Editing Somaliland (section)

=== Location and habitat ===
[[File:Geographic map of Somaliland.svg|thumb|Geographic map of Somaliland]]
Somaliland is situated in the northwest of recognised Somalia. It lies between 08°N and 11°30'N, and between 42°30'E and 49°00'E.<ref name="const" /> It is bordered by [[Djibouti]] to the west, [[Ethiopia]] to the south, and [[Somalia]] to the east. Somaliland has an {{convert|850|km|mi|0}} coastline with the majority lying along the [[Gulf of Aden]].<ref name="Mesfin">{{cite web |url=https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/111689/P200.pdf |title=The political development of Somaliland and its conflict with Puntland |last=Mesfin |first=Berouk |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=September 2009 |access-date=15 May 2021}}</ref>{{rp|1}} In terms of landmass, Somaliland has an area of {{convert|176120|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}.<ref name="KitGhrsM12" />

Somaliland's climate is a mixture of wet and dry conditions. The northern part of the region is hilly, and in many places the altitude ranges between {{convert|900|and|2100|m|ft|-2}} above sea level. The [[Awdal]], [[Sahil, Somaliland|Sahil]] and [[Maroodi Jeex]] regions are fertile and mountainous, while [[Togdheer]] is mostly [[Semi-arid|semi-desert]] with little fertile greenery around. The Awdal region is also known for its offshore islands, [[coral reef]]s and [[mangrove]]s.

A scrub-covered, semi-desert plain referred as the ''[[Guban]]'' lies parallel to the Gulf of Aden littoral. With a width of {{convert|12|km|spell=in|abbr=off}} in the west to as little as {{convert|2|km|spell=in|abbr=off}} in the east, the plain is bisected by watercourses that are essentially beds of dry sand except during the rainy seasons. When the rains arrive, the Guban's low bushes and grass clumps transform into lush vegetation.<ref name="Hadden">Hadden, Robert Lee. 2007. [https://web.archive.org/web/20090327102547/http://handle.dtic.mil/100.2/ADA464006 "The Geology of Somalia: A Selected Bibliography of Somalian Geology, Geography and Earth Science."] Engineer Research and Development Laboratories, Topographic Engineering Center</ref> This coastal strip is part of the [[Ethiopian xeric grasslands and shrublands]] ecoregion.

[[Cal Madow]] is a mountain range in the eastern part of the country. Extending from the northwest of [[Erigavo]] to several kilometres west of the city of [[Bosaso]] in neighbouring Somalia, it features Somaliland's highest [[Summit (topography)|peak]], [[Shimbiris]], which sits at an elevation of about {{convert|2416|m|ft|0}}.<ref name="2009factbook">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/somalia/|title=Somalia|access-date=31 May 2009|date=14 May 2009|work=[[World Factbook]]|publisher=[[Central Intelligence Agency]]}}</ref> The rugged east–west ranges of the Karkaar Mountains also lie to the interior of the Gulf of Aden littoral.<ref name="Hadden" /> In the central regions, the northern mountain ranges give way to shallow plateaus and typically dry watercourses that are referred to locally as the ''[[Ogo Mountains|Ogo]]''. The Ogo's western plateau, in turn, gradually merges into the [[Haud]], an important grazing area for livestock.<ref name="Hadden" /> In the east, the Haud is separated from the Ain and Nugal valleys by the [[Buur Dhaab]] mountain range.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BUE497KSmwsC&q=bur+dab+range |title=The South African Geographical Journal: Being a Record of the Proceedings of the South African Geographical Society |date=1945 |pages=44 |language=en}}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed" caption="Landscapes of Somaliland">
File:Lamadayawaterfalls6.jpg|upright|[[Lamadaya]] are waterfalls located in the [[Cal Madow]] mountain range.
File:Somalia (Somaliland)(168).jpg|upright|The Somaliland countryside
File:Almadow Overview.JPG|upright|View of the [[Cal Madow]] Mountains, home to numerous endemic species
File:Somaliland (6790659460) (2).jpg|[[Berbera]] beach
File:Sacadin.jpg|[[Sacadin]], Zeila Archipelago
</gallery>