Everything about Somalia totally explained
Somalia (; ), officially the
Somali Republic ( ) and formerly known as the
Somali Democratic Republic, is a country located in the
Horn of 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.
Italian Somaliland gained its independence from Italy on
1 July 1960. On the same day, it united with
British Somaliland, which gained independence on
26 June 1960, 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, the
Transitional Federal Government (TFG), but this currently controls only the central region of Somalia, and before the end of 2006 controlled only the city of
Baidoa.
De facto control of the north of the country resides in the local authorities; of these
Puntland,
Maakhir,
Galmudug, acknowledge the authority of the TFG and maintain their declaration of
autonomy within a federated Somalia, while
Southwestern Somalia and
Jubaland in the south have largely abandoned the idea of autonomy. Their political capital, Baidoa, is currently the TFG capital, and their commercial capital,
Kismayo, is being disputed. On the other hand,
Somaliland in the north, with its capital in
Hargeisa, has declared independence and doesn't recognise the TFG as governing authority.
History
Continuously inhabited for the last 2,500 years by numerous and varied ethnic groups, some
Afar or other
Cushitic-speaking populations, and the majority
Somalis. From the 1st century numerous ports including
Hafun and
Mosylon-Bandar Gori were trading with
Roman and
Greek sailors.
The northwest was part of the
Aksumite Empire from about the 3rd century to the 7th but between 700 AD and 1200 AD
Islam became firmly established, especially with the founding of Mogadishu in 900.
The period following, 1200 AD to 1500 AD, 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 1520, successfully conquered three-quarters of Ethiopia before being defeated by a joint Ethiopian-
Portuguese force at the
Battle of Wayna Daga on
February 21 1543.
The
Ajuuraan Sultanate flourished from the 14th to the 17th centuries. Following the collapse of Adal and Ajuuraan in the 17th century, the region saw the emergence of new city states such as the
Sultanates of eastern
Sanaag, of
Bari, of
Geledi-Afgoye, of
Gasar Gudde-Lugh Ganane, of Mogadishu and the
Benadir coast, and of
Hobyo.
Colonial period
Competition between the
Somali clans that lived in these states persisted through the
colonial period, when various parts of the region were colonised by
Britain and
Italy. This era began in the year 1884, the end of 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 colonised by Italy in 1889, became known as
Italian Somaliland.
Mohammed Abdullah Hassan (Maxamed Cabdulle Xasan, Sayyid), born in the north of the Somali peninsula, was a religious, nationalist and controversial leader. Known to the British as the "Mad Mullah", he spent 20 years leading armed resistance to the British, Italian, and Ethiopian forces in Somalia. Born into the
Ogaden sub-clan of the
Darod, Hassan grew up in among the Dhulbahante
pastoralists who were good
herdsmen and
warriors and who used
camels as well as
horses. Young Hassan's hero was his maternal grandfather Sade Mogan who was a great warrior chief.
Between 1900 and 1907, the Italian leaders tried several times to negotiate a land deal with the
Geledi Sultan based in Afgoye and his
Biyo-maal and
Digil warriors. In 1905 more than 1,000 Biyo-maal and Tunni warriors, along with a large number of Italians, were killed when the Italian army attacked in an attempt to gain their objectives. Though many Somali warriors were killed during the war, they still defeated the enemy and succeeded in protecting the Benadir coast. After a long and bloody battle, the Italian leaders allied with other Somali tribes and their combined strength finally destroyed the Sultan's forces.
Sheikh Uways al-Barawi of the
Tunni sub-clan of the
Rahanweyn (Digil and Mirifle) in
Barawa, lived at the same time as Hassan and led the
Qadiriyyah sect. He resisted the Italian occupation in a
non-violent method. He was murdered in Biyoley, in today's
Bakool region, by the
Dervish in 1920 as Hassan was seeking to recruit forces from Italian Somaliland. This was after the British used aircraft to destroy Hassan's base in
Taleex. Sheikh Aweys rejected violence and Hassan's ways were based on violent resistance.
