'Somalia' (; ), officially the 'Somali Republic' (, ) and formerly known as the 'Somali Democratic Republic', is located on the
Horn of Africa in
East Africa. It is bordered by
Djibouti to the northwest,
Kenya on its southwest, the
Gulf of Aden with
Yemen on its north, the
Indian Ocean at its east and
Ethiopia to the west.
Somalia gained its independence from Italy on
1 July 1960. On the same day, it united with the State of Somaliland to form the Somali republic. The Somali
state currently exists largely in a ''
de jure'' capacity; Somalia has a weak but largely recognised central government authority that currently controls only the central region of Somalia, the
Transitional Federal Government (TFG), which until recently controlled only
Baidoa.
De facto authority in the north of the country resides in the hands of
Puntland,
Maakhir, and
Somaliland respectively. In the south of the country, no government exists at all, while various tribal militias battle for dominance or rule their own regions. Violence has plagued
Mogadishu, the capital, since
warlords ousted former President
Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991.
While many of these self-proclaimed states acknowledge the authority of the TFG (Puntland, Galmudug, Maakhir, Jubbaland) and maintain their declaration of autonomy within a federated Somalia, Somaliland maintains its declaration of independence and does not recognize the TFG as their governing authority. Somaliland in return, also does not recognize TFG.
History
Main articles: History of Somalia
Somalia has been continuously inhabited by numerous and varied ethnic groups, some of
Oromo or other
cushitic ancestry, but the majority were
Somalis, for the last 2,500 years. From the
1st century numerous ports like ancient
Opone (now Hafun) and ancient Mosylon-Bandar Gori were trading with
Roman and
Greek sailors. The northwestern part of current Somalia was part of the
Kingdom of Aksum from about the
3rd century to the
7th. By the
early medieval period (700 AD–1200AD),
Islam became firmly established especially with the founding of
Mogadishu in 900AD. The
late medieval period (1201AD-1500AD) saw the rise of numerous Somali
city-states and kingdoms. In northwestern Somalia, the
Sultanate of Adal (a multi-ethnic state comprised of
Afars, Somalis and
Hararis) with
Ahmad ibn Ibrihim al-Ghazi as their leader in 1520AD, successfully led a campaign which saw three-quarters of Ethiopia coming under Adal rule before being defeated by a joint Ethiopian-
Portuguese force at the
Battle of Wayna Daga on
February 21,
1543. The
Ajuuraan Sultanate flourished in the
14th and
17th centuries. Following the collapse of Adal and Ajuuraan in the early and late 17th century, current day Somalia saw the growth and gradual rise of many successor city states such as the
Sultanates of eastern
Sanaag, of
Bari, and of
Hobyo. However due to competing
Somali clans that lived in the region for thousands of years, until 1960, when
Somaliland gave away its sorvety to Somalia to form a Union,Somalia was not a country.
[1][2][3] After the
British and
Italians drew boundaries and lines, and then after the independence of all previously self-governing Somali clans, it gradually became a new united nation of Somalia in the 1960s.
[4][5][2]The country is made of various competing
clans and sub-clans, which has made unity very difficult as is also the case presently.
[7]Due to the forced allegedly acceptance of a Somalia state, since the post colonization era, the historically self-governing clans in the north have currently (unofficially) separated from Somalia after voting for independence of the
Somaliland nation.
[8][9] President Aden Abdullah Osman, who is seen as the founding father of the Somalia state, was the first president after its creation in 1960.
[10][11][12]
Colonial period
After
Independence a statue in honour of 'Sayyid Abdullah Hassan' and his favourite horse 'Hiin-Faniin' was erected in
Mogadishu.
The year 1884 ended a long period of comparative peace. At the
Berlin Conference of 1884, the
scramble for Africa started the long and bloody process of the imperial partition of Somali lands. The
French,
British and
Italians came to Somalia in the late
19th century.
The British signed treaties with the clans in what was known after as
British Somaliland which was a
protectorate in 1886 after the withdrawal of
Egypt. Egypt sought to prevent European colonial expansion in Northeast Africa. The southern area, was colonized by Italy in 1889, became known as
Italian Somaliland.
