Introduction to

Flag of Somalia

1 GEOGRAPHY AND TERRAIN

Size: The land area is approximately 637,540 square kilometers; the coastline is 3,025 kilometers; and the sovereignty claimed over territorial waters is up to 200 nautical miles.

Somalia is located on the east coast of Africa, on and north of the Equator, between the on the north and the Indian Ocean on the east. Together with and , it is often referred to as the Horn of Africa. It borders Djibouti on the northwest, Ethiopia on the west, and on the southwest. Somalia comprises Italy's former Trust Territory of Somalia and the former British Protectorate of (now seeking recognition as an independent state). The coastline extends 3,025 kilometers (1,880 mi) -- the longest coastline in Africa. The northern part of the country is hilly, and in many places the altitude ranges between 900 and 2,100 meters (3,000 ft.-7,000 ft) above sea level. The central and southern areas are flat, with an average altitude of less than 180 meters (600 ft). The Juba and Shebelle Rivers rise in Ethiopia and flow south across the country towards the Indian Ocean. The Shebelle, however, does not reach the sea except during seasons of high rain.

CLIMATE

Major climatic factors are: year-round hot temperatures, seasonal monsoon winds, and irregular rainfall with recurring droughts. Average daily maximum temperatures range from 30°C to 40°C (85°F-105°F), except at higher elevations and along the east coast. Average daily minimums usually vary from about 15°C to 30°C (60°F-85°F). The southwest monsoon, a sea breeze, causes the period from about May to October to be the mildest season in . 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.

Population City of Mogadishu

The population of Somalia in 2003 was estimated by the United Nations at 10,070,000, which placed it as eightieth in population among the 193 nations of the world. In that year, approximately 3% of the population was over 65 years of age, with another 44% of the population under 15 years of age. There were 98 males for every 100 females in the country in 2003. According to the UN, the annual population growth rate for 2000–2005 is 4.17%, with the projected population for the year 2015 at 15,263,000. The population density in 2002 was 12 per sq km (31 per sq mi).

2 Estimates by the Population Reference Bureau say that 28% of the population lived in urban areas in 2001. The capital city, Mogadishu, has an estimated population of 2.5 million. Hargeysa (the former capital of ), has an estimated 750,000 inhabitants. Other cities included Kismayo, Berbera, and Merca. Approximately 60% of the population is nomadic. According to the United Nations, the urban population growth rate for 2000–2005 was 5.2%. The current interim is .

GOVERNMENT AND FOREIGN/US RELATIONS

Foreign Relations: Foreign relations are characterized by tensions with neighboring states and economic dependence on aid from Arab and Western nations. Relations with neighboring states gradually improved as irredentist claims, dating from the period (1977-78) were formally abandoned during 1980s; relations with Ethiopia remained strained, despite a 1988 peace agreement resulting from mutual harboring of foreign guerilla forces and uncontrolled mass migration. Relations with Western nations and the United States broadened after a 1977 rift with the Soviet Union; the United States military and economic aid provided throughout 1980s, but was suspended in 1989 because of human rights violations by the Siad Barré government.

Former President of Somalia 1969-1991

Somalia has had no effective national government since 1991. In the northwest and northeast, there are breakaway regions namely Somaliland and . In the rest of the country there are various warlords. In 2000, the international community recognized the Transitional National Government, originally headed by Abdulkassim Salat Hassan, as the government for the entire country. The government has not even been able to enter the capital because of the violence.

Although the U.S. never formally severed diplomatic relations with Somalia, official relations were interrupted by the fall of the government and have not been fully reestablished in the continued absence of a national government. The United States maintains informal contacts with a number of entities in Somalia

On October 14, 2004, Somali members of parliament elected warlord Abdullahi Yusuf, 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. He won 189 of the 275 votes from members of parliament. His government is recognized by most western nations as legitimate, although his actual authority is questionable.