As a result of Hassan and his followers being chased by the followers of Sheikh al-Barawi, Hassan had to escape through the thick forest along the
Jubba River until he reached
Imi, Ethiopia, where he died of
influenza, and, reportedly, wounds inflicted on him during his escape.
To this day the annual pilgrimage to Sheikh al-Barawi's grave in Biyoley is held where people of the Qadiriyyah sect and admirers of al-Barawi attend.
Sheikh
Hassan Barsane of the
Gugundhabe, a sub-clan of the
Hawiye, and a member of the
Ahmadi, was another Somali religious leader who resisted the Italian rule in a non-violent manner. He, like al-Barawi, rejected Hassan's approaches.
World War II
Fascist Italy, under
Benito Mussolini attacked Abyssinia (now Ethiopia), with an aim to colonize it, in 1935. The invasion was condemned by the
League of Nations, but little was done to stop it or to liberate occupied Ethiopia.
On
August 3 1940, Italian troops, including Somali colonial units, crossed from Ethiopia to
invade British Somalia and by
August 14 succeeded in taking
Berbera from the British.
A British force, including Somali troops, launched a
campaign in January 1942 from Kenya to liberate British Somaliland and Italian-occupied Ethiopia and conquer Italian Somaliland. By February, most of Italian Somaliland was captured and in March, British Somaliland was retaken from the sea. The
British Empire forces operating in Somaliland comprised three divisions of South African, West and East African troops. They were assisted by Somali patriot forces led by
Abdulahi Hassan with Somalis of the
Isaaq,
Dhulbahante, and
Warsangali clans.
Following the war the
United Nations gave Somalia as a protectorate to Italy in 1949. The
Ogaden province of Somalia was given to the re-established Ethiopian government by the British Empire, which kept British Somaliland under its protection/rule. The
French also kept
Djibouti under colonial administration, until eventual independence in 1977.
The State of Somalia
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 began.
The major political parties that fought for Somalia's independence were Somali Youth Club (SYC) which later became
Somali Youth League (SYL); Hizbia Digil Mirifle Somali (HDMS) which later became Hizbia Dastur Mustaqbal Somali
HDMS; and the Somali National League (SNL).
The independence of the British Somaliland Protectorate from the
United Kingdom was proclaimed on
26 June 1960 and unification with the former Italian Somaliland took place 5 days later. Now most of the Somali clans were independent and the country of Somalia was formed, albeit within boundaries drawn up by Italy and Britain. A government was formed by
Abdullahi Issa with
Aden Abdullah Osman Daar as
President, and
Abdirashid Ali Shermarke as
Prime Minister, later to become President (from 1967-1969).
However inter-tribal rivalry persisted with many clans claiming to have been forced into the state of Somalia. In 1967,
Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal became Prime Minister, appointed by Shermarke (Egal was later to become President of the breakaway independent Somaliland).
In late 1969 following the assassination of President Shermarke a military government assumed power in a
coup d'état led by General
Siad Barre and Chief of Police
Jama Korshel. Barre became President and Korshel vice-president. The revolutionary army established large-scale public works programmes and successfully implemented an urban and rural
literacy campaign, which helped dramatically increase the literacy rate from 5% to 55% by the mid-1980s.
However, struggles continued during Barre's rule. At one point he assassinated a major figure in his cabinet, Major General Gabiere, and two other officials.
It was in July 1976 when the real dictatorship of the Somali military commenced with the founding of the
Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party (Xisbiga Hantiwadaagga Kacaanka Soomaaliyeed, XHKS). It was the single party that ruled Somalia until the fall of the military government in December 1990 - January 1991. It was violently overthrown by the combined armed revolt of the
Somali Salvation Democratic Front (Jabhadda Diimuqraadiga Badbaadinta Soomaaliyeed, SSDF),
United Somali Congress (USC),
Somali National Movement (SNM), and the
Somali Patriotic Movement (SPM) together with the non-violent political oppositions of the
Somali Democratic Movement (SDM), the
Somali Democratic Alliance (SDA) and the Somali Manifesto Group (SMG).