Mohammed Abdullah Hassan (Maxamed Cabdulle Xasan, Sayyid) (born
April 7,
1864, in the north of Somalia, died
December 21,
1920 in Imi, Ethiopia) was Somalia's religious, nationalist and also controversial leader (called the "Mad Mullah" by the British) who for 20 years led armed resistance to the British, Italian, and Ethiopian forces in Somalia.
World War II
Fascist Italy, under the dictatorship of
Benito Mussolini, tried to pursue its colonialist expansion policy and attacked Abyssinia (now
Ethiopia) in 1935. The invasion was condemned by the
League of Nations, but little was done to stop Italian military and industrial build-up. Abyssinia was occupied, and the government of
Emperor Haile Selassie I was exiled to the UK. In England, the Emperor appealed to the
international community. Little was done to liberate occupied Ethiopia. Britain would regret the failure of it and its allies to impose sanctions on Italy.
In August 1940, Italian troops crossed the Ethiopian border and
invaded British Somalia to take the colony from the United Kingdom. The invasion was launched on
August 3, and concluded with the taking of
Berbera on
August 14.
The British launched a
campaign in January 1942 from Kenya to liberate British Somaliland and Italian-occupied Ethiopia and conquer Italian Somaliland, again with many Somalis being incorporated to fight a war led by foreigners. By February, most of Italian Somaliland was captured. In March, British Somaliland was retaken by a sea invasion.
The number of British indivituals in the horn of Africa were almost 150, most of the fighting of Abdulahi Hassan were with Somalis of Isaaq, Dhulbahante and warsangale clans.
In 1949 the U.N. gave Somalia as a protectorate to Italy until it achieved independence in 1960. The
Ogaden province of Somalia was given to the now repatriated Ethiopian government by the
British Empire. The United Kingdom kept British Somaliland (now
Somaliland or northern Somalia) under its protection rule. The
French too kept Djibouti under colonial administration, and Djibouti would not gain independence until 1977. Though Somalis and other Africans fought hard on the
Allied side in
World War II, they were re-subjugated soon after the conflict. The bitterness of lost hope strengthened the long struggle against colonialism, and in most parts of
Africa, including Somalia,
independence movements and liberation struggles occurred.
1960s–1990s
The Bloodless revolution in Somalia.
The independence of the
British Somaliland Protectorate from the United Kingdom was proclaimed on
26 June 1960. On
1 July 1960, unification of the
British and ex-
Italian Somaliland took place. The government was formed by
Abdullahi Issa.
Aden Abdullah Osman Daar was appointed as
President and
Abdirashid Ali Shermarke as
Prime Minister. Later, in 1967,
Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal became Prime Minister in the government appointed by Abdirishid Ali Shermarke. Egal was later chosen as President of the self-declared independent
Somaliland.
In late 1969, a
military government assumed power following the assassination of Shermarke, who had been chosen, and served as, president from 1967–1969.
Mohamed Siad Barre, a
General in the armed forces, and General
Jama Korshel in the police forces led the
Coup d'état after the assassination. Barre became the President in 1969 and Korshel the vice president following a coup d'état. The revolutionary army leaders, headed by Siad Barre, established large-scale public works programmes. They also successfully implemented an urban and rural
literacy campaign, in which they helped to dramatically increase the literacy rate from a mere 5% to 55% by the mid-1980s. In the meantime, Barre assassinated a major figure in his cabinet, Major General Gabiere, and two other officials.
Between 1977 and 1978, Somalia fought with its neighbour
Ethiopia in the
Ogaden War. The goal of Somali nationalism was to liberate and unite the Somali lands divided and subjugated under colonialism. The Somali state engaged its neighbours Kenya and Ethiopia diplomatically, hoping to win the right of self-determination for ethnic Somalis in those countries. However, Somalis were being expelled from Ogaden province, and Somalia, already preparing for war since the failure of diplomacy, supported the
Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF, then called
Western Somali Liberation Front, WSLF). Eventually, Somalia sought to capture Ogaden province, and acted unilaterally without consulting the international community, which was generally opposed to redrawing colonial boundaries. Somalia's
communist allies, the
Soviet Union and the
Warsaw Pact, refused to help Somalia, and instead, backed Ethiopia. For most of the war, Somalia appeared to be winning, and in fact, retook most of Ogaden province. With Somali forces at the gates of
Addis Ababa, Soviet and
Cuban forces and weapons came to the aid of Ethiopia. The
Somali Army was decimated and, soon, defeated. During the Soviet and Cuban intervention, Somalia sought the help of the
United States. The
Carter Administration originally expressed interest in helping Somalia and then later declined. American allies in the
Middle East and
Asia also refused to assist Somalia. The Americans perhaps did not want to engage the Soviets in this period of
détente.