3 Administrative Divisions

Somalia is divided into 18 regions and subdivided into districts. The regions are:

10. Jubbada Hoose 1. Awdal 11. 2. 12. Nugaal 3. 13. Sanaag 4. Bari 14. Shabeellaha 5. Bay Dhexe 6. 15. Shabeellaha 7. Hoose 8. Hiiraan 16. Sool 9. Jubbada 17. Togdheer Dhexe 18. Woqooyi Galbeed

4 History

The ancient Egyptians spoke of Somalia as "God's Land" (the Land of Punt). Chinese merchants frequented the Somali coast in the tenth and fourteenth centuries and, according to tradition, returned home with giraffes, leopards, and tortoises to add color and variety to the imperial menagerie. Greek merchant ships and medieval Arab “dhows” plied the Somali coast; for them it formed the eastern fringe of “Bilad as Sudan”, or "the Land of the Blacks." More specifically, medieval Arabs referred to the , along with related peoples, as the Berberi. Arab and Persian traders first established outposts in the region between the 7th and 10th centuries. European colonization began in the 19th century, with the protectorate of British Somaliland established in the north in 1887. The southern territory eventually came under Italian control and in 1936 was combined with newly conquered Ethiopian territory to form . Britain ruled the entire region after World War II, with Italy returning in 1952 to administer its former protectorate under a UN mandate. Mogadishu is the capital and the largest city. Population: 10,077,000.

The independence of the British Somaliland Protectorate from the United Kingdom was proclaimed on June 26, 1960. On July 1, 1960, unification of the British, and ex-Italian, Somaliland took place. The government was formed by Abdullahi Issa. Aden Abdullah Osman was appointed as president and Abdirashid Ali Shermarke as prime minister.

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 Barré, a general in the armed forces, became president in 1969 following a coup d'état. The revolutionary army leaders, headed by Major General Mohamed Siyad Barré, who came from a small tribe in Somalia, established large-scale public works programs. They also successfully implemented an urban and rural literacy campaign, which helped to dramatically increase the literacy rate from a mere 5% to 55% by the mid-1980s.

The regime of Mohamed Siad Barré was ousted in January 1991 by the United Somali Congress, led by General Mohamed Farah Aidid. This was followed by turmoil, factional fighting, and anarchy.

A Transitional National Government (TNG) was created in August 2000 in Arta, Djibouti, headed by Dr. Abdiqasim Salad Hassan, and expired in August 2003. New Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed has formed a new Transitional Federal Government (TFG) consisting of a 275-member parliament. It was established in October 2004 to replace the TNG but has not yet moved to Mogadishu. Another secession from Somalia took place in the northeastern region.

The 2nd Battle of Mogadishu started in May 2006. The battle is being fought between the Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism or "ARPCT"; all of them former warlords, and militia loyal to or "ICU". The conflict began in mid-February. As of June 5th, at least 350 people, mostly civilians, have died; caught in the crossfire.

5 The Islamists blame the U.S. for funding warlords in an attempt to prevent them from gaining power in the lawless country through its Central Intelligence Agency. The U.S. government and the CIA have neither admitted nor denied these allegations.

On 5 June 2006, it was reported that members of the Islamic Militia had taken control of Mogadishu, and Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Ghedi declined to open a dialog with them. Four powerful warlords, who had been serving as ministers, had been sacked.

On July 20, 2006, it was reported by the BBC that a column of 100 Ethiopian military vehicles, including armored personnel carriers, had crossed from the Ogaden region of Ethiopia and into Somalia.

Since the collapse of the Somali Government in 1991, Ethiopia has, on more than one occasion, sent troops into the . Ethiopia’s reaction, when confronted with its violation of Somali sovereignty, has been either that they are pursuing Al-Itihaad or a flat denial that there are Ethiopian troops in Somalia altogether. Ethiopia has a very simple objective in Somalia; it is to ensure that no government of national unity is formed and that terrorist groups linked to Al-Qaeda continue to be rumored to be operating from Somalia.

For Ethiopia, this ensures that they do not face a potential threat from neighboring Somalia, which has on more than one occasion entered into an all out war with Ethiopia. A continued perceived threat from terrorists also ensures that Ethiopia continues to have a pretext to violate Somali sovereignty at will.

Despite its statements to the contrary, Ethiopia gains much from the status quo in Somalia. It is therefore of no surprise that they have linked up with the only other group that gains from the status quo, the warlords.

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Economy

In Somali, livestock accounts for about 40% of Somalia's GDP

Since the collapse of the state, Somalia has transformed, from what Mohamed Siad Barré referred to as "scientific socialism" to a free market economy. It has long been one of the world's poorest and least developed countries and has relatively few natural resources. Somalia's poverty was even further aggravated by the hostilities of the civil war started in 1991. 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. A small industrial sector that is based on the processing of agricultural products accounts for 10% of the GDP. Somalia’s natural resources are largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, uranium, copper, and salt; likely petroleum and natural gas reserves. Major markets are Saudi Arabia, Yemen, United Arab Emirates, Italy, and Pakistan. Somalia imports food grains, animal and vegetable oils, petroleum products, and construction materials.