The Ogaden War
In 1977 and 1978 Somalia fought with its neighbour Ethiopia in the
Ogaden War, in which Somalia aimed to liberate and unite the Somali lands that had been divided and subjugated under colonialism and to win the right of self-determination for ethnic Somalis in those countries. Somalia first engaged Kenya and Ethiopia diplomatically, but this failed. Somalia, already preparing for war, created the
Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF, then called the
Western Somali Liberation Front, WSLF) and eventually sought to capture Ogaden. Somalia acted unilaterally without consulting the
international community, which was generally opposed to redrawing colonial boundaries, while the
Soviet Union and the
Warsaw Pact countries, refused to help Somalia, and instead, backed
Communist Ethiopia. For most of the war, Somalia appeared to be winning in most of Ogaden, but 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 Somalia sought the help of the
United States. Although the
Carter Administration originally expressed interest in helping Somalia he later declined, as did American allies in the
Middle East and
Asia. The Americans perhaps didn't want to engage the Soviets in this period of
détente.
The Somali Civil War
By 1978, the moral authority of the Somali government had collapsed. Many Somalis had become disillusioned with life under military dictatorship and the regime was weakened further in the 1980s 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, sprang up across the country, eventually leading to the
Somali Civil War.
1991 saw great changes in Somalia. President Barre was ousted by a combined northern and southern clan based forces all of whom were backed and armed by Ethiopia. And following a meeting of the
SNM and northern clans' elders, the northern former British portion of the country declared its independence as Somaliland in May 1991; although de facto independent and relatively stable compared to the tumultuous south, it hasn't been recognised by any foreign government.
In January 1991, President
Ali Mahdi Muhammad was selected by the manisfesto group as an interim president for the whole of Somalia until a conference between all stakeholders to be held in Djibouti in February of the same year to select a national leader. However,
United Somali Congress military leader General
Mohamed Farrah Aidid, the
Somali National Movement leader
Abdirahman Toor and the
Somali Patriotic Movement leader
Col Jess refused to recognize Mahdi as president. This caused a split between the SNM, USC and SPM and the armed groups Manifesto,
Somali Democratic Movement (SDM) and
Somali National Alliance (SNA) on the one hand and within the USC forces. This led efforts to remove Barre who still claimed to be the legitimate president of Somalia. He and his armed supporters remained in the south of the country until mid 1992, causing further escalation in violence, especially in the Gedo, Bay, Bakool, Lower Shabelle, Lower Juba, and Middle Juba regions. The armed conflict within the USC devastated the Mogadishu area.
The civil war disrupted agriculture and food distribution in southern Somalia. The basis of most of the conflicts was clan allegiances and competition for resources between the warring clans. James Bishop, the United States last ambassador to Somalia, explained that there's "competition for water, pasturage, and... cattle. It is a competition that used to be fought out with arrows and sabers... Now it's fought out with AK-47s." The resulting famine caused the
United Nations Security Council in 1992 to authorize the limited peacekeeping operation
United Nations Operation in Somalia I (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. This coalition, (
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 1993, most of the United States troops withdrew and UNITAF was replaced by the
United Nations Operation in Somalia II (UNOSOM II).
However, Aidid saw UNOSOM II as a threat to his power and in June 1993 his militia attacked
Pakistan Army troops, attached to UNOSOM II, (see
Somalia (March 1992 to February 1996)) in Mogadishu inflicting over 80 casualties. Fighting escalated until 18 American troops and more than 1,000 Somalis were killed in a
raid in Mogadishu during October 1993. The UN withdrew
Operation United Shield in
3 March 1995, having suffered significant casualties, and with the rule of government still not restored.
In June 1996, Mohamed Farrah Aidid was killed in Mogadishu.