In 1978, the moral authority of the Somali government collapsed with many Somalis becoming disillusioned with life under
military dictatorship. The regime in the 1980s weakened as the
Cold War drew to a close and Somalia's strategic importance was diminished. The government became increasingly
totalitarian, and
resistance movements, encouraged by Ethiopia for its own strategic interests, sprang up across the country, eventually leading to
civil war in 1991.
In 1991, the northern portion of the country declared its independence as
Somaliland; although de facto independent and relatively stable compared to the tumultuous south, it has not been recognised by any foreign government.The same year, President
Ali Mahdi Muhammad was not accepted as leader by General Aidid . In the period 1991-1992, a split in the southern
United Somali Congress, which led efforts to unseat Barre, caused an escalation in the civil war, especially in the
Mogadishu area.
The civil war disrupted agriculture and food distribution in southern Somalia. The resulting famine caused the
United Nations Security Council in 1992 to authorise a limited peacekeeping operation called United Nations Operation in Somalia, known as
UNOSOM I. UNOSOM's use of force was limited to self defence and it was soon disregarded by the warring factions. In reaction to the continued violence and the humanitarian disaster, the United States organised a military coalition with the purpose of creating a secure environment in southern Somalia for the conduct of humanitarian operations. The coalition, called Unified Task Force or
UNITAF entered Somalia in December 1992 on
Operation Restore Hope and was successful in restoring order and alleviating the famine. In May of 1993, most of the United States troops withdrew and UNITAF was replaced by United Nations Operation in Somalia II, or
UNOSOM II. Somali Warlord
Mohamed Farrah Aidid saw the UNOSOM II nation-building efforts as a threat to his power. In June 1993, militia loyal to Aidid attacked UNOSOM II
Pakistani Army troops in Mogadishu inflicting over 80 casualties. Fighting between Aidid forces and UNOSOM II elements escalated until 19 American troops and more than 1,000 Somalis were killed in a
raid in Mogadishu in October 1993.
The UN withdrew in
Operation United Shield by
3 March 1995, having suffered significant casualties, and the rule of government has not yet been restored.
In June 1996, Mohamed Farrah Aidid was killed in the capital of Mogadishu.
The Majeetain clan made a self-governing state which took the name
Puntland after declaring itself
autonomous in 1998, with the intention that it would participate in any Somali reconciliation to form a new central government. Puntland considers itself still within the Somali Republic and can not claim to other than that unlike Somaliland.
2000 – Present
Political organization
In 2002,
Southwestern Somalia, comprising
Bay,
Bakool,
Jubbada Dhexe (Middle Juba),
Gedo,
Shabeellaha Hoose (Lower Shabele) and
Jubbada Hoose (Lower Juba)
regions of Somalia declared itself autonomous. However, at the time of its declaration, the
Rahanweyn Resistance Army, established in 1999, was in full control of Bay and Bakool and parts of Gedo and Jubbada Dhexe regions only. This temporary secession was reasserted in 2002, leading to de facto autonomy of Southwestern Somalia. An internal armed conflict between
Hasan Muhammad Nur Shatigadud and his two deputies, weakened it militarily. From February 2006, this area and the city of
Baidoa became central to the
Transitional Federal Government (TFG).
Areas directly administered by the Transitional Federal Government
In 2004, the TFG organised and wrote a charter for the governing of the nation. The government wrote the charter in
Nairobi.
[13][14] The TFG capital is presently in Baidoa.
Somalia at the height of Islamist power, December 2006
In 2006, the
Islamic Courts Union rose to predominant control of Somalia. They took over the capital of Mogadishu in the
Second Battle of Mogadishu in May–June and began to spread their control through the rest of the country.
Another secession occurred in July 2006 with the declaration of regional autonomy by the state of
Jubaland nominally consisting of parts of Gedo, Jubbada Dhexe, and the whole of Jubbada Hoose region.
Barre Adan Shire Hiiraale, chairman of the Administration of
Juba Valley Alliance, who comes from
Galguduud region, in central Somalia is the most powerful leader there. This regional government did not want full statehood.
