El-Gadarif

Coordinates: 14°02′N 35°23′E / 14.033°N 35.383°E / 14.033; 35.383
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
El-Gadarif
القضارف
UTC+3 (EAT
)

El-Gadarif (

Al Qadarif in Sudan. It lies on the road that connects Khartoum with Gallabat on the Ethiopian border
, about 410 kilometres (250 mi) from the capital.

Overview

El-Gadarif is surrounded by mountains on three sides. The city represents an excellent example of the intermingled ethnicities of central

sesame seed
auctions.

Name

The word Gedaref is derived from the Arabic phrase (Alli qada-Ye-rif) (Arabic القضا يرف), meaning 'He who has finished selling or buying should leave'. The phrase was later developed into 'Al-Gadarif'. The story of the name begins when Arab nomad tribes roaming the

indigenous people
. When the sun set, a herald used to call 'AIli Qada-ye-rif ... Alli qada-ye-rif', asking every one who had finished his dealing in the market to leave so that the market could be closed on time.

Another theory is that the town was named for the range of hills surrounding the area which looks like cartilage. Yet there is confusion in the spelling of the word in Arabic, because "cartilage" in Arabic is written as Ghadarif (Arabic غضارف) not Qadarif (Arabic قضارف), the spelling of the town name.[1][2]

History

Al-Gada-ye-rif

market place developed into a village; then into a town with its dwellers cultivating its fertile soil with sorghum, sesame, peanuts and vegetables. Its green plains during the rainy seasons attracted many nomad
herds and peasants from neighbouring areas.

According to Holt and Daly, the

Suq
Abu Sinn (Abu Sinn's Market) took the name Qadarif, anglicized as Gedaref.

The Scottish explorer

Kingdom of Sennar. Today, Teawa or Twawa is the name of a hill in the western part of the city. The British explorer Samuel Baker stopped in this town in November 1862. He mentioned in his book The Nile Tributaries Of Abyssinia that it lay on the trade route between Khartoum and Kassala
, and described at length its twice-weekly market.

During the

Mahdist Revolt, using it as a base to conquer other places in the area and in neighbouring Ethiopia
.

Sir

Arab tribes and peoples from Nigeria, Eritrea and Abyssinia.[3]

In September 1898 a British

River Atbara and Gedaref town. The fighting was fierce, but the forces of Parsons managed finally to defeat the Mahdist Dervishes.[4] In the town a small garrison was left consisting of 200 soldiers led by the Mahdi Emir Nur Angara. The Mahdist Dervishes who fought bravely realized their defeat and retreated to the west of the city. Most of the defeated army was composed of soldiers from the Darfur and Kordofan regions of western Sudan. They had no choice except to settle their status with the British to stay and live with their families in the western part of Gedaref, which later became the basis of the Mayoral Bakr, whose influence extends to the frontier town of Gallabat on the Sudanese-Ethiopian border.[5]

During the Second World War, Gedaref became very important for the

oil seeds) to the armies of the Allies in East Africa. After the war the town became also more attractive for agricultural investment to many segments of Sudanese tribes, especially after the establishment of the Mechanized Farming Corporation in 1968.[6][7][8]

Geography

Topography, flora and fauna

The geographical feature of the city is marked by a group of hills surrounding it and small khors (tiny dry valley creeks). The largest is called Khor Maqadim, which runs from the southeast part of the city between Deim El Nur and Deim Suakin districts to the northwestern part of the city in Deim Bakr District. Its course overflows during the fall season, when heavy rain falls in the highland areas along the Ethiopian border.

The climate of Gedaref is hot and rainy in the summer. The rainy season extends four months, with an average of annual rainfall of 700 to 900 mm. In the autumn during the rainy seasons, or Kharief (Arabic الخريف) as it is locally called, large pools of water and green meadows with trees of various kinds of acacia cover the area. The early advent of the flamingo flock, or the Simber (Arabic السمبر) as it is locally called, gives the sign of the beginning of the Kharif.