7 Electricity distribution in Mogadishu by entrepreneurs

There are signs of growth in Somalia. Despite the seeming anarchy, Somalia's service sector has managed to survive and grow. Mogadishu's main market offers a variety of goods from food to the newest electronic gadgets. Hotels continue to operate, and militias provide security. Infrastructure, such as roads, is as numerous as that in neighboring countries but of much lower quality. The private telecommunications industry is thriving, offering wireless service and internet cafés. Electricity is furnished by entrepreneurs, who have purchased generators and divided cities into manageable sectors. In 1989, before the collapse of the government, the national airline had only one airplane. Now there are approximately 15 airlines, over 60 aircraft, 6 international destinations, and more domestic routes. The private airline business in Somalia is now thriving with more than five carriers and price wars between the companies.

The Coca-Cola plant opened in 2004.

For businesses to operate, it is necessary for Somali business people to have some level of security. Remittance services have become a large industry in Somalia. Successful people from the world-wide Diaspora, who fled because of the war, contribute around $2 billion annually to the economy. In the absence of a formal banking sector, money exchange services have sprouted throughout the country, handling between $500 million and $1 billion in remittances annually. Wireless communications have also become a giant economic force in Somalia. Because of the war, nobody really knows the size of the economy or how much it is growing.

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Communications and Internet Services

Somalia's public telecommunications system was almost completely destroyed or dismantled; however, private wireless companies exist in most major cities and actually provide better services than in neighboring countries, despite (or perhaps due to) Somalia's lack of government. Somalia has the cheapest cellular calling rates in Africa, with some company’s charging less than a cent a minute.

Religion

Mosque: where Muslims perform their religious duties

The Somalis are Sunni Muslims. It is assumed that Islam first arrived on the Horn of Africa in the early years of the spread of the religion from the Arabian Peninsula. Along with the rest of the East African coast, the Somali coast had been part of the Indian Ocean trading region, involving much movement of people and goods, particularly between the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa. Trading settlements along the coast, such as Zayla and Mogadishu, have become centers of Islamic activity since early on. From the coast, religion gradually made an impact inland, with Islamic centers being established. One of the most important Islamic centers in this part of Africa is the town of Harar. In its essentials, Islam, among the Somalis, is practiced as elsewhere in the Islamic world; People following the five pillars of the faith. And indeed Islam constitutes a very important aspect of Somali identity.

9 ETHNIC GROUPS

Somalia has a population of around 10,000,000. However, estimates are very difficult because of the political situation and the mostly nomadic nature of the Somalis. The last census was in 1975. Most outside analysts use this estimate; however Somalia is one of the fastest growing countries in Africa and the world. Some estimates range between 6 and 15 million.

Today, about 60% of all Somalis are nomadic, or semi-nomadic, pastoralists who raise cattle, camels, sheep, and goats. About 25% of the population are settled farmers who live mainly in the fertile agricultural region between the Juba and Shebelle rivers in southern Somalia. The remainder of the population (15%-20%) is urban.

Because of the war, Somalia has a large Diaspora community, one of the largest of the whole continent. There are over a million Somalis (including the minorities) outside Africa.

By far the largest ethnic group within Somalia is the Somali people. The clan structure is extremely important to their identity and way of life.

10 Other ethnic groups in the country include:

• Bajuni, people who live in the coastal settlements and islands south of Kismayo and are of East African Swahili origin • Bravanese, who live in Brawa and are believed to be of mixed Arab, Portuguese and other descent • Benadiri (Reer Hamar), an urban people of East African Swahili origin who live in cities in the Benadir coastal region • Bantu, agricultural workers who live along the Juba River • several thousand Arabs • some hundreds of Indians and Pakistanis

A population of Italian descent, which dated back to Somalia's colonial era, began to emigrate following independence, and by the outbreak of war most Italian-Somalis had left the country.

Culture

Somali Girls wearing Hijab

The origin of Somali culture is from Islamic traditions and from their ancestors. This section will also address the meaning of dress, food, prayer, greetings in Somali culture and other important elements of the tradition. I will talk about how Somali students see the American schools.

In Islamic tradition, the form of dress is important for Somali men and women. For example, women should wear “hijab,” which is a dress that covers the body except for the hands and face. Men should also wear clothes that cover the body between waist and knees according to tradition. They should both start dressing this way when they are between seven and nine years old. Somali parents teach their children how to dress before they reach the age of maturity or puberty.

