Description

This chart maps the mouth of the Jubba River in southern Somalia, long a vital lifeline for agriculture and trade.  The chart was made from surveys conducted by Commander Giovatto of the Italian Navy in 1908.  At that time, the Jubba marked the boundary between Italian Somaliland and the ‘Jubaland’ region of British East Africa.

The map shows the small Italian-controlled town of ‘Giumba’ near the river’s mouth, with the ‘Residenza’ (government headquarters) and its Marconi communications station, with the Italian and British customs houses facing each other across the river.  Verdant fields are show by the riverbanks, in sharp contrast to the general desert climate of Somalia.

Jubaland would be ceded to Italy by Britain in 1925 as a reward for Italy’s participation in World War II on the Entente side, giving Italy control of the entire Jubba Valley.

The present chart is extremely rare, we cannot trace any records of the finished printed chart, although a draft seemingly used to make the final product exists at the Archivio di Stato di Genova.

References: N / A – No records traced. Cf. (draft of present chart:) Archivio di Stato di Genova: 279/H.