Somalia

Soomaaliya 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖 الصومال Somalia
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: none
Anthem: Soomaaliyeey Toosoow
Capital and largest city	Mogadishu
Official languages	Somali, Arabic
Government	Baidoa: Federal Republic Baidoa: Theocratic Krytocracy Hargeisa: Republic Garowe: Autonomous Republic
• Baidoa: President Prime Minister	Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed Ali Mohammed Ghedi
• Mogadishu: Executive Chairman Shura Chairman	Sharif Sheikh Ahmed Hassan Dahir Aweys
• Hargeisa: President	Dahir Riyale Kahin
• Garowe: President Vice-President	Mohamud Muse Hersi Hasan Dahir
Independence  from the UK and Italy
• Date	July 1 1960
• Water (%)	1.6
Population
• July 2005 estimate	8,228,000 (91st)
• 1987 census	7,114,431
GDP (PPP)	2005 estimate
• Total	$4.809 billion (not ranked)
• Per capita	600 (not ranked)
HDI (2003)	n/a  (unranked)
Currency	Somali shilling (SOS)
Time zone	UTC+3 (EAT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (not observed)
Calling code	252
ISO 3166 code	SO
Internet TLD	.so

Somalia (Somali: Soomaaliya; Arabic: الصومال Template:ArTranslit), formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic, is located on the Horn of Africa in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the north and mid-west, Kenya on its south-west, and the Gulf of Aden on its north, and the Indian Ocean at its east. The Somali state currently exists solely in a de jure capacity; Somalia has no recognized central government authority nor any other feature associated with an established independent state. De facto authority resides in the hands of the governments for the unrecognized entities of Somaliland, Puntland, the Supreme Islamic Courts Council (SICC) and the weak, but United Nations-recognized, interim Transitional Federal Government (TFG) in Baidoa about 260 kilometers north-west of the capital Mogadishu. Violence has plagued Somalia since warlords ousted former Supreme President Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991.

Short History of Pre-colonial Times

Main article: History of Somalia

Somalia has been continuosly inhabitated by various ethnic groups, but mostly Somalis, for the last 2,500 years. In the early medieval period (700 C.E.-1200 C.E.), Islam became firmly established especially with the founding of Mogadishu in 900 C.E. The late medieval period (1201 C.E.-1500 C.E.) saw the rise of numerous Somali city-states and kingdoms, most notably, the Sultanate of Adal. The Ethio-Somali Wars of the late 15th century marked a turning point in Somali and East African history. The conquest of Ethiopia by Somali Sultan Axmad Gurey of Adal ended a century of Ethiopian expansion and occupation of various Somali lands. It was when the Portuguese came to help the collapsing Ethiopian empire that the victorious army of Axmad Gurey lost the war. The Sultanate of Adal soon declined and collapsed after defeat and death of its king. The early modern period (1501-1883) in Somalia saw the growth and gradual rise of many successor city states such as the Sultanate of Geledi and the Sultanate of Hobyo. Modern period began when the clouds of colonial conquest gathered in 1884.

Colonial period

The year 1884 ended 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 claimed British Somaliland as a protectorate in 1886 after the withdrawal of Egypt which sought to prevent European colonial expansion in Northeast Africa. The southern area, claimed by Italy in 1889, became known as Italian Somaliland. The northernmost stretch became part of the French Territory of Afars and Issas, also known as French Somaliland, until it later achieved independence as Djibouti.

The Somali War of Colonial Resistance (1898-1920) was led by Somali poet, scholar and statesman, Mohammed Abdullah Hassan. The war ended with the RAF's bombing of the Sayid's fort, with massive loss of civilian and military life on the Somali side.

World War II

Fascist Italy under the dictatorship of Benito Mussolini tried to recover Italian imperial pride and attacked Abyssinia (now Ethiopia) in 1935. This act of aggression was condemned by the League of Nations, but little was done to stop Italian military-industrial build-up. Abyssinia was occupied, and the government of Emperor Haile Selassie, himself an African imperialist, was exiled to the U.K. In England, the Ethiopian Emperor appealed to the Allies, and the "International Community". Little was done to liberate occupied Ethiopia. Britain would regret the failure of it and its allies to impose sanctions on Italy.

