River · Ethiopia, Somalia
Juba River
The Juba is one of the most important rivers in Somalia. Its headstreams come down from the highlands of Ethiopia, meet at the border town of Doolow and then flow south to the Indian Ocean.
Picture credit: Baardhere (Public domain) · Sylvie Doutriaux (CC BY-SA 2.0) · United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) (Public domain) · Wikimedia Commons
Where is Juba River?
The river starts here: Meeting of the Dawa and Ganale rivers at Doolow, Ethiopia–Somalia border.
It ends in the Indian Ocean at Goobweyn, north of Kismayo.
Countries on the river: Ethiopia, Somalia.
The story behind it
The Juba is formed where the Dawa and the Ganale meet, two rivers that start in the mountains of southern Ethiopia. From there it winds south through southern Somalia, past towns such as Baardheere. Its water level rises and falls with the seasons: from December to mid-April and again from June to October the river is low. When heavy rain falls in the highlands, it can burst its banks and flood the land. Along its banks lies a green, fertile strip where farmers grow bananas, maize, sesame, cotton and peanuts. For a long time they have led the river water into their fields through small channels. Many animals live in the region, among them hippos, crocodiles, giraffes and gazelles. Small, flat boats can travel up the river from the sea to a little beyond Baardheere. The whole region, Jubaland, is named after the river.
Questions children ask
How long is the Juba River?
From Doolow to the Indian Ocean the Juba is about 875 km long. If its longest headstream in Ethiopia, the Ganale, is counted too, some sources give more than 2 000 km.
Where does the Juba River begin?
The Juba begins at Doolow on the border between Ethiopia and Somalia. There its two headstreams, the Dawa and the Ganale, meet after flowing down from the Ethiopian mountains.
Why is the Juba important for people?
The river brings water to a green, fertile strip of land in southern Somalia. Farmers use it to water fields of bananas, maize, sesame and cotton along its banks.
Where these numbers come from
Every figure on this page was checked against public reference sources before publication. Where sources genuinely disagree, the text says so.
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