2000 – Present
Following the civil war the
Majeerteen clan declared a self-governing state in the northeast, which took the name
Puntland, but maintained that it would participate in any Somali reconciliation to form a new central government.
Then 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. Although initially the instigators of this, the
Rahanweyn Resistance Army, which had been established in 1995, was only in full control of Bay, Bakool and parts of Gedo and Jubbada Dhexe, they quickly established the de facto autonomy of Southwestern Somalia. Although conflict between
Hasan Muhammad Nur Shatigadud and his two deputies, weakened the Rahanweyn militarily from February 2006, the Southwest became central to the TFG based in the city of Baidoa. Shatigadud became Finance Minister, his first deputy
Adan Mohamed Nuur Madobe became Parliamentary Speaker and his second deputy
Mohamed Ibrahim Habsade became Minister of Transport. Shatigadud also held the Chairmanship of the Rahanwein Traditional Elders' Court.
In 2004, the TFG met in
Nairobi, Kenya and published a charter for the government of the nation. The TFG capital is presently in Baidoa.
Meanwhile 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 and in 2006, Somalia was deluged by torrential rains and flooding that struck the entire
Horn of Africa affecting 350,000 people.
The tribal rivalry continued in 2006 with the declaration of regional autonomy by the state of Jubaland, consisting of parts of Gedo, Jubbada Dhexe, and the whole of Jubbada Hoose.
Barre Adan Shire Hiiraale, chairman of the
Juba Valley Alliance, who comes from
Galguduud in central Somalia is the most powerful leader there. Like Puntland this regional government didn't want full statehood, but some sort of federal autonomy.
The 2006 civil war and invasion by Ethiopia
Conflict broke out again 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 the
Islamic Courts Union (or "I.C.U."), seeking to institute
Sharia law in Somalia. Social law changes, such as the forbidding of chewing
khat, and even the prohibition against watching movies and football in public, were part of moves by the ICU to change behaviours and impose strict social morals.
The Union was 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:
Several hundred people, mostly civilians caught in the crossfire, died during this conflict. Mogadishu residents described it as the worst fighting in more than a decade. The Islamic Courts Union accused the U.S. of funding the warlords through the
Central Intelligence Agency and supplying them with arms in an effort to prevent the Islamic Courts Union from 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 U.N. regulations have been reported by the UK Sunday newspaper
The Observer.
By early June 2006 the Islamic Militia had control of Mogadishu, following the
Second Battle of Mogadishu, and the last A.R.P.C.T. stronghold in southern Somalia, the town of
Jowhar, then fell with little resistance. The remaining A.R.P.C.T. forces fled to the east or across the border into Ethiopia and the alliance effectively collapsed.
The Ethiopian-supported Transitional Government then called for intervention by a regional East African
peacekeeping force. The I.C.U. meanwhile were fiercely opposed to foreign troops — particularly Ethiopians — in Somalia. claiming that Ethiopia, with its long history as an imperial power including the occupation of Ogaden, seeks to occupy Somalia, or rule it by proxy.
Meanwhile the I.C.U. and their militia took control of much of the southern half of Somalia, normally through negotiation with local clan chiefs rather than by the use of force. However, the Islamic militia stayed clear of areas close to the Ethiopian border, which had become a place of refuge for many Somalis including the Transitional Government itself, headquartered in the town of Baidoa. Ethiopia said it would protect Baidoa if threatened. On
September 25 2006, the I.C.U. moved into the southern port of Kismayo, the last remaining port held by the transitional government.
Ethiopian troops entered Somalia and seized the town of Buur Hakaba on
October 9, and later that day the I.C.U. issued a declaration of war against Ethiopia.
On
November 1 2006, peace talks between the Transitional Government and the ICU broke down. The international community feared an all-out civil war, with Ethiopian and rival
Eritrean forces backing opposing sides in the power-struggle.