11 Like clothing, food is important in Somali culture and religion. Because of Islamic traditions, it is prohibited to eat any food related to pork and alcohol. Like other Muslims, Somalis pray five times every day wherever they are.

Ramadan is the most important month for Muslim people around the world. It commemorates the month that the Holy Qur’an was revealed to Muhammad. Therefore, all Muslims fast for a whole month to follow the guidance of the Qur’an. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar based on the lunar system. No eating or drinking is allowed during daylight hours. Muslims fast for twenty nine or thirty days; it depends on the sighting of the new moon. Like all Muslims, Somali people fast and celebrate this holy month full of inspiration.

At the end of Ramadan, Somalis celebrate the first holiday. Families and friends bring different types of gifts and visit each other. They say to each other “Id Mubarak” which means: have a happy and blessed holiday.

Every culture has its own way of greeting people. Like other Muslims who practice Islam, men don't shake a woman's hand in greeting, unless it is their spouse. The Somali women don't shake men's hands either. In Islamic tradition, Muslims are prohibited from touching the saliva of dog.

While Somalia has a long musical and artistic tradition, the Somalis are most famous for being a nation of poets. Oral poetry is central to Somali life. The alliterative, highly metaphorical Somali verse form is used for communication, for preserving history and commenting on current events.

Most Somali music talks about love, but some recalls how life in Somalia was before the and some talk about how Somalis should come together to unite and restore the country to its former glory. Somali music combines African and influences. Traditional instruments include the shareero, a type of lyre, and the kaban, a Yemenite keyboard lute. While dancing is important in Somali culture, people mainly dance during ceremonies and courtship.

Somali women hand painting with henna

12 Somali craft workers make numerous items, including woodcarvings and cloth, and baskets in the Benadir region. Leather is used for items such as bags, food containers and dagger sheaths. Somali women practice hand and foot painting, using henna and khidaab dyes. Female artists apply the colors in intricate styles, covering the entire hand or foot.

Since the 20th century, Somalia has also produced authors who have written their works in English, French or Italian. Nurudin Farah was an acclaimed English-language novelist that wrote about Somalia. The poet and playwright Mohamed Warsame Ibrahim was jailed during the Barré regime for his politically critical writings.

13 Language

Since independence, the Somali government has been engaged in ways to come up with a standard written language for Somalia. Several committees were set up by the Somali government to investigate and research the easiest script, among 12 suggested scripts on the table, including Arabic and Latin alphabets.

January 1, 1973, the Latin script was adopted as the standard script to be used throughout Somalia. As a prerequisite for continued government service, all officials were given three months (later extended to six months) to learn the new script and to become proficient in it. During 1973, educational material written in the standard orthography was introduced in elementary schools and by 1975 was also being used in secondary and higher education. Prior to this, written communication was mostly carried out in other languages. For a long time, Arabic was used for written communication. In addition to the use of the Arabic language as such, the Arabic script was used by some people to write the itself, although this did not become very widespread. The European colonial languages, English, Italian and French, have also been used for written communication.

100% of Somali people speak the Somali language. Most Somalis recognize or understand Arabic, mainly because of religious ties in the country with Islam. The Somali language consists of many Arabic vocabularies e.g., the names of the 7 days of the week are similar to those in Arabic.

14 This is the Somali Alphabet and each letter's pronunciation is beside it.

Somali Alphabet Pronunciation B (Ba) T (Ta) J (Ja) X (Xa) KH (KHa) D (Da) R (Ra) S (Sa) SH (SHa) DH (DHa) C (Ca) G (Ga) F (Fa) Q (Qa) K (Ka) L (La) M (Ma) N (Na) W (Wa) H (Ha) Y (Ya)

15 Somali Words and Their Translation

Alphabet Somali Words English Words A Abaayo Sister B Keenid Bring C Caaawinaad Help D Ummad Society E Erayo Words F Farbarasho Learning to write G Gobollo Regions H Hooyo Mother I Indho Eyes J Jacayl Love K Kaalay Come L Libaax Lion M Maanta Today N Nolol Life O Ogaan Aware P In the Somali Alphabet There is no P Q Qar Edge R Run Truth S Sahal Easy T Taariikh History U Ubax Flower V In the Somali Alphabet There is no V W War News X Xasuus Memory Y Yaab Wonder Z In the Somali Alphabet There is no Z

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