In August 1940, Italian troops crossed the Ethiopian border and invaded British Somalia to take the colonial territory away from the United Kingdom. The invasion was launched on August 3, and concluded with the taking of Berbera on August 14.

The British launched a campaign in January 1942 from Kenya to liberate Italian Somaliland, British Somaliland and Italian-occupied Ethiopia, again with many Somalis being incorporated to fight a war led by foreigners. By February, most of Italian Somaliland was captured. In March, British Somaliland was retaken by a sea invasion.

In 1945, despite Italian crimes against humanity in Somalia and Ethiopia, the U.N. gave Somalia as a protectorate to Italy until it achieved a hard-won independence in 1960. The Ogaden province of Somalia was given to the now repatriated Ethiopian government. As well, Britain kept British Somaliland (now Somaliland or northern Somalia) under its colonial rule. The French too kept Djibouti under colonial administration, and this part of Somalia would not gain independence until 1977. Though Somalis and other Africans fought hard on the Allied side in World War Two, soon after the conflict, they were resubjugated. The bitterness of lost hope strengthened the long struggle against colonialism, and in most parts in Africa, including Somalia, independence movements and liberation struggles sprang up.

1960s-1990s

The independence of the British Somaliland Protectorate from the United Kingdom was proclaimed on 26 June 1960. On 1 July 1960, unification of the British and ex-Italian Somaliland took place. The government was formed by Abdullahi Issa. Aden Abdullah Osman Daar was appointed as President and Abdirashid Ali Shermarke as Prime Minister. Later, in 1967, Mohammed Ibrahim Egal became Prime Minister in the government appointed by Abdirishid Ali Shermarke. Egal was later chosen as President of the self-declared independent Somaliland. He died in a hospital in Pretoria on 3 May 2002.

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 Barre, a General in the armed forces, became the President in 1969 following a coup d'état. The revolutionary army leaders, headed by Siad Barre, established large-scale public works programmes. They also successfully implemented an urban and rural literacy campaign, in which they helped to dramatically increase the literacy rate from a mere 5% to 55% by the mid-1980s.

In the meantime, Barre assassinated a major figure in his cabinet, Major General Gabiere, and two other officials. Intermittent civil war has been a fact of life in Somalia since 1978 when the war to liberate Ogaden province, held since 1945 by Ethiopia, failed.

Between 1977 and 1978, Somalia fought with its neighbour Ethiopia in the Ogaden War. The goal of Somali nationalism was to liberate and unite the Somali lands divided and subjugated under colonialism. The Somali state engaged its neighbours Kenya and Ethiopia diplomatically, hoping to win Somalis in those countries self-determination. Somalis in Ogaden province in Ethiopia suffered immensely, as have other Ethiopians, under the brutal rule of the Emperor and the new Communist regime. However, Somalis were being expelled from Ogaden province, and Somalia, already preparing for war since the failure of diplomacy, supported the Ogaden Peoples Liberation Front (ONLF, then called Western Somalia Liberation Front WSLF). Eventually, Somalia sought to captured Ogaden province, and acted unilaterally without consulting the world, which was generally opposed to redrawing colonial boundaries. Somalia's communist allies, the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact, refused to help Somalia, and instead, backed Ethiopia. For most of the war, Somalia appeared to be winning, and in fact, retook most of Ogaden province. With Somali forces at the gates of Addis Ababa, Soviet and Cuban forces and weapons came to the aide of Ethiopia. The Somali Army was decimated, and soon defeated. During the Soviet and Cuban intervention, Somalia sought the help of the United States. The Carter Administration originally expressed interest in helping Somalia and then later said 'no'. American allies in the Middle East and Asia also refused to assist Somalia. The Americans perhaps did not want to engage the Soviets in this period of detente.

