia . To the east it borders Maroodi Jeex and to its north-west it borders Djibouti , to its south and south-west lies Ethiopia and the Gulf of Aden to its north . The province has an estimated population of 673,263 . The region comprises the four districts of Borama , the regional capital , Baki , Lughaya , and Zeila ( now the regional capital of newly established but not legally approved ) .
Baidoa ( Somali : Baydhabo ; is capital in the southwestern Bay region of Somalia . During the Middle Ages , Baidoa and its surrounding area was part of the Ajuran Sultanate . In 2005 , the Transitional Federal Government established temporary headquarters in Baidoa before an eventual relocation of government offices to Mogadishu . In 2012 , it was made the capital of the Southwestern State of Somalia , a prospective Federal Member State .
Bay ( Somali : Baay , Arabic : باي , Italian : Bai ) is an administrative region ( gobol ) in southern Somalia .
Beledweyne ( Somali : Beletweeyne , Arabic : بلد وين , Italian : Belet Uen ) is a city in central Somalia . Located in the Beledweyne District , it is the capital of the Hiiraan province . The town is situated in the Shebelle Valley near the Ethiopia border , some 210 miles ( 345 km ) north of Mogadishu . Beledweyne is divided by the Shebelle River into eastern and western sections . In 2019 , Safiya Jimale became the first female mayor in Somalia .
Hiran ( Somali : Hiiraan , Arabic : هيران ) is an administrative region ( gobol ) in central Somalia .
Galkayo ( Somali : Gaalkacyo , Arabic : جالكعيو , also known in Italian as Gallacaio or formerly Rocca Littorio ) is the capital of the north-central Mudug region of Somalia . The city of Galkayo is divided into two administrative areas separated by a distinct boundary , with 3 of the 4 districts governed by the Puntland State and one southern district governed by Galmudug state . It is the third largest city in the whole of Somalia . Geographically Galkayo town is divided into four main quarters called Garsoor , Horumar , Israac and Wadajir . Puntland state controls quarters of Garsoor , Horumar and Israac while Galmudug state controls Wadajir quarter . Following independence , Galkayo was made the center of the Galkayo District . The city has grown considerably in recent times and serves as a commercial hub . According to the UNDP it had a population of 137,667 in 2005 .
Mudug ( Somali : Mudug ; Italian : Mudugh ) is an administrative region ( gobol ) in north-central Somalia . The population of Mudug is 131,455 as of 2005 .
Garowe ( Somali : Garoowe , Arabic : غاروي , Italian : Garoe ) is the capital of Nugaal region and administrative capital of Puntland state in northeastern Somalia . Garowe is situated in the Nugaal Valley , bounded by gradually ascending high plateaus that generally reach elevations of 500 to 1,000 metres ( 1,600 to 3,300 feet ) above sea level on the north , west , and south . The western part of the same plateau is crossed by numerous valleys and dry watercourses . Goat and camel raising form the basis of the economy , and frankincense and myrrh are collected from wild trees .
Nugal ( Somali : Nugaal , Arabic : نوغال , Italian : Nogal ) is an administrative region ( gobol ) in northeastern Somalia .
Las Anod ( Somali : Laascaanood ; Arabic : لاس عانود ) is the administrative capital of the Sool region of the self-declared Republic of Somaliland . The city is also claimed by Puntland , a member state of Somalia .
Sool ( Somali : Sool , Arabic : سول ) is an administrative region in Somalia .
Jawhar is a city and a municipal council in Palghar district of Maharashtra state in Konkan division . Jawhar was a capital city of the erstwhile Koli princely state of Jawhar . Situated in the ranges of the Western Ghats , Jawhar is known for its picturesque setting and a vibrant cultural heritage . It is one of the few remaining tribal regions of Maharashtra and is famous for its vibrant Warli painting that are a characteristic landmark of this place . Established in 1918 , Jawhar is one of the oldest municipal councils in the state of Maharashtra .
Middle Shabelle ( Somali : Shabeellaha Dhexe , pronunciation ( help·info ) Arabic : شبيلي الوسطى , Italian : Medio Scebeli ) is an administrative region ( gobol ) in southern Somalia .