Natural disasters
Somalia was one of the many countries affected by the
tsunami which struck the
Indian Ocean coast following the
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, destroying entire villages and killing an estimated 300 people.
In 2006, Somalia was deluged by torrential rains and flooding that struck the entire
Horn of Africa affecting 350,000 people.
[15]
2006 Civil War and Invasion by Ethiopia
A conflict to unseat the warlords broke out in early 2006 between an alliance of Mogadishu warlords known as the
Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism or "ARPCT" and a militia loyal to
Islamic Courts Union or "ICU". Several hundred people, mostly civilians, died in the crossfire. Mogadishu residents described it as the worst fighting in more than a decade. The Islamists accused the U.S. of funding the warlords through the
Central Intelligence Agency in an effort to prevent the Islamists gaining power. The
United States Department of State, while neither admitting nor denying this, said the U.S. had taken no action that violated the international arms embargo of Somalia. A few e-mails describing covert illegal operations by private military companies in breach of UN regulations have been reported
[16] by the UK Sunday newspaper ''
The Observer''. The U.N. maintains an arms embargo on Somalia, and some have alleged that the U.S. broke international law by supplying the Mogadishu warlords.
On June 5, 2006 the Islamic Militia said it had taken control of the whole of Mogadishu following the
Second Battle of Mogadishu. On 14 June 2006 the last ARPCT stronghold in southern Somalia, the town of
Jowhar, fell with little resistance to the ICU. The remaining ARPCT forces fled to the east or across the border into Ethiopia. The warlords' alliance effectively collapsed.
The Ethiopian-supported Transitional Government then called for intervention by a regional East African peacekeeping force. ICU leaders opposed this, and lobbied
African Union (AU) member states at an AU ceremony in
Libya on
September 9 2006 to abandon plans to send peacekeepers to Somalia. The Islamists were fiercely opposed to foreign troops — particularly
Ethiopians — in Somalia.
[Somali Islamists to ask AU to end peace force plan, Reuters, September 9, 2006.]
Somalia and Ethiopia had fought a
bitter war in 1977–78 over the Somali province of
Ogaden, which has been ruled by the Ethiopians since the partition of Somali lands in the first half of the 20th century by the
British Empire. In addition, the ICU claimed that Ethiopia, with its long history as an imperial power, seeks to occupy Somalia, or rule it by proxy.
Steadily the Islamist militia backing the ICU took control of much of the southern half of Somalia, normally through negotiation with local clan chiefs rather than by the use of force. The Islamists stayed clear of the government headquarters town of Baidoa, which Ethiopia said it would protect if threatened. But on
September 25 2006, the ICU moved into the southern port of
Kismayo, the last remaining port held by the transitional government.
[ Islamists seize Somalia port ]
Many Somali refugees, as well as the UN recognised transitional government of Somalia, then lived close to the border of Ethiopia, protected by Ethiopian troops. The Islamist Militia issued a war declaration against Ethiopia on October 9, 2006.
[17]
On Wednesday,
November 1,
2006, peace talks between the UN-recognised transitional government in the North and the Islamists of the south broke down. The international community feared an all-out civil war, with Ethiopian and rival
Eritrean forces backing opposing sides in the power-struggle and political deadlock between the appointed transitional government and the ICU.
[18]
War erupted on Thursday,
December 21,
2006 when the leader of ICU,
Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys said: "Somalia is in a
state of war, and all Somalis should take part in this struggle against
Ethiopia", after which heavy fighting broke out between the Islamist militia on one side and the Somali Transitional Government allied with Ethiopian forces on the other.
[19]
On Sunday,
December 24,
2006, Ethiopian forces launched
unilateral airstrikes against Islamist troops and strong points across Somalia. Ethiopian Information Minister Berhan Hailu stated that targets included the town of
Buurhakaba, near the administration's base in
Baidoa. This was the first use of airstrikes by Ethiopia and also its first public admission of involvement in Somalia.
[20]
That same day, Ethiopian Prime Minister
Meles Zenawi announced that his country was waging war against the Islamists to protect his country's sovereignty. "Ethiopian defence forces were forced to enter into war to the protect the sovereignty of the nation and to blunt repeated attacks by Islamic courts terrorists and anti-Ethiopian elements they are supporting," he said.