In 1978, the moral authority of the Somali government collapsed with many Somalis becoming disillusioned with life under military dictatorship. The regime in the 1980s weakened 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 for its own strategic interests, sprang up across the country, eventually leading to civil war in 1991.

In 1991, first insurgent forces led by Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, leader of the (SSDF), and President Ali Mahdi Mohamed was unrecognised as the interim president by some factions. The same year, the northern portion of the country declared its independence as Somaliland; although de facto independent and relatively stable compared to the tumultuous south, it has not been recognized by any foreign government. In the period 1991-1992, a split in the southern United Somali Congress, which led efforts to unseat Barre, caused an escalation in the civil war, especially in the Mogadishu area.

File:Siadb.gif

The last President of Somalia Leader of a Central Government in Somalia, Mohamed Siad Barre.

Following the failure of Operation Restore Hope and beginning in 1993, a two-year UN effort (primarily in the south) was able to alleviate famine conditions. The UN contingent included some US troops, 19 of whom were killed in fighting after a helicopter was shot down in Mogadishu (as shown in the film "Black Hawk Down").

The UN withdrew in Operation United Shield by 3 March 1995, having suffered significant casualties, and the rule of government has not yet been restored.

Yet another secession from Somalia took place in the northeastern region. The self-governing state took the name Puntland after declaring "temporary" independence in 1998, with the intention that it would participate in any Somali reconciliation to form a new central government. It is important to note that this province does not seek permanent secession from Somalia.

2000-Current

Political Organization

In 2002, Southwestern Somalia, comprising Bay and Bakool provinces declared itself autonomous. This self-proclaimed entity led by the Rahanweyn Resistance Army (RRA) was first set up in 1999. This "temporary" secession was reasserted in 2002, leading to de facto autonomy of Southwestern Somalia. However, this area and the city of Baidoa became central to the Transitional Federal Government.

In 2004, the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) organized and wrote a charter for the governing of the nation. The government wrote the charter in Nairobi. The TFG capital is presently in Baidoa.

In 2006, the Islamic Courts Union rose to predominant control of Somalia. They took over the capital of Mogadishu in the Second Battle of Mogadishu in May-June and began to spread their control through the rest of the country.

Another secession occurred in July 2006 with the declaration of the state of Jubaland. The territory of Jubaland is now declared its Regional Autonomy by its people. Col. Barre Aden Shire Hiiraale, chairman of the Administration of Jubba Valley Alliance Dooxada Jubba is the most powerful leader there. This regional government did not want full statehood.

Natural Disasters

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.

In 2006, Somalia was impacted by torrential rains and flooding that struck the entire Horn of Africa affecting 350,000 people.

2006 Civil War

See also: Second Battle of Mogadishu, Somali Civil War (2006-present), Ethiopian intervention in the Somali Civil War, and Somalia Diplomatic and Humanitarian Efforts

A conflict to unseat warlords broke out in May 2006. The battle was fought 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 Union of Islamic Courts or "UIC". The conflict began in mid-February. Several hundred people, mostly civilians, died in the crossfire. Mogadishu residents described it as the worst fighting in more than a decade of lawlessness. The Islamists accused the U.S. of funding the warlords through the Central Intelligence Agency in an effort to prevent the Islamists gaining power. The U.S. State Department, while neither admitting nor denying this, said the U.S. had taken no action that violated the international arms embargo of Somalia. A few emails describing covert illegal operations by private military companies in breach of UN regulations have been reported by the UK Sunday newspaper The Observer. The U.N. maintains an arms embargo on Somalia, and some have alleged that the U.S. broke international law by supplying the Mogadishu warlords.

On June 5, 2006 the Islamic Militia said it had taken control of the whole of Mogadishu following the Second Battle of Mogadishu. On 14 June 2006 the last ARPCT stronghold in southern Somalia, the town of Jowhar, fell with little resistance to the UIC. The remaining ARPCT forces fled to the east or across the border into Ethiopia. The warlords' alliance effectively collapsed.

