Red shading indicates location of Banaadir in Somalia

Benadir or Banaadir (Somali: Banaadir) is a region (gobolka) in southern Somalia. Somali ( Af Soomaali, الصوماليه is a member of the East Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family spoken by ethnic Somalis Somalia ( Soomaaliya; الصومال) officially the Somali Republic ( Jamhuuriyadda Soomaaliya, جمهورية الصومال) and formerly known The regional capital is Mogadishu, though the region itself is coextensive with the city and is much smaller than the historical region of Benadir. Mogadishu ( Somali: Muqdisho, popularly Xamar, Hamar; مقديشو Maqadīshū Benadir ( Somali: Banaadir; بنادر Banādir, the Arabic broken plural of the Persian term bandar "moorage" "port" It is bordered by the Somali regions of Middle Shabele and Lower Shabele and the Indian Ocean. Middle Shabele ( Somali: Shabeellaha Dhexe) is an administrative region ( Gobolka) in southern Somalia. Lower Shabele ( Somali: Shabeellaha Hoose) is an administrative region ( gobolka) in southern Somalia. The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface

The Somali word Banaadir derives from the original Persian word of bandar, meaning a port or a harbour; it refers to the northern historical ports of Barawa and Mogadishu). Barawa or Brava ( Baraawe, المدينة ﺑﺮﺍﻭﻱ is a Port town in the south eastern coast of Somalia. Mogadishu ( Somali: Muqdisho, popularly Xamar, Hamar; مقديشو Maqadīshū