War erupted on
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", and heavy fighting broke out between the Islamic militia on one side and the Somali Transitional Government allied with Ethiopian forces on the other.
In late December 2006, Ethiopia launched
airstrikes against Islamic troops and strong points across Somalia. Ethiopian Information Minister
Berhan Hailu stated that targets included the town of
Buurhakaba, near the Transitional Government base in Baidoa. An Ethiopian jet fighter strafed
Mogadishu International Airport (now Aden Adde 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.
Ethiopian Prime Minister
Meles Zenawi then announced that his country was waging war against the ICU 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're supporting," he said.
Days of heavy fighting followed as Ethiopian and government troops backed by tanks and jets pushed against Islamic forces between Baidoa and Mogadishu. Both sides claimed to have inflicted hundreds of casualties, but the Islamic infantry and vehicle artillery were badly beaten and forced to retreat toward Mogadishu. On
28 December,
2006, the allies entered Mogadishu after Islamic fighters fled the city. 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 April 2008, the Transitional Federal Government and its Ethiopian allies still face frequent attacks from an Islamic insurgency.
The Battle of Ras Kamboni
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, and 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, resulting in the
Battle of Ras Kamboni, and capturing the Islamic positions and driving the surviving fighters into the hills and forests after several days of combat. On
January 9,
2007, the United States openly intervened in Somalia by sending
Lockheed AC-130 gunships to attack Islamic positions in Ras Kamboni. Dozens were killed and by then the ICU were largely defeated.
As of
November 30,
2007, the fighting continued in Mogadishu between transitional government Somali and Ethiopian official troops, on one hand, and Islamic militants, on the other.
Politics
Somalia has had no effective national government since 1991. The internationally recognized
Transitional Federal Government, controls only parts of Southern Somalia from its base in the town of
Baidoa, and isn't recognized by most Somalis. On
October 14,
2004, the Somali
Transitional Federal Parliament elected
Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, previously president of Puntland, to be president of Somalia. Because of the situation in Mogadishu, the election was held in a sports centre in Nairobi, Kenya. Yusuf was elected with 189 of the 275 votes from members of parliament.
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. The political situation therefore 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.
In the northwest, there's the secessionist region of
Somaliland with its capital in
Hargeisa that declared its independence in 1991. This
Isaaq-dominated governing zone isn't recognized by any major international organization or country, although it has remained more stable and certainly more peaceful than the rest of Somalia, neighboring
Puntland notwithstanding.
Puntland in the northeast also remains autonomous but supports the Transitional Government and, unlike Somaliland, still considers itself a part of the Somali Republic.
Sanaag Region and some parts of
Bari region there's newly declared state of
Maakhir which is a self-proclaimed autonomous state within
Somalia on an area disputed by Somaliland and Puntland. Declared in
July 1,
2007, it remains unrecognized by the
Transitional Federal Government of Somalia.
Maakhir is mainly inhabited by the
Warsangali clan, a member of the
Harti confederation of clans (along with the
Dhulbahante and
Majeerteen) and a clan of the
Darod tribe.
In the southwestern interior,
Jubaland and
Southwestern Somalia have both recognised the TFG and local leaders are part of the government.
The southern half of the country, with the bulk of the population, as of November 2007, is unstable, following the 2006 Civil War between the Transitional Government and the Islamic Courts Union.
Westerners and those working for western organisations continue to be targets of the violence. Two aid workers, one British and the other Kenyan, were abducted in Puntland on
8 May 2007 and a western nurse and her escort were shot dead in Mogadishu on
17 September 2006.
The inhabitants of Sool, Sanaag and Cayn regions of the Northern Somalia have announced formations of a new political party – Northern Somali Unionist Movement (NSUM) as a grass roots Somali organization whose members and supporters hail from Sool, Sanaag and Cayn regions in the Northern regions of Somalia(formerly British Somaliland) and whose clan in these regions don't identify with the Somaliland secession. NSUM stands for the promotion of peace and unity among all people of Somalia.
