Nugaal Valley
| Nugaal Valley | |
|---|---|
Location in northern Somalia.
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| Long-axis direction | West-East |
| Long-axis length | 250 kilometres (160 mi) |
| Width | 10 to 100 kilometres (6.2 to 62.1 mi) |
| Geography | |
| Coordinates | 8°27′42.41″N 48°3′15.12″E / 8.4617806°N 48.0542000°ECoordinates: 8°27′42.41″N 48°3′15.12″E / 8.4617806°N 48.0542000°E |
The Nugaal Valley (Somali: Dooxada Nugaal, Arabic: وادي نوجال), also called the Nogal Valley, is a long and broad valley located in northern Somalia.
The Nugaal Valley is a key pastoral area which spans across four regions, Nugaal, Sool, Sanaag and Togdheer. Pastoral nomadism is the primary way of life for most of the people living in the valley. Goat and camel raising form the basis of the economy, and frankincense and myrrh are collected from wild trees. The beds of the watercourses have a few permanent wells, to which the predominantly nomadic population returns during the dry season. Low and erratic rainfall (about 5 inches 125 mm annually) and the high salinity of the soil limit crop cultivation.
Extending 250 km along the Wadi Nugaal, the Nugaal Valley is bounded by gradually ascending high plateaus that generally reach elevations of 1,650 to 3,300 feet (500 to 1,000 m) above sea level on the north, west, and south. The western part of the same plateau is crossed by numerous valleys and dry watercourses. The same plateau sloping southwards merges with Hawd, a plain known for its grasslands. To the east is a narrow strip of low-lying maritime plains.
The valley's principal watercourses, the Nugaal and the more westerly Dheere, fill briefly during and after rainstorms (April to June) and drain into the Indian Ocean. The upper part of the Nugaal is filled by the seasonal river known as Tog Dheer.
The main vegetation in Nugaal valley consists of open grasslands, shrubs (commiphora spp), Acacia trees and dominant grasses (indigofera spp). The valley is home to succulent flora and is particularly rich in local endemics. Gypsum hills located around Las Anod supports flora such as Aloe inermis, Dorstenia, Adenia, Raphanocarpus, Euphorbia, Pterodiscus, and Caralluma.
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