Somalia, also known as the Democratic Republic of Somalia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Somalia history can be traced back as far as the Paleolithic period. (Funk & Wagnalls, 1900) Ancient structures, ruined cities, and stone walls found in Somalia, is evidence of a country that once thrived with a sophisticated civilization (p. 132). Somalia is a country that was once known for its rich geographical location located near oil wells in the Persian Gulf and a mainstream for international imports and exports along the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. For centuries, Somalia culture was different from other countries in Africa for the fact that it was not made up of a collection of tribes, but of homogeneous people. To survive, …show more content…
The clans of Somalia are strong social units that play a central part in Somalia culture and the countries politics. Unfortunately, clans are an invitation to divide and rule politics as well. During the British and Italian rule of Somalia in the early to mid-nineteenth century, clans were not seen as a growing problem. The British and Italians used clans to their advantage to help keep the country stable. In the mid-nineteenth century, the British introduced democracy in Somalia, which created many political parties within Somalia. Control of Somalia would then be debated for many years between the weak democratic political parties in Somalia. This instability in Somalia opened the doors for General Mohammed Siad Barre, who would eventually defeat the fragile democratic political parties in Somalia. In 1969, General Mohammed Siad Barre became president of Somalia and declared Somalia a socialist state. Backed by the U.S. who supported the Siad Barre regime, with economic, diplomatic, and military power, which eventually fell into the hands of the militant clans, Siad Barre dictatorship turned the clan politics of divide and rule into a bloodbath. Using his own militant clans, Siad Barre murdered thousand of opposing clan members creating a war zone in Somalia that pitted clans against each other fighting for power and control. Former U.S. ambassador to Somalia, Frank Kredller stated, “We supported him
Somalia is a long, narrow country that wraps around the Horn of Africa. It has the longest coast of any African nation, bordering on both the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. The inland areas are predominantly plateaus, with the exception of some rugged mountains in the far north. The northern region is more arid, whereas the southern portion of the country receives more rainfall. Many Somalis are nomadic or semi-nomadic herders, some are fishermen, and some farmers. Mogadishu is the capital and largest city. Somalia is composed of a single, homogeneous ethnic group. Although Somalis may differ in nuances of local lifestyle, they share one language, religion, and culture, and trace their heritage to a common ancestor.
The history of Somalia is a bloody one, filled with failed occupation, anarchy and civil war. Early Somalia established itself as a merchant state. Its key geographical location by the natural strait between the Horn of Africa and Yemen made it a focal point for trade.This essay will explore the history of internal struggles of the Somalilands and its many wars. It will investigate the colonial influences and conflicts between Somalia and its imperial occupiers and how these influences set the stage for future conflicts between the clans. Also, it will attempt to define the reasons why Somalia has become a failed state. The importance of United States foreign policies will be discussed as they have
Located on the east coast of Africa, in an area known as the Horn of Africa, Somalia is approximately 637,657 square miles (close to the size of Texas) and has just over 1,800 miles of coastline. It is bordered on the west by Ethiopia, on the right by the Indian Ocean; to the north, the boarder is the Shabelle River, and the Juba River to the south. The capital city is Mogadishu and as of 2011, the population is just under 10 million. Somalia is of mixed terrain, where the northern part is hilly, the central and southern parts are flat. The climate in Somalia is hot and dry year-round, with seasonal monsoon winds, and irregular rains. Based on its geographic location, extending into the Indian Ocean,
Somalia is one of the world’s poorest and least developed countries (Campbell). Because of the Civil War, which broke out in 1991, much of Somalia’s economy has been devastated. The war left many
-people in somalia were ethnically related oromo peoples or some of them and mixed negroid or bantu pop. which appears to possess part of the south of somali republic, these people are known to early arab geographers as the zanj
Somalia gained its independence from British control in 1960, where the British relinquished control and gave Somalia to the United Nations. Somalia was governed by civilians until 1969; after which the military rebellion by General Muhammed Siad Barre took place. General Muhammed
Did you ever know that every country has different cultural values and norms that may cause misunderstanding among cultures around the globe? Of course, I didn’t really know that till I migrated from my country to the USA. A long time ago, I believed that the world was filled with homogenous societies which are based upon one culture only and that culture must be my own culture which I must follow as the ethnocentric standard to all other nations in the world. But later, I had experienced living in multi cultural communities and different continents around the globe, such as Africa and Asia, where getting involved in other people’s lives is very common. As a result of my experience, I have realized that American cultural values have less
I am originally from Somalia a country located in the East Africa also called “Horn of Africa”, bordered by Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya. I was born and raised in Kenya. However, both my parents were born and rise in Somalia, they went their school in Mogadishu, Somalia, and built their family there. Five of my siblings, we were born in Mogadishu Somalia, but unfortunately, they did not had the opportunity to experience them early childhood in Somalia. In a brief history the Republic of Somalia has had its ups and downs with unrest, starting with a war, which broke out in the early 90’s. With these conflicts came unbearable life situations and many people searched for opportunities all over the world, mainly the western continents.