[21]
On Monday,
December 25,
2006 Ethiopia declared war on the Islamic Courts, and one Ethiopian jet fighter strafed
Mogadishu International Airport, without apparently causing serious damage but prompting the airport to be shut down. Other Ethiopian jet fighters attacked a military airport west of Mogadishu.
[22][23]
Days of heavy fighting followed as Ethiopian and government troops backed by tanks and jets pushed against Islamist forces between Baidoa and Mogadishu. Both sides claimed to have inflicted hundreds of casualties, but the Islamist infantry and vehicle artillery were badly beaten and forced to retreat toward Mogadishu. On
28 December,
2006, the allies entered Mogadishu after Islamist fighters fled the city.
The Islamists retreated south, towards their stronghold in Kismayo, fighting rearguard actions in several towns. They abandoned Kismayo, too, without a fight, claiming that their flight was a strategic withdrawal to avoid civilian casualties. They entrenched around the small town of
Ras Kamboni, at the southernmost tip of Somalia and on the border with Kenya. In early January, the Ethiopians and the Somali government attacked, capturing the Islamist positions and driving the surviving fighters into the hills and forests after several days of combat. On Tuesday,
January 9,
2007, the United States openly intervened in Somalia by sending
Lockheed AC-130 gunships to attack Islamist positions in Ras Kamboni. Dozens were killed. By then the ICU were largely defeated.
See The
Battle of Ras Kamboni.
Politics
Main articles: Politics of Somalia
Somalia has had no effective national government since 1991, though there is an internationally recognised government in Mogadishu and Baidoa. This government, called the ''Transitional Federal Government'', controls only Southern Somalia and is not recognised by most Somalis. In the northwest, there is the breakaway republic of
Somaliland, which declared its independence in 1991. This governing zone is not internationally recognised although it has remained more stable and certainly more peaceful than the south and northeast.
Puntland in the northeast declared itself autonomous in 1998 and it supports the Transitional Government since the former president of Puntland. In the southeastern interior,
Jubaland and
Southwestern Somalia have both joined the TFG government, and its leaders are part of it.
The other half of the country, with the bulk of the population, was controlled until the end of December 2006 by the
Islamic Courts Union (ICU), which controlled the critically important cities of Mogadishu and, since
September 24,
2006, Kismayo. As of January 2007, the situation is unstable. The Islamic Courts seek to institute
Sharia law in Somalia. Social law changes, such as the forbidding of chewing
khat,
[24] and even the prohibition against watching movies and soccer in public,
[25] have become recent movements by the ICU to change behaviours and impose strict social morals.
The Council is led by Sheikh
Sharif Ahmed. When asked if the ICU plans to extend its control to the rest of Somalia, Sheikh Ahmed responded in an interview:
On October 14, 2004, Somali
members of parliament elected
Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, previously president of Puntland, to be the next president. Because of the situation in Mogadishu, the election was held in a sports centre in Nairobi, Kenya. Yusuf was elected transitional President by
Transitional Federal Parliament. He won 189 of the 275 votes from members of parliament. The session of Parliament was also held in neighbouring Kenya. His government is recognised by most Western nations as legitimate.
Many other small political organisations exist, some clan-based, others seeking a Somalia free from clan-based politics. Many of them have come into existence since the civil war.
In late 2006, the ''
Transitional Federal Parliament'' controlled only a relatively small portion of the country; by some accounts its control barely extended beyond the limits of its capital city of
Baidoa. The political situation remains unstable; for example, on
September 18,
2006, Abdullah Yusuf barely survived a suicide attack on his convoy in Baidoa, although twelve other people were killed.
[26] Over the course of late December 2006, The Transitional Government, with the aid of Ethiopian troops, extended its control over much of the country, and the Islamists retreated. In
January 2007 they were
attacked in the remote stronghold of
Ras Kamboni in the extreme southern tip of the country.
Capital
Mogadishu is the capital of Somalia. In 2006, Mogadishu became part of the territory controlled by the Islamic Courts Union. While the Transitional Federal Government had its seat in
Baidoa it was also considered a capital.