Burhakaba ( Somali : Buurhakaba ) is a town located in the Bay region in Somalia . The town is named after a large mountain located at the center of the city .
A bay is a recessed , coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water , such as an ocean , a lake , or another bay . A large bay is usually called a gulf , sea , sound , or bight . A cove is a type of smaller bay with a circular inlet and narrow entrance . A fjord is a particularly steep bay shaped by glacial activity . A bay can be the estuary of a river , such as the Chesapeake Bay , an estuary of the Susquehanna River . Bays may also be nested within each other ; for example , James Bay is an arm of Hudson Bay in northeastern Canada . Some large bays , such as the Bay of Bengal and Hudson Bay , have varied marine geology . The land surrounding a bay often reduces the strength of winds and blocks waves . Bays may have as wide a variety of shoreline characteristics as other shorelines . In some cases , bays have beaches , which are usually characterized by a steep upper foreshore with a broad , flat fronting terrace . Bays were significant in the history of human settlement because they provided safe places for fishing . Later they were important in the development of sea trade as the safe anchorage they provide encouraged their selection as ports .
Merca ( Somali : Marka , Arabic : مركة ) is an ancient port city in the southern Lower Shebelle province of Somalia . It is located approximately 109 km ( 68 mi ) to the southwest of the nation 's capital Mogadishu .
Lower Shabelle ( Somali : Shabeellaha Hoose , Arabic : شبيلي السفلى , Italian : Basso Scebeli ) is an administrative region ( gobol ) in southern Somalia .
Bardera City ( Arabic : بااردىرآ , Somali : Baardheere ) is an important agricultural city in the Gedo region of Somalia . It is the second most populous town in the Juba Valley , with Kismayo being the largest and most densely populated city in the region , Garbahaarreey serving as Gedo 's capital . [ citation needed ]
Gedo ( Somali : Gedo , Arabic : جيذو , Italian : Ghedo or Ghedu ) is an administrative region ( gobol ) , formerly part of the historic Upper Juba Region in southern Somalia . Its regional capital is Garbahaarreey . Gedo is a region created in 1970s and is bordered by the Ogaden in Ethiopia , the North Eastern Province in Kenya , and the Somali regions of Bakool , Bay , Jubbada Dhexe ( Middle Juba ) , and Jubbada Hoose ( Lower Juba ) further down east . The southern parts of Gedo , west of the Jubba River , used to be part of the old British Trans-Juba region during half of the seventy years of colonial era in Africa from 1890 to 1960 . The British and Italians fought over twice in this area of Horn of Africa . The first democratically elected governor of the administrative region occurred in a grassroots effort with Hussein Farey 's admission into office in 2008 .
Afgooye ( Somali : Afgooye , Arabic : أفجويي , Italian : Afgoi ) is a town in the southwestern Somalia Lower Shebelle ( Shabellaha Hoose ) region of Somalia . It is the center of the Afgooye District .
Lower Shabelle ( Somali : Shabeellaha Hoose , Arabic : شبيلي السفلى , Italian : Basso Scebeli ) is an administrative region ( gobol ) in southern Somalia .
Qoryoley ( Somali : Qoryooley , Arabic : قوريولي ) is a city in southern Somalia . It is located in the Lower Shebelle ( Shabeellaha Hoose ) region .
Dusmareb ( Somali : Dhusamareeb , Arabic : دوسمريب , Italian : Dusa Mareb ) or Dhusamareb , is the capital of the Galguduud region and administrative capital of Galmudug state in central Somalia . Located in the heart of Dusmareb District , Dusmareb is one of the largest cities in the Galguduud region and is a rapidly developing city located in the heart of Somalia . Historically , the city was known as Daar Dheer or simply Dardher but later in time the citys name changed to Dusmareb also spelled Dhusamareb .
Galguduud ( Somali : Galgaduud , Arabic : جلجدود , Italian : Galgudud or Ghelgudud ) is an administrative region ( gobol ) of Galmudug state in central Somalia . Its administrative capital is Dusmareb .