Somalia is one of the world's poorest and least developed countries (Campbell). Because of the Civil War, which broke out in 1991, much of Somalia's economy has been devastated. The war left many
Somalia is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, the Gulf of Aden to the north, and the Indian Ocean to the east. With the longest coastline on the continent, its terrain consists mainly of plateaus, plains, and highlands. It is made up of the former British Protectorate of Somaliland and Italy’s former Trust Territory of Somalia. Somalia’s modern history began in the late 1800’s, when European powers began to trade and settle in the Somalia area. These events and the events that occurred during the 20th century helped shape the modern Somalia government and culture today.
Somalia is a country situated in the ÒhornÓ of East Africa. It is bordered by the Gulf of Aden in the north, the Indian Ocean on the east and southeast, Kenya in the southwest, Ethiopia in the west, and Djibouti in the northwest. Somalia is about four times the size of the State of Minnesota, or slightly smaller than Texas. The capital is Mogadishu.
Somalia is known for being one of the largest African ethnic groups in the world. To the ancient Egyptians, Somalia was known as the “Land of Punt”, because of it production of frankincense and myrrh. The symbol that best represents Somalia is the white star on the flag which was adopted on October 12, 1954. “Each point of the star represents a land that is home to Somali people: the portion within the national boundaries, once divided into two territories, Italian and British; the Ogaden region of Ethiopia; the Northern Frontier District of Kenya; and Djibouti. Somalis hope that one day all these territories can become a unified Somali nation.” (Shurgin)
Located on the Horn of Africa, Somalia is a small country colonized in the late 1880s by Britain, Italy and France. In the 1960s, Somalia gained its independence but remained a very unstable place. In 1969, a group overthrew the government and Mohammed Siad Barre, the general of the group, became Somalia’s president and dictator until 1991.
In August of 1992, President George Bush Sr. sent US soldiers into Somalia to provide humanitarian relief to those Somalis suffering from starvation. The major problems in Somalia started when President Mohammed Siad Barre was overthrown by a coalition of opposing clans. Although there were several opposing groups, the prominent one was led by Mohammed Farah Aidid. Following the overthrow of Barre, a massive power struggle ensued. These small scale civil wars led to the destruction of the agriculture in Somalia, which in turn led to the deprivation of food in large parts of the country. When the international community heard of this, large quantities of food were sent to ease Somali suffering. However, clan leaders like Aidid routinely
Growing up, I didn’t know much about Somalia, despite being Somali myself. I never saw Somali people being portrayed on screen and never learned about them in history class. This, paired with being the only Somali student in school, was why I never really felt the sense of pride that other people felt when it came to their ethnicity. My parents noticed this and thought it was essential for me to visit Somalia, leading to a trip during the summer of 2013, when I was 13 years old.