Capital
Mogadishu is the capital of Somalia. However, during the conflict in 2006, Mogadishu became part of the territory controlled by the Islamic Courts Union, while the Transitional Federal Government had its seat in
Baidoa. The Government returned to Mogadishu in December 2006 with the help of Ethiopian troops.
Geography
Somalia is located in the
Horn of Africa with the
Gulf of Aden to the north and the
Indian Ocean to the east. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, and Kenya to the southwest. Somalia has the longest
coastline on the continent.
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.
Regions and districts
Prior to the civil war, Somalia was divided into eighteen regions (
gobollada, singular
gobol), which were in turn subdivided into districts. The regions are:
7
Gedo8
Hiiraan9
Jubbada Hoose10
Shabeellaha Hoose11
Mudug12
Jubbada Dhexe
|col3 = 13
Shabeellaha Dhexe14
Nugaal15
Sanaag16
Sool17
Togdheer18
Woqooyi Galbeed }}
On a
de facto basis, northern Somalia is now divided up among the quasi-independent states of
Puntland,
Somaliland,
Galmudug and
Maakhir. The south is at least nominally controlled by the Transitional Federal Government, although resistance by Islamic groups continues in many areas. Under the
de facto arrangements there are now
27 regions.
principally desert; northeast monsoon (December to February), moderate temperatures in north and hot in south; southwest monsoon (May to October), torrid in the north and hot in the south, irregular rainfall, hot and humid periods (tangambili) between monsoons
HIV/AIDS
Despite being caught up in a civil war for over 15 years now, Somalia still surprisingly has one of the lowest
HIV infection rates in all of Africa. This is attributed to the Muslim nature of Somali society and adherence of Somalis to Islamic morals.
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. 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. 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,
University of Hargeisa and
Burao University. Three Somali Universities are currently ranked in the top 100 of Africa.
Qur'anic schools (also known as duqsis) 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.
Economy
Since the collapse of the state, Somalia has transformed from what
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 has been 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 cafés are provided. Somalia was the last African country to access the Internet in August 2000, with only 57 web sites known as of 2003. Internet usage in Somalia grew 44,900% from 2000 to 2007, registering the highest growth rate in Africa. Somalia has the cheapest
cellular calling rates in Africa, with some companies charging less than a cent a minute. 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.
Fatima Jibrell 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.
Demographics
Somalia has a population of around 10.7 million according to U.N. estimates in 2003, 85% of which constitute
ethnic Somalis.
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 live in towns and cities with the percentage rapidly increasing.
Because of the civil war, the country has a large
diaspora community, one of the largest of the whole continent. Millions of Somalis live abroad, and this excludes those who inhabit the Ogaden region of Ethiopia, Yemen, northeastern Kenya, and Djibouti.
Languages
Somali is the national language of the Somali people and is used virtually everywhere by almost all ethnic Somalis as well as a few minority groups. Minority languages do exist, such as
Af-Maay, which is spoken in areas in South-Central Somalia mainly by the
Rahanweyn. Variants of
Swahili (
Barawe) are also spoken along the coast by
Arabs and some
Bantus (Jareer).
A considerable number of Somalis speak
Arabic due to close ties with the
Arab World, the far-reaching influence of the Arabic media, and religious education.
English is also widely used and taught.
Italian used to be a major language but now because of the civil war and lack of education, it's most frequently heard among older generations.
Religion
The Somalis are 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. This sets Somalis apart from their immediate African neighbours, many of whom are either Christians (particularly the
Amhara and others of Ethiopia) or adherents of indigenous faiths.
Culture
Cuisine
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 isn't 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's 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
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 alphabet 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
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 oriented.
Toronto, where a sizable Somali community exists, replaced Mogadishu (because of the instability) as the centre of the Somali music industry, which is 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.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Somalia'.
|
External Link Exchanges
Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:
<a href="http://somalia.totallyexplained.com">Somalia Totally Explained</a>
Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned. |
