Portal:Somalia

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Camels on sale at Baidoa livestock market in Somalia on November 7, 2019

Flag of Somalia	Coat of arms of Somalia

Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, the Gulf of Aden to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east, and Kenya to the southwest. Somalia has the longest coastline on the mainland of Africa, with a seaboard that stretches 3,025 kilometres (1,880 mi).

In antiquity, Somalia was an important centre for commerce with the rest of the ancient world, it is among the most probable locations of the fabled ancient Land of Punt. During the Middle Ages, several powerful Somali empires dominated the regional trade, including the Ajuuraan Sultanate, the Adal Sultanate and the Geledi Sultanate. In the late nineteenth century, through a succession of treaties with these kingdoms, the British and Italians gained control of parts of the coast, and established British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland. In the interior, the Dervish State wherein Muhammad Abdullah Hassan was leader successfully repulsed the British Empire four times and forced it to retreat to the coastal region. Italian occupation lasted until 1941, yielding to British military administration. British Somaliland would remain a protectorate, while Italian Somaliland in 1949 became a United Nations Trusteeship under Italian administration, the Trust Territory of Somaliland.

Though, in 1960, the two regions united to form the independent Somali Republic under a civilian government. In 1991, following the collapse of the government of Siad Barre, the Republic of Somaliland unilaterally declared its independence from Somalia, reinstating the borders of former British Somaliland, and has been governed by democratically elected leaders since. Somaliland's independence, however, has not been recognised by any foreign country or international organisation.

Somalia has a population of around 10 million. About 85% of local residents are ethnic Somalis, Somali and Arabic are the official languages of Somalia, both of which belong to the Afro-Asiatic family. Most people in the territory are Muslims, the majority being Sunni.

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Maritime history of Somalia refers to the seafaring tradition of the Somali people. It includes various stages of Somali navigational technology, shipbuilding and design, as well as the history of the Somali port cities. It also covers the historical sea routes taken by Somali sailors which sustained the commercial enterprises of the historical Somali kingdoms and empires, in addition to the contemporary maritime culture of Somalia.

In antiquity, the ancestors of the Somali people were an important link in the Horn of Africa connecting the region's commerce with the rest of the ancient world. Somali sailors and merchants were the main suppliers of frankincense, myrrh and spices, items which were considered valuable luxuries by the Ancient Egyptians, Phoenicians, Mycenaeans and Babylonians. During the classical era, several ancient city-states such as Ophir at the time Berbera and Ras Hafun and Hiran then part of Mogadishu competed with the Sabaeans, Parthians and Axumites for the wealthy Indo-Greco-Roman trade also flourished in Somalia. In the Middle Ages, several powerful Somali empires dominated the regional trade including the Ajuran Sultanate, the latter of which maintained profitable maritime contacts with Arabia, India, Venetia, Persia, Egypt, Portugal and as far away as China. This tradition of seaborne trade was maintained in the early modern period, with Berbera being the pre-eminent Somali port during the 18th–19th centuries. (Full article...)

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The Battle of Jilib took place during the 2006 Somali War fought by the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) and affiliated militias against Ethiopian and Transitional Federal Government (TFG) forces for control of the town of Jilib. It began on 31 December 2006, when ICU forces dug in and defended the town to prevent approach to Kismayo, the last stronghold of the ICU. (Full article...)

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Mogadishu Embassy of the United States, Mogadishu Operation Eastern Exit Cyclone Sagar Somalia at the 2000 Summer Olympics Somalia at the 2008 Summer Olympics Somalia at the 2012 Summer Olympics Somalia at the 2016 Summer Olympics Somalia at the 2016 Summer Paralympics

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... that Zahra Mohamed Ahmad (pictured), who gives legal advice at the Somali Women Development Centre, is said to be a Woman of Courage?
...that the Somali Ajuuraan State excelled in hydraulic engineering and fortress building?

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Image 1The beachside at Merca, an ancient port city in the southern Lower Shebelle province of Somalia
Image 2Lamadaya are waterfalls located in the Cal Madow mountain range in the northern Sanaag region of Somalia
Image 3Hargeisa and much of northwestern Somalia is desert or hilly terrain. Here, the thelarchic-shaped Naasa Hablood hills are shown.
Image 4Mashmash, a Somali pancake and part of Somali cuisine
Image 5A view of Bosaso
Image 6A Dhulbahante garesa (dervish fort) in Taleh
Image 7The Jubba river near Jamaame
Image 8A satellite image of Somalia, 2004
Image 9A view of Banderadley Somalia
Image 10A view of the Port of Mogadishu
Image 11A camel peering over the leafier portions of Cal Madow, a mountain range in Somalia
Image 12A view in the Kismayo/Dalxiiska area in 2016
Image 13A man carries a huge hammerhead shark through the streets of Mogadishu