Climate

El-Gadarif has a

hot semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSh), characterized by hot temperatures and distinct wet and dry seasons. The period from March to May is particularly hot, with high temperatures routinely exceeding 40 °C (104 °F). The wet season occurs mainly from June to September. The months from October to May constitute the dry season, with minimal or no precipitation from November to March. [9]

Climate data for El-Gadarif (1991–2020)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 41.5
(106.7)
44.2
(111.6)
46.2
(115.2)
47.5
(117.5)
46.5
(115.7)
47.0
(116.6)
42.5
(108.5)
39.9
(103.8)
40.3
(104.5)
41.6
(106.9)
41.5
(106.7)
40.7
(105.3)
47.5
(117.5)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 35.2
(95.4)
37.6
(99.7)
40.1
(104.2)
42.3
(108.1)
41.4
(106.5)
38.5
(101.3)
34.3
(93.7)
32.6
(90.7)
34.5
(94.1)
37.0
(98.6)
37.7
(99.9)
36.0
(96.8)
37.3
(99.1)
Daily mean °C (°F) 26.6
(79.9)
28.6
(83.5)
31.2
(88.2)
33.8
(92.8)
33.8
(92.8)
31.3
(88.3)
28.3
(82.9)
27.1
(80.8)
28.4
(83.1)
30.0
(86.0)
29.9
(85.8)
27.7
(81.9)
29.7
(85.5)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 17.9
(64.2)
19.6
(67.3)
22.2
(72.0)
25.4
(77.7)
26.2
(79.2)
24.1
(75.4)
22.3
(72.1)
21.6
(70.9)
22.3
(72.1)
23.0
(73.4)
22.1
(71.8)
19.5
(67.1)
22.2
(72.0)
Record low °C (°F) 9.2
(48.6)
7.6
(45.7)
12.2
(54.0)
13.2
(55.8)
18.0
(64.4)
17.7
(63.9)
17.0
(62.6)
17.0
(62.6)
16.7
(62.1)
17.0
(62.6)
13.5
(56.3)
8.9
(48.0)
7.6
(45.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
1.9
(0.07)
6.5
(0.26)
32.5
(1.28)
71.7
(2.82)
172.9
(6.81)
218.9
(8.62)
88.2
(3.47)
25.7
(1.01)
0.4
(0.02)
0.0
(0.0)
618.6
(24.35)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 0.0 0.0 0.3 1.1 4.1 7.1 11.9 13.8 7.1 3.3 0.2 0.0 48.8
Average
relative humidity
(%)
33 27 22 22 34 49 65 72 66 52 33 34 42
Mean monthly sunshine hours 291.4 263.2 291.4 291.0 285.2 267.0 232.5 229.4 255.0 269.7 273.0 288.3 3,237.1
Source: NOAA[9]

Administration

The city is administratively and socially divided into Diems (ديم) or districts. The famous Deims are Deim Bakr, Deim El Nur, Diem Al Khama, Abakar Jibriel, Al- midan, Deim Abbas, Deim Saukin, Deim Sa'ad, Deim Hamad, Janayin, Abbayo, Nasr, Selamt El-Bey, Al Israa, Al Malik, A Nadher, Al Tadamun, Al Danagla, Al Jumhouriya, Al Mufaqaat, Al Syool, Al Mourada, Barnu, Badr, Marco, Al Rabaa, Ruwina, Addona, Taradona, Karfis, Al Kababish, Karrari, Al Mahrouga, Al Sufi, Al Muwazafien, Army Barracks and Police Barracks.

Greater Gedaref includes many rural districts and villages such as Um Shagara, Al- Faw, Wad addida, Sabouniya, Koum Shitta, Um sawani, Um Sunaebra, Id Altin, Kassab, Al Samina, Shasheina, Al Hwata, Al Houri, AlMatna, and Al Shuwak.

In 1994 Gedaref became the capital of Al-Qadarif State which includes Gedaref city, Faw, Gallabat, and Fashaga areas.

