Population of Puntland, a discussion

[Monk-of-Mogadishu]

I've been meaning to open this topic for a while.

The only population data in Somalia is from a census taken in 1975. Most Somalis who come upon the census and its population density data point out how little Puntland's population is. Well, its obvious that with most Daroods from that region already gone south in those days that our population would be low in the home regions. Its hard to think that the census still holds weight when it says Bari has a population of 300,000 when most contemporary sources state that Bosaso alone has half a million floating residents. Puntland's "immigrant" population from the south is more than 300,000 today, so there's no point in using the old census to defend any points regarding Puntland's population.

There's also this retarded idea that Puntland is somehow unpopulated or "barren." Compared to ghost towns like Dhusomareeb or Baidoa, even smaller Puntland cities like Qardho look like a busy Asian supercity. There's no way people in places like Jowhar and Beletweyn can claim a big population when their cities are dead as a doorknob, they can't say Puntland has no population when you see the photos and videos of Bosaso and Galkacyo, even Garowe with their buzzing streets and busy marketplaces, its like a world of difference. A city should always be judged by its activity, and there's no shortage of activity in Puntland. People back home can attest to it, you can interview a guy from Buur Hakaba and ask him about Bosaso or a guy from Cabudwaaq about Galkacyo, they'll set the record straight on where human activity is to be found. And this isn't about stability either, because anarchy is the greatest form of activity. Even with bullets flying, the noise and flow of cash goods would still be going on in places like Bosaso, and people would be flocking there for opportunity.

Judging by activity alone its easy to say that Bosaso is the third largest city in Somalia, and Galkacyo the fourth.

Puntlandians, what is your take on this?