On December 28, 2006, troops of the U.N.-backed interim government rolled into Mogadishu unopposed, putting an end to six months of domination of the capital by a radical Islamic movement. Prime Minister
Ali Mohammed Ghedi declared that Mogadishu had been secured, after meeting with local clan leaders to discuss the peaceful hand-over of the city.Yet as of the 2nd of August 2007 the federal transitional government and it's Ethiopian allies with AU support are still having to cope with daily attacks in Mogadishu from a Somali islamic insurgency.
[ Somali troops enter Mogadishu to cheers Hassan Mohamed Olad ]
Geography
Main articles: Geography of Somalia
Somalia is located on the east coast of Africa on and north of the Equator between the
Gulf of Aden on the north and
Indian Ocean on the east. Together with Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Djibouti it is often referred to as the
Horn of Africa. It borders Djibouti on the northwest, Ethiopia on the west, and Kenya to the southwest. Somalia has the longest coastline in
Africa.
[ In Peril on The Sea Simon Robinson ]
Climate
Major climatic factors are a year-round hot climate, seasonal
monsoon winds, and irregular rainfall with recurring
droughts. Mean daily maximum temperatures range from 30°C to 40°C (85–105°F), except at higher elevations and along the east coast. Mean daily minimums usually vary from about 15°C to 30°C (60–85°F). The southwest monsoon, a sea breeze, makes the period from about May to October the mildest season at Mogadishu. The December-February period of the northeast monsoon is also relatively mild, although prevailing climatic conditions in Mogadishu are rarely pleasant. The "tangambili" periods that intervene between the two monsoons (October–November and March–May) are hot and humid.
Administrative divisions
Main articles: Regions of Somalia,
Districts of Somalia
Political map of Somalia.
Somalia is divided into eighteen
regions (''gobollada'',
sing. ''
gobol''), which in turn are subdivided into
districts. The regions are:
Somalia continues to have one of the highest
child mortality rates in the world, with 10% of children dying at birth and 25% of those surviving birth dying before age five. On the other hand, Somalia also has one of the lowest
HIV infection rates in Africa.
Education
With the collapse of the central government in 1991, the education system is now private. Primary schools have risen from 600 before the civil war to 1,172 schools today, with an increase of 28% in primary school enrollment over the last 3 years.
[27] In 2006, Puntland, an autonomous state, was the second in Somalia (after Somaliland) to introduce free primary schools with teachers now receiving their salaries from the Puntland administration.
[28] In Mogadishu, the
Benadir University, the
Somalia National University, and the
Mogadishu University are three of the eight universities that teach Higher education in Southern Somalia. In Puntland, higher education is provided by the Puntland State University and East Africa University. In Somaliland, it's provided by
Amoud University, Hargeisa University and
Burao University. Three Somali Universities are currently ranked in the top 100 of Africa. Quranic schools (also known as duqsi's) remain the basic system of instruction for religion in Somalia. They provide Islamic education for children, thereby filling a clear religious and social role in the country. Known as the most stable, local, and non-formal education providing basic religious and moral instruction, their strength rests on community support and their use of locally made and widely available teaching materials.
The Qu'ranic system, which teaches the greatest number of students relative to the other education sub-sectors, is the only system accessible to nomadic Somalis compared to the urban Somalis who have easier access to education. In 1993, a survey by the
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) was conducted in which it found, among other things, that about 40% of pupils in Qu'ranic schools were girls
[29]] This is quite amazing compared to secular education where gender disparity is much greater.
Economy
Main articles: Economy of Somalia
Since the collapse of the state, Somalia has transformed from what
Mohamed Siad Barre referred to as "
Scientific Socialism" to a free
market economy.
Agriculture is the most important sector, with
livestock accounting for about 40% of GDP and about 65% of export earnings.
Nomads and semi-nomads, who are dependent upon livestock for their livelihood, make up a large portion of the population. After livestock,
bananas are the principal export;
sugar,
sorghum,
maize, and
fish are products for the domestic market. The small industrial sector, based on the processing of agricultural products, accounts for 10% of GDP.
Telecommunications
Somalia's public telecommunications system was almost completely destroyed or dismantled. However, private wireless companies thrive in most major cities and actually provide better services than in neighbouring countries. Wireless service and
Internet cafes are provided. Somalia was the last African country to access the Internet in August 2000, with only 57 web sites known as of 2003.
[30] Internet usage in Somalia grew 44,900% in the last five years, registering the highest in Africa.
