Galkayo (Somali: Gaalkacyo) is the capital of Mudug region in north-central Somalia, and it is divided between two administrations: the northern part is run by Puntland and the southern part by Galmudug. It sits on the main road linking the north and south of the country, which has made it a commercial hub between the two.

Its streets are lined with hotels, supermarkets, banks and new office blocks for government and aid agencies. Galkayo is known for calligraphic art, with many buildings decorated with Arabic and English lettering and murals.

It is also a university town, with campuses of several institutions, among them Puntland State University, Galkayo University and Mudug University.

During the Italian colonial era the town was known as Rocca Littorio. The Italian administration divided the area along what became known as the Tomaselli Line in an effort to reduce clan disputes over land. After independence in 1960 Galkayo became the centre of Galkayo District and the capital of Mudug region.

After the collapse of the central government the city came to be divided between the Puntland and Galmudug administrations. The two have signed cooperation agreements, including a joint police force trained in 2017, to keep people and goods moving freely across the city.

Football draws big crowds. Awale Stadium is named after Mohammed Awale Liban, who designed the Somali flag in 1954, and is home to several local clubs, while Abdullahi Issa Stadium in the south of the city honours the prime minister of Somalia during the trusteeship period (1956–1960). Several local radio stations broadcast from the city.

Galkayo is a trading hub linking southern and northern Somalia, with goods moving along the main highway through the city. Banking, hotels, telecommunications, education and health services are active sectors, and the surrounding countryside is pastoral land.