Hargeisa (hər-GAY-sa; Somali: Hargeysa, Arabic: هرجيسا) is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Somaliland. It is located in the Maroodi Jeex region of the Horn of Africa. It succeeded Burco as the capital of the British Somaliland Protectorate in 1941. Hargeisa is the largest city in Somaliland, and also served as the capital of the Isaaq Sultanate during the mid-to-late 19th century. Hargeisa was founded as a watering and trading stop between the coast and the interior by the Isaaq Sultanate. Initially it served as a watering Well for the vast livestock of the Eidagale clans that inhabited in that specific region and later were joined by the current clans of Hargeisa. In 1960, the Somaliland Protectorate gained independence from the United Kingdom and as scheduled united days later with the Trust Territory of Somaliland (former Italian Somaliland) to form the Somali Republic on July 1. Hargeisa is situated in a valley in the Galgodon (Ogo) highlands, and sits at an elevation of 1,334 m (4,377 ft). Home to rock art from the Neolithic period, the city is also a commercial hub for precious stone-cutting, construction, retail services and trading, among other activities.