The transitional government called for intervention by a regional East African peacekeeping force. UIC leaders opposed this, and lobbied African Union (AU) member states at an AU ceremony in Libya on September 9 2006 to abandon plans to send peacekeepers to Somalia. The Islamists are fiercely opposed to foreign troops – particularly Ethiopians – in Somalia. Somalia and Ethiopia fought a bitter war in 1977-78 over the Somali province of Ogaden, which has been ruled by the Ethiopians since the partition of Somali lands in the first half of the 20th century. As well, many have claimed that Ethiopia, with its long history as an imperial power, seeks to rule Somalia by proxy.

Steadily the Islamist militia backing the UIC took control of much of the southern half of Somalia, normally by negotiation with local clan chiefs rather than the use of force. The Islamists stayed clear of the government headquarters town of Baidoa, which Ethiopia said it would protect if threatened. But on September 25 2006, the UIC moved into the southern port of Kismayo, the last remaining port held by the government.

On Wednesday, November 1, 2006, peace talks between the UN-recognized interim government in the North and the Islamists of the south broke down. Many authorities fear civil war, with Ethiopian and rival Eriterean forces backing opposing sides in the power-struggle and political deadlock between the appointed transitional government and the somewhat popular UIC. [1]

In December 2006, an estimate of 15,000-20,000 Ethiopian troops began skirmishes to unseat the Islamic Courts Union. Helicopters, tanks and a steady stream of troop and arms deployments have been witnessed even though Ethiopia denies that it has troops or has taken military action in Somalia, until recently. The United States appears to be supporting the Ethiopian led effort morally, although there is little to demonstrate that they support the war physically. A U.S. led U.N. resolution lifted the 14 year arms embargo against Somalia, effectively giving Ethiopia and other African countries the green light to intervene. Another American led U.N. resolution called for the deployment of African troops to Somalia. Many Somalis remain worried that their country could become another Congo, with many foreign armies killing and plundering on massive scales. Fears of a regional war are certainly not unwarranted because the contemporary history of Africa (in Congo, Rwanda and Angola) suggests that the presence of foreign troops can fuel decades long civil and regional wars.

On Sunday, December 24, 2006, Ethiopian forces launched airstrikes against Islamist fighters across Somalia. Ethiopian Information Minister Berhan Hailu stated that targets included the town of Buur Hakaba, which is close to the administration's base in Baidoa. This was the first use of airstrikes by Ethiopia in the 2006 war, and also it's first public admission of involvement in Somalia. [2]

Politics

Somali-inhabited lands, December 23 2006.

Main article: Politics of Somalia

Somalia has had no effective national government since 1991, though there is an internationally recognized government in Baidoa. This government, called the Transitional National Government, controls only Baidoa and is not recognized by most Somalis to be legitimate. The transitional government was appointed abroad, by forces historically opposed to Somali interests such as Ethiopia and various African countries seeking to limit the extent and scope of Somali development and eventual encroachment on occupied Somali lands. In the northwest, there is the breakaway republic of Somaliland, which declared its independence in 1991. This governing zone is not internationally recognized although it has remained more stable and certainly more democratic than the south and northeast. Puntland in the northeast declared itself autonomous in 1998 and has not joined the Transitional Government, though the former president of Puntland is now the president of the Baidoa government and Puntland has stated its desire to join a future theoretical federated state. In the southeastern interior, Jubaland and Southwestern Somalia have both joined the Baidoa government, and its leaders are part of the Baidoa parliament.

The other half of the country, with the bulk of the population, is controlled by the Islamic Courts Union (ICU), which controls the critically important cities of Mogadishu and, since September 24, 2006, Kismayo. The Islamic Courts seek to install Sharia law on Somalia. Social law changes, such as the forbidding of chewing khat, and even the prohibition against watching movies and soccer in public, have become recent movements by the ICU to change behaviors and impost strict social mores.

File:060626 SOMALIA AWEYS vsm.rp420x400.jpg

Mr. Hassan Aweys, leader of Islamic Courts Union.