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The following are images from various Somalia-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Taleh was the capital of the Dervish movement. (from History of Somalia)
Image 2Major General Mohamed Siad Barre, Chairman of the Supreme Revolutionary Council. (from History of Somalia)
Image 3Foreign Minister of Somalia Mohamed Abdullahi Omaar in a meeting with UNDP Administrator Helen Clark and other diplomats at the UN headquarters in New York. (from History of Somalia)
Image 4A Somali woman showing a decorated pottery (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 5Almnara Tower, Mogadishu. (from History of Somalia)
Image 6Somali women performing a traditional dance (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 7Dervish commander Haji Sudi on the left with his brother in-law Duale Idres. Aden, 1892. (from History of Somalia)
Image 8Merca is an ancient Islamic center in Somalia. (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 9The Guardafui Channel, between the tip of Somalia and Socotra island. (from Geography of Somalia)
Image 10Somali singer Fartuun Birimo wearing henna hand and arm designs. (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 11Barawa city was an important medieval centre of Somali enterprise. (from History of Somalia)
Image 12An avenue in downtown Mogadishu in 1963. (from History of Somalia)
Image 13Somali language books on display. (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 14Flag of the Somali Youth League (SYL), the nation's first political party. (from History of Somalia)
Image 15Governor's palace in Mogadiscio (from History of Somalia)
Image 16Mohammed Abdullah Hassan, leader of the Dervish movement. (from History of Somalia)
Image 17Mosque of Islamic Solidarity (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 18Engraving of the 13th century Fakr ad-Din Mosque built by Fakr ad-Din, the first Sultan of the Sultanate of Mogadishu. (from History of Somalia)
Image 19Abdirahman Ahmed Ali Tuur Chairman of the Somali National Movement that overthrew Barre's regime in Northern Somalia (from History of Somalia)
Image 20Mosque in Borama, Somaliland (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 21The Osmanya writing script. (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 22Fiat building in Mogadiscio, 1940 (from History of Somalia)
Image 23Somalis performing the folk dance called Dhaanto (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 24Embassy of Somalia in Paris (from History of Somalia)
Image 25Somali men and women in front of a traditional house (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 26The Silk Road extending from southern Europe through Arabia, Somalia, Egypt, Persia, India and Java until it reaches China. (from History of Somalia)
Image 27Sheikh Ali Ayanle Samatar, a prominent Somali Islamic scholar. (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 28Bimaal clan elders and the Bimal Sultan on board Marco Polo discussing matters with Italian figures (from History of Somalia)
Image 29Mogadishan currency – The Sultanate of Mogadishu was an important monetary supporter of Adal. (from History of Somalia)
Image 30Neolithic rock art at the Laas Geel complex depicting a camel. (from History of Somalia)
Image 31The battle flag of Al-Shabaab, an Islamist group waging war against the federal government. (from History of Somalia)
Image 32US Army helicopter shortly before Battle of Mogadishu in 1993. (from History of Somalia)
Image 33Traditional Somali clans (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 34Downtown Mogadishu in 1936. Arch of Triumph Umberto to the left, Cathedral and Arba Rucun mosque to the centre-right. (from History of Somalia)
Image 3519th century Martello fort in Berbera constructed by Haji Sharmarke Ali Saleh (from History of Somalia)
Image 36Italian stamp from Mogadiscio (from History of Somalia)
Image 37Somali woman building a Somali house (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 38Wa'daan warriors ambushed and killed the Italian explorer Antonio Cecchi and most of his troops at Lafoole, west of Mogadishu, 1896 (from History of Somalia)
Image 39Exhumed skeletal remains of victims of the Isaaq genocide (from History of Somalia)
Image 40Topography of Somalia (from Geography of Somalia)
Image 41Somali Army soldiers during the operation Operation Indian Ocean, October 2014 (from History of Somalia)
Image 42In 1698, the Portuguese in Mombasa surrendered to a joint Somali-Ottoman force. (from History of Somalia)
Image 43AMISOM reinforcement convoy on the Baidoa-Mogadishu road in April 2014 (from History of Somalia)
Image 44Former leader of the Somali Youth League Aden Abdullah Osman Daar who eventually became the first President of the Somali Republic following the union of State of Somaliland and Italian Trusteeship of Somalia. (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 45Somalia map of Köppen climate classification. (from Geography of Somalia)
Image 46A traditional dabqaad incense burner. (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 47Somali women basket weaving (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 48Cinema Italia in Mogadiscio, 1937 (from History of Somalia)
Image 49Exterior of the Saryan Museum, Hargeisa (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 50Somali woman in Hargeisa opening speech with traditional greeting. (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 51Mogadiscio cathedral (from History of Somalia)
Image 52Italian Somalia (from History of Somalia)
Image 53Map of Italian Somaliland in 1940, when was added the British Somaliland (after the previous addition of the Ogaden in 1936) (from History of Somalia)
Image 54Ruins of the Sultanate of Adal in Zeila, Somalia. (from History of Somalia)
Image 55Model of a medieval Mogadishan ship. (from History of Somalia)
Image 56Dulbiciid in Godaalo, Xudun District, tallest Somalia mountain outside karkaar range (from Geography of Somalia)
Image 57Ahmad ibn Ibrihim al-Ghazi's pioneering use of cannons figured prominently in his Conquest of Ethiopian territories. (from History of Somalia)
Image 58Somali women in traditional dirac and shash (from Culture of Somalia)

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