Berbera

Berbera is a city in the Saaxil region (gobolka) of Somalia, and is currently part of the internationally unrecognized Republic of Somaliland. Berbera is also a seaport, with the only sheltered harbour on the south side of the Gulf of Aden; its population in 2000 was approximately 200,000.

Located strategically on the oil route, Berbera has a deep-sea port, completed in 1969. The port, which was the capital of British Somaliland until 1941, is the terminus of roads from Hargeisa and Burco, and an airport now adds to its accessibility. Berbera exports sheep, gum arabic, frankincense, and myrrh. Its seaborne trade is chiefly with Aden in Yemen 240 km/150 mi to the north.

Prior to the civil war, Berbera was home to a small naval port that was built by the Soviets, then later used by the Americans. This is now part of the commercial port.

Since the Eritrean-Ethiopian War, it has grown as a major export port for Ethiopia, and is now the main source of foreign curreny for Somaliland. The city is also home to a runway, built as an emergency landing strip for the U.S. Space Shuttle.