[1] Somalia has the cheapest cellular calling rates in Africa, with some companies charging less than a cent a minute.
[ Telecoms thriving in lawless Somalia Joseph Winter ] Competing phone companies have agreed on interconnection standards, which were brokered by the
United Nations funded
Somali Telecom Association.
Companies providing telecommunication services are:
Environment
Somalia is a
semi-arid country with about 2%
arable land. The civil war had a huge impact on the country’s
tropical forests by facilitating the production of
charcoal with ever present, recurring, but damaging
droughts. Somali environmentalist and
Goldman Environmental Prize winner,
Fatima Jibrell, became the first Somali to step in and do a much-needed effort to save the rest of the environment through local initiatives that organised local communities to protect the rural and coastal habitat. Jibrell trained a team of young people to organise awareness campaigns about the irreversible damage of unrestricted charcoal production. Jibrell also joined the Buran rural institute that formed and organised the Camel Caravan program in which young people loaded tents and equipment on camels to walk for three weeks through a nomadic locale and educate the people about the careful use of fragile resources, health care, livestock management and peace.
She has consistently fought against the burning of charcoal,
logging and other man-induced environmental degradation. Her efforts have born fruits to the local communities across Somalia and international recognition when she won the prestigious Environmental Goldman award from
San Francisco. Jibrell is also the executive director of Horn Relief and Development Organisation.
[31]
Demographics
Main articles: Demographics of Somalia
Bosaso is the fastest growing city of Somalia, having quadrupled in size during the Somali civil war.
This 2002
CIA map shows population density throughout Somalia.
Somalia has a population of around 10,700,000 according to U.N. estimates in
2003, 85% of which constitute ethnic Somalis.
Somali children
There is little reliable statistical information on urbanisation in Somalia. However, rough estimates have been made indicating an
urbanisation of 5% and 8% per
annum with many towns rapidly growing into cities. Currently, 34% of the Somali population lives in towns and cities with the percentage rapidly increasing.
[2]
Because of the civil war, the country has a large
diaspora community, one of the largest of the whole continent. There are over a million Somalis outside of Africa, and this excludes those who have inhabited Ogaden province, northeastern Kenya, and Djibouti.
Languages
Main articles: Languages of Somalia
Somali is the main language and is used virtually everywhere and nearly every Somali citizen speaks it. Minority languages do exist, such as
Af-Maay, which is spoken in areas in South-Central Somalia by the
Rahanweyn tribes, as well as variants of
Swahili (Barawe), which are spoken along the coast by
Arabs.
A considerable amount of Somalis speak
Arabic due to religious reasons and ties with the
Arab world and media.
English is also widely used and taught,
Italian used to be a major language but due to the civil war and lack of education only the older generation speaks it.
Religion
Main articles: Islam in Somalia
The Somalis are almost entirely
Sunni Muslims.
Christianity's influence was significantly reduced in the 1970s when church-run schools were closed and
missionaries sent home. There has been no
Archbishop of the
Catholic cathedral in the country since 1989; the cathedral in Mogadishu was severely damaged in the civil war of January-February 1992. The Somali constitution discourages the promotion and propagation of any religion other than
Islam. Loyalty to Islam is what reinforces distinctions that set Somalis apart from their immediate African neighbours, many of whom are either Christians (particularly the
Amhara people and others of Ethiopia and Kenya) or adherents of
indigenous African faiths.
Culture
Main articles: Culture of Somalia
Cuisine
Main articles: Cuisine of Somalia
Main articles: Cuisine of Somaliland
Variety of Somali dishes incorporating rice, vegetables, salads and stews.
The cuisine of Somalia varies from region to region and it encompasses different styles of cooking. One thing that unites the Somali food is its being
Halal. Therefore, there are no
pork dishes,
alcohol is not served, nothing that died on its own is eaten and no blood is incorporated. Somali people serve dinner as late as 9 pm. During
Ramadan, it is often eaten after
Tarawih prayers -- sometimes as late as 11 pm. ''Cambuulo'' is one of Somalia's most popular dishes and is enjoyed throughout the country as a dinner meal. The dish is made out of well-cooked
azuki beans, mixed with butter and sugar. The beans, which by themselves are called ''digir'', are often left on the stove for as many as five hours, on low heat, to achieve the most desired taste.
