Land

Situated on the coast of east Africa, Somalia encompasses approximately 246,000 square miles, making it about the size of Texas. Only about 10% of this territory is arable and irrigable. Out of this arable land, an estimated 1,729,000 acres is cultivated, and most of this cultivated land is located in Bantu-inhabited regions. The entire southern region's climate can be categorized as semi-arid, with an average maximum temperature ranging between 85° F and 105° F and minimum temperatures between 68° F and 85° F.

The Bantu primarily inhabit the interriverine area of southern Somalia, where most live in the vicinity of either the Shabelle or Juba Rivers. These rivers originate in the Ethiopian highlands and generally run southwards through the bottom half of Somalia. The Juba River flows out to the Indian Ocean just north of Kismayu while the Shabelle River ends in a series of swamp basins. In years of high rainfall in Ethiopia, the Shabelle River may merge with the Juba River in the far south of Somalia.

In this profile, we are concerned with the Bantu group from along the Juba River. The Bantu in the Juba River valley can be further divided between those living in the lower Juba River valley (primarily villages south of Jilib) and those living in the middle Juba River valley (primarily villages from Jilib in the south to Buale in the north).

The Juba region is a fertile agricultural land mass stretching between the Kenyan border to the west and the Indian Ocean to the east. Unlike the Shabelle River, which usually dries up from January to March, the Juba River is permanent and is capable of irrigating about 150,000 ha (370,500 acres) of land. Land, particularly farmland, is the one of the most important possessions in the river valley and its environs. Farmland, known locally as dhooboy (muddy land), is the most arable land in Somalia.

Another source of water for farming is rainfall, which is scarce in some seasons. Most of the Juba River valley receives about 24 inches of rain per year. There are two rainy seasons in this region that correspond with the river's high points, and that, combined with water from the Juba River, allow farmers to grow crops throughout the year. Most farmers in the region practice a mixed farming system, as rain-fed land mainly provides sorghum and beans. As a result, farmers tend to exploit the recession of river flooding from the adjoining dhesheeg, or depression, along the Juba River. This makes the Bantu-occupied areas of the Juba River valley extremely productive—and valuable—and thus the backbone of agricultural production for national and international markets in southern Somalia.

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