Berbera

Berbera

*Berbera* (Somali)
بربرة (Arabic)
Berbera Berbera (Somali); بربرة (Arabic)
City
	Flag Seal
	Interactive map of Berbera
	Coordinates: 10°26′08″N 45°00′59″E / 10.43556°N 45.01639°E
Country	Somaliland
Region	Sahil
District	Berbera District
Government
• Mayor	Abdishakur Iddin
Elevation	3 m (9.8 ft)
Population (2019)
• City	242,344
• Rank	4th
• Urban	478,000
Demonym(s)	Barbaraawi; بربراوي
Time zone	UTC+3 (EAT)

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Berbera (burr-burr-AH; Somali: Berbera, Arabic: بربرة) is the capital of the Sahil region of Somaliland and is the main sea port of the country, located approximately 160 km from the national capital, Hargeisa. Berbera is a coastal city and was the former capital of the British Somaliland protectorate before Hargeisa. It also served as a major port of the Ifat, Adal and Isaaq sultanates from the 13th to 19th centuries.

In antiquity, Berbera was part of a chain of commercial port cities along the Somali seaboard. During the early modern period, Berbera was the most important place of trade in the Somali Peninsula. It later served as the capital of the British Somaliland protectorate from 1884 to 1941, when it was replaced by Hargeisa. In 1960, the British Somaliland protectorate gained independence as the State of Somaliland and, five days later, united with the Trust Territory of Somalia (the former Italian Somalia) to form the Somali Republic. Located strategically on the oil route, the city has a deep seaport, which serves as the region's main commercial harbour.