September 27, 2003

Official name: Somali Democratic Republic
Area: 637,700 sq km
Population: 9,237,000
Capital: Mogadishu
Currency: Somali shilling
Major cities: Hargeysa, Berbera, Kismayo, Marka
Independence Day: July 1, 1960
Major exports: Livestock, skins and hides, bananas, fish and fish products, myrrh.


A country in northeast Africa (the Horn of Africa), on the Indian Ocean, Somalia is bounded northwest by Djibouti, west by Ethiopia, and southwest by Kenya.


Physical features

The northern part of Somalia is mostly dominated by a series of mountain ranges with an average elevation of 3,000 to 7,000 feet. Rugged plateau of the interior, ranges between 1600 to 500 feet and occupies the southern region. A wide coastal plain, in the south, with many sand dunes borders the Indian Ocean. River Genalle and River Shabeelle are the country’s two major rivers and both are present on the southern plateau.

 

Climate

The climate in the region varies from tropical to subtropical and from arid to semi-arid. The average temperature is usually 28°C but may sometimes go as low as 0°C in the mountains, and can be as high as 47°C along the coast. The average annual rainfall is only 280mm. The monsoon winds hail dry season from September to December and rains from March to May.

 

Government

Somalia has been in a state of near-anarchy, since the overthrow of the Barre regime in 1991. In 1993, the Transitional National Council was established, but much of the country’s administration continued to be conducted by the United Nations. The lack of unified government has meant that no constitution is really in effect.

 

Ethnicity & religion

More than 95 per cent of the people are ethnic Somali, who are related to the Afar, Oromo, and other Cushitic peoples living in the Horn of Africa. Minority groups include the Somali-speaking Hamari and a related Arabic-speaking people living in other coastal cities; the Bajun, the Barawani, and other Bantu-speaking farming people.

Nearly ninety nine per cent of the people living here are Muslims, who mostly belong to the Sunni sect. A small minority of Christians can also be found in this region.

 

Language

The official language, Somali, is spoken by almost all Somalis and belongs to the Cushitic family of languages. Until recently it was mainly an unwritten language. In the 20th century, unique local scripts were developed, and the Latin alphabet was introduced. More than ten local scripts were in use. In 1972 Siad Barre’s government officially adopted a Latin-based script (which has since been modified).

Somali has three main dialects. The dialects include Af- Maymay, Af-Benaadir and standard Somali. The other international languages spoken here are Italian, English, Arabic and Swahili.

 

Diet

The word “Somali” is derived from two words that mean, roughly, “milk to self”. Among the nomads, milk from camels and goats is the main food available. The milk can be made into several varieties of yoghurt. People eat pancakes made from flour or millet for breakfast, rice or millet served with milk and ghee for lunch and supper, and a glass of milk or a bean dish. Nomads typically do not eat lunch. Fruits like bananas, pawpaws, limes, grapefruit and mangoes are seasonal and plentiful. Pasta has become popular. Fish is eaten in the coastal areas. Vegetables are rare.

 

Wildlife

The animals found in this African country include African elephant, Burchell’s zebra, cheetah, African wild dog, giraffe, Nile crocodile, leopard, lion, spotted hyena, hippopotamus, warthog, small spotted genet, wild cat, dromedary, desert jerboa and African buffalo.

The birds here are white-backed vulture, hoopoe, bearded vulture, osprey, African jacana, red headed weaver and peregrine falcon.