Weʽa

Wea or Wêa (Arabic: وع, Somali: Weeca) is a town in the Arta Region of Djibouti. It is located on the RN-1 National Highway, which connects it to Djibouti City, located some 37 kilometres (23 miles) to the east.^[1][2] Wea is the second largest city in the Arta Region after Arta and before Damerjog. It is the primary transportation hub in western Djibouti via highway. The town is situated in a small valley.

History

Wea's place-name literally means "turn" in the Afro-Asiatic Somali language. It later formed a part of the French Somaliland protectorate in the first half of the 20th century.

Overview

Wea lies on the RN-1 National Highway.

Weʽa is 36 kilometres (22 mi) west of Djibouti City, 21 kilometres (13 mi) east of Omar Jagaa, 63 kilometres (39 mi) northeast of Mouloud, and 59 kilometres (36 mi) south of Ali Sabieh. Public buses go from Djibouti City to Wea, taking about half an hour to get to the town. The ride itself costs around 350 Djiboutian franc. Arta is situated just up the mountain around 3 kilometres (2 miles) to the north.

Additionally, Wea serves as a commercial transit point for goods from Ethiopia. Ethiopian trucks and traders frequently pass through the town.

Geography

The town stands at an elevation of around 455 meters (1,493 ft) above sea level, in a narrow valley running roughly east–west in the Mountains of Arta, a major wadi which run beside it. The outskirts of the town have served as a local agricultural center.

Climate

Wea has a hot arid climate (BWh) by the Köppen-Geiger system. The weather is sweltering during summer and very warm during winter. The warmest month of the year is June with an average temperature of 33.9 °C (93.0 °F). In January, the average temperature is 21.8 °C (71.2 °F). It is the lowest average temperature of the whole year and the driest month is June with 3 mm (0.1 in). Most precipitation falls in November, with an average of 42 mm (1.7 in).^[3]

Demographics

As of the 2024 census, the population of Wea was at 3,879.^[4] The town inhabitants belong to various mainly Afro-Asiatic-speaking ethnic groups, with the Issa Somali predominant.

Sister towns

Notes

1. ^ Google Maps. Google.
2. ^ Bing Maps. Microsoft and Harris Corporation Earthstar Geographics LLC.
3. ^ "Climate: We'a – Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
4. ^ Citypopulation.de Population of Cities & Rural Localities in Djibouti

References

• Wê‘a

External links

• Geographic Names