Literature
Main articles: Somali literature
Somalia produced a large amount of literature through Islamic
poetry and
Hadith from Somali scholars of the last centuries. With the adoption of the Latin script in 1973 numerous Somali authors have released books over the years which received widespread success,
Nuruddin Farah being one of them. Novels like ''From a Crooked Rib'' and ''Links'' are considered important literary achievements which earned him the 1998
Neustadt International Prize for Literature.
★
List of writers from Somalia
Music
Main articles: Music of Somalia
Somalia has the distinction of being one of only a handful of African countries that are composed almost entirely of one ethnic group, the Somalis. Traditional bands like 'Waaberi Horseed' have gained a small following outside the country. Others, like
Maryam Mursal, have fused Somali traditional music with
rock,
bossa nova,
hip hop, and
jazz influences. Most Somali music is love orientated, but some recall how life was in Somalia before the Somali Civil War and some talk about how Somalis should come together to unite and restore the country to its former glory.
Toronto where a sizable Somali community exists replaced Mogadishu (because of the instability) as the centre of the Somali Music Industry, it's also present in
London,
Minneapolis, and
Columbus. One popular musician from the Somali diaspora is
K'naan, a young rapper from Toronto, whose songs talk about the struggles of life in Somalia during the outbreak of the Civil War.
Gallery of Somalia related pictures
See also
Lists
References
1. the beginning of the Somali nation after independence
2. the dawn of the Somali nation-state in 1960
3. the making of a Somalia state
4. the making of somalia, somaliland
5. the beginning of the Somalia state
6. the dawn of the Somali nation-state in 1960
7. historical self-govering clan factors in present day Somalia
8. Somaliland citizens ask to be recognized as a state
9. Somaliland votes for indepedence
10. Aden Abdullah Osman the founding father
11. the founding father of Somalia
12. a tribute to the Somalia founding father, its president in 1960s
13. The Transitional Federal Charter of the Somali Republic
14. The Transitional Federal Charter of the Somali Republic
15.
16. US accused of covert operations in Somalia Antony Barnett
17. Somalia Extremists Declare Jihad On Ethiopia Mike Pflanz
18. US Concerned Somalia Conflict Could Spread David Gollust
19. Carnage as Somalia 'in state of war'
20. Ethiopia declares war on Somalia
21. Ethiopia says forced into war with Somali Islamists Hassan Yare
22. Ethiopia attacks Somalia airports
23. Ethiopian Jets Strafe Mogadishu Airports Jeffrey Gentleman
24. Regional court orders closure of khat kiosks
25. Islamists put curfew on Bulo-Burde town after unrest Mohamed Abdi Farah
26. Somali President Survives Suicide Bomb; 8 Others Are Killed Jeffrey Gettleman
27. EC and UNICEF join hands to support education in Somalia
28. Puntland (Somalia) to introduce free primary schools
29. University of Pittsburgh
30. Journalists online in Somalia
31. Fatima Jibrell: Nursing Nature
★ Lewis. I.M. "Pastoral Democracy: A study on Pastoralism and Politics among the Northern Somali clans." Ohio: Ohio University Press, 1958.
External links
★
Condemn US-Ethiopian aggression against Somalia Lalkar January 2007
★
Somalia Operations: Lessons Learned by Kenneth Allard (CCRP, 1995)
★
From Nation-State to Stateless Nation: The Somali Experience by Michael van Notten (Amsterdam, 2000)
'Government'
★
Official Website of the Federal Government of Somalia
'News'
★
Somalia - War situation since 1991 on France 24 – Special Report about Somalia on France 24 International News Channel
★
Somalia news headlines
★
Somalia's Struggle for Stability, Online NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
★
HRW claims US involved in secret detention of Somalis,Breaking Legal News 2007/04/01
'Economy'
★
Anarchy and Invention: How Does Somalia's Private Sector Cope without Government?
★
Breaking Legal News 2007/04/01
'General information'
★
Open Directory Project - Somalia
★
CBC Digital Archives - The Somalia Affair
★
News and Discussions
★
Nolosha Cusub
'UNESCO'
★
UNESCO Nairobi office on education in Somalia
★
UNESCO Nairobi Office - Fact Book on Education For All, Somalia 2006
العربية
中国
Français
Deutsch
Ελληνική
हिन्दी
Italiano
日本語
Português
Русский
Español