Economy

Gedaref is a trade centre for

mechanized farming scheme has been introduced since 1954. About 70% of the total mechanized farming in the Sudan
is carried out in Gedaref. The aim of the mechanized farming is to develop the areas socially and economically. Many large and endless individual fields grew suddenly and have scattered over the whole area surrounding Gedarif such as Um-seinat, Al-Ghadambliya, making use of the fertile soil and abundant rainfall (avg. 700 to 900 mm/year), and relatively obtainable manpower.

The

sunflower, cotton, peanuts and cereals, especially sorghum, Gedaref has become the country's granary. Thus, if Sudan could be the granary of Africa and the Middle East, Gedaref is the breadbasket
of the Sudan.

Light industries in the city include cotton ginning and spinning mills and soap factories.

Transportation and communication

The city is served by a

Addis Abeba. The city has also an airport called Azaza Airport (IATA: GSU , ICAO: HSGF ).[11]

The Gedaref State Broadcasting was established in 1995 with a frequency of 1485 kHz. A television station was followed in 1996 with a range of 50 km.

The Gedaref Digital City

Gedaref is distinguished also by its

disabled, the winner of i4d 2008 awards for the best innovations at the grassroots Telecentres, and the winner of i4d 2009 for the initiatives of civil society for development (e-Agriculture project and other e-services).[12]

Population

The population of the city is mainly

Nuba Sudanese. It includes the indigenous Beja people
. The total population is 269,395 (as of 2008).

Inhabitants origins in Gedaref have rapidly changed during the last decades. Dwellers who belong to various nationalities had settled in the area along with the

Chadians
, Yemenis, Italians has been Sudanized since generations and well integrated in the Gedaref community. The main reason for this gathering of foreign and local groups of people in Gedaref can be attributed to the Agricultural boom that swept the city and turned it to a major centre of trade in the area.

Education

Education in Gedaref has been far developed in the last decades. The city counts about 73 schools of different levels. With the establishment of

Al Qadarif University the city has accomplished its dream to become an education shrine for the whole area of southeast Sudan. Boarding schools has been established in the city as early as the 1960s to accommodate young villagers and rural areas youth.[13]

Among the famous children of the city are

(singer).

Tourism

There are seven hotels.

Twin towns — sister cities

Gedaref is

twinned
with:
NetherlandsEindhoven, the Netherlands, and TurkeyKonya, Turkey.

References

  1. ^ "GEDAREF,Peace haven of Eastern Sudan".
  2. ^ "Al-Qaḍārif." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, 2011. Web. 20 Aug. 2011. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/485367/Al-Qadarif>.
  3. ^ Shadows on the sand: the memoirs of Sir Gawain Bell, Gawain Bell (Sir.) - 1983
  4. ^ Sudan Despatches, a copy received by the Secretary of State for War from Major-General Lord Kitchener of Khartoum, G.C.B., K.C.M.G., Sirdar of the Egyptian Army. War Office, December 9, 1898.
  5. ^ Winston Churchill, Sir, Winston S. Churchill - 2007 - 276; Books.google.com
  6. ^ Sudan Vision Daily News Paper
  7. ^ http://www.sudanvisiondaily.com/ Archived 2011-07-28 at the Wayback Machine, "Sudan Vision Daily News Paper Official Website - Economy and Politics in Gedarif (3)". Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2011-08-21.
  8. ^ A History of the Sudan: From the Coming of Islam to the Present Day (6th Edition) Longman(, 2011)
  9. ^ a b "World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020 — El-Gadarif". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  10. ^ "Rahad Scheme." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, 2011. Web. 21 Aug. 2011. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/489635/Rahad-Scheme>.
  11. ^ "Gedaref/Azaza Airport Map | Sudan Airports".
  12. ^ Gedaref Digital City website. http://gedaref.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=99:2011-06-09-16-13-12&catid=38:rokstories-samples&lang=en&Itemid= Archived 2012-03-31 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ "جامعة القضارف". Archived from the original on 2018-09-26. Retrieved 2011-08-21.