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Holhol(Somali:Hollholl,Arabic:حلحول) is a town in theAli Sabieh RegionofDjibouti.It is located 44 kilometres (27 miles) south-west of the capitalDjibouti City,at an altitude of 450 metres (1,476 feet)above sea level.The surrounding area is rich inlivestockand fledglingagriculture.It is notable for being the birthplace ofCheik Osman Waissanationalistandanti-colonialwhere he began his movement.
Holhol
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|---|---|
Town | |
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  Holhol Location in Djibouti | |
| Coordinates:11°18′35″N42°55′45″E/ 11.30972°N 42.92917°E | |
| Country |  Djibouti |
| Region | Ali Sabieh |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2 km2(0.8 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 450 m (1,480 ft) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 3,000 |
| Climate | BWh |
History
edit
The Holhol area has been inhabited sinceancienttimes withnomadicssometimes stopping here for water on the way to the town ofZeilaandHararacross theHorn of Africa.and after the signing treaties in 1894 with the then rulingUgaasofIssa Somali,to established a protectorate in the region referred to asFrench Somaliland.The railway reached this location on 14 July 1899. Holhol became an administrative and commercial centre in the 1900s after the construction of theEthio-Djibouti Railwaybetween Djibouti City and Addis Ababa, undermined the traditionalcamel caravaneconomy of Holhol. It was first railway inFrench Somaliland.
Overview
editHolhol is served by a station on the meter gaugeEthio-Djibouti Railway.A notable feature of the meter-gauge railway is aviaduct,29 meters high and 45 meters long, that was built in 1900. The station is a transit point for commercial goods from Ethiopia. Holhol also has a station on the new standard gaugeAddis Ababa–Djibouti Railway.
The town also lies alongRN-5 National Highway.It is the seventh largest city in the country.
Additionally, Holhol has a number of primary and secondary schools as well as nurseries. TheEl-Hajj Hassan Gouled Military Academyis located here. One kilometer from the town is the local college. Nearby towns and villages includeAli Sabieh(33 km),Goubetto(18 km),Ali Adde(23 km),Dasbiyo(19 km) andChabelley(28 km).
Demographics
editAs of 2017, the population of Holhol has been estimated to be roughly around 3,000. The city inhabitants belong to various mainlyAfro-Asiatic-speaking ethnic groups, with theIssaSomalipredominant.
Geography
editHolhol is situated on a spur of aplateau,an upland characterized by two majorwadiswhich run beside it. Holhol is located between the Guban Desert on the east and the Gagegando Mountains on the west. Much of the landscape is rocky and arid, with desert vegetation and wildlife.
Ecology
editMost of the regional flora consists ofAfrican olive tree,Acacia tortiliswith an added mixture ofBuxus hildebrandtii,Tarchonanthus camphoratus,Terminalia brownie and theFlat top acacia,themesquite tree,an invasive species fromCentral America,has become established. Native fauna includes theSoemmerring's gazelle,Hamadryas baboon,Salt's dik-dik,Beira,African spurred tortoise,several species ofSomali elephant shrewandYellow-spotted rock hyrax,Somali ostrich,Black-backed jackal.Hyenamay be observed on occasion, on the fringes of settled areas. In August 2023, the once-commonCheetahwas finally witnessed in the Holhol area for the first time in over more than 30 years.[1]Other issues faces are soil erosion and overgrazing. All of these environmental issues producesoil degradation.
Climate
editHolhol is located in the centralAli Sabieh Region,and has ahot arid climate(BWh) under theKöppen-Geiger system,characterised by hot to sweltering, dry summers and mild winters with limitedrainfall.
Average high temperatures are between 34 °C (93 °F) and 38 °C (100 °F) duringsummer months,and it can sometimes rise up to 41 °C (106 °F) duringheat waves,and it can occasionally drop to below 27 °C (81 °F) at night. However, with low humidity and moderate temperatures at night, the climate is quite pleasant.Winterusually sets in around the end of November, extending through early to mid-March. During thewinter months,average low temperatures are between 18 °C (64 °F) and 19 °C (66 °F), and it can occasionally drop to below 16 °C (61 °F). The average annual limited rainfall in Holhol is around 198 millimetres or 7.8 inches[2]
| Climate data for Holhol | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 25.0 (77.0) |
25.8 (78.4) |
26.5 (79.7) |
29.0 (84.2) |
33.5 (92.3) |
38.6 (101.5) |
38.5 (101.3) |
37.0 (98.6) |
35.3 (95.5) |
30.0 (86.0) |
27.0 (80.6) |
25.9 (78.6) |
31.0 (87.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 18.9 (66.0) |
19.3 (66.7) |
21.5 (70.7) |
22.4 (72.3) |
25.3 (77.5) |
27.4 (81.3) |
27.1 (80.8) |
26.2 (79.2) |
23.5 (74.3) |
23.2 (73.8) |
20.6 (69.1) |
19.0 (66.2) |
22.9 (73.2) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 5 (0.2) |
9 (0.4) |
25 (1.0) |
37 (1.5) |
14 (0.6) |
7 (0.3) |
11 (0.4) |
35 (1.4) |
29 (1.1) |
13 (0.5) |
7 (0.3) |
6 (0.2) |
198 (7.9) |
| Source:Climate-Data.org,altitude: 450 metres or 1,480 feet[2] | |||||||||||||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^"Cheetah spotted in Djibouti for the first time in over 30 years".GroundUp.
- ^ab"Climate: Holhol - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table".Climate-Data.org.Retrieved25 September2013.
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