The Council is led by Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed. When asked if the ICU plans to extend its control to the rest of Somalia, Sheikh Ahmed responded in an interview:

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. Yusuf was elected transitional President by Somalia's transitional parliament. He won 189 of the 275 votes from members of parliament. The session of Parliament was also held in neighbouring Kenya. His government is recognized by most Western nations as legitimate, although his actual authority is questionable considering his history as a warlord and as a participant in the civil war that has ruined Somalia.

"Land is not our priority. Our priority is the people's peace, dignity and that they could live in liberty, that they could decide their own fate. That is our priority. Our priority is not land; the people are important to us."

File:President Abdullahi Yusuf.jpg

The President of Somalia, Abdullahi Yusuf.

Many other small political organizations exist, some clan-based, others seeking a Somalia free from clan-based politics. Many of them have come into existence since the civil war.

As of late 2006, however, the "Transitional Federal Government of the Somali Republic" remains in control of only a relatively small portion of the country; by some accounts its control barely extends beyond the limits of its capital city of Baidoa. In addition, the political situation 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.

See also: List of notable Somali leaders

Capital

File:Mogadishu2006--.jpg

Mogadishu 2006

Mogadishu, along with other parts of the former Somalia, is cited as an example of anarcho-capitalism. Despite (or perhaps because of) the lawlessness, Mogadishu leads East Africa in access to telecommunications and the Internet. A three modern communications network has developed in the city, including local cellular telephone systems with international connections via satellite. The lack of taxes has led to modern communications prices that rank among the lowest in Africa. Numerous Internet cafes have sprung up and three television broadcasters, and two Internet service provider are active as well.

In 2006, Mogadishu became part of the territory controlled by the Islamic Courts Union.

Baidoa therefore is also considered a capital, as the seat of the Transitional Federal Government.

This situation of dual-capitals only has existed in the present period of the Somali Civil War.

Geography

Political map of Somalia showing the location of (here spelled ), Mogadishu, with a red dot.

Somalia is located on the east coast of Africa on and north of the Equator between the Gulf of Aden on the north and Indian Ocean on the east. Together with Ethiopia and Djibouti it is often referred to as the Horn of Africa. It borders Djibouti on the northwest, Ethiopia on the west, and Kenya to the southwest.

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.

Administrative divisions

Main articles: Regions of Somalia and Districts of Somalia

File:SomaliCoast--.jpg

Somalia has the longest coastline in Africa

Somalia is divided into eighteen regions (gobollada, sing. gobol), which in turn are subdivided into districts. The regions are:

Column-generating template families

The templates listed here are not interchangeable. For example, using {{col-float}} with {{col-end}} instead of {{col-float-end}} would leave a <div>...</div> open, potentially harming any subsequent formatting.

Column templates

Type	Family	Handles wiki table code?†	Responsive/ mobile suited	Start template	Column divider	End template
Float	"col-float"	Yes	Yes	{{col-float}}	{{col-float-break}}	{{col-float-end}}
	"columns-start"	Yes	Yes	{{columns-start}}	{{column}}	{{columns-end}}
Columns	"div col"	Yes	Yes	{{div col}}	–	{{div col end}}
	"columns-list"	No	Yes	{{columns-list}} (wraps div col)	–	–
Flexbox	"flex columns"	No	Yes	{{flex columns}}	–	–
Table	"col"	Yes	No	{{col-begin}}, {{col-begin-fixed}} or {{col-begin-small}}	{{col-break}} or {{col-2}} .. {{col-5}}	{{col-end}}

^† Can template handle the basic wiki markup {| | || |- |} used to create tables? If not, special templates that produce these elements (such as {{(!}}, {{!}}, {{!!}}, {{!-}}, {{!)}})—or HTML tags (<table>...</table>, <tr>...</tr>, etc.)—need to be used instead.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Somalia

Since the collapse of the state, Somalia has transformed from what Mohamed Siad Barre referred to as "scientific socialism" to a free market economy.

Somalia flourished precisely because of the "world community’s" neglect. In Somalia, "the very absence of a government may have helped nurture an African oddity — a lean and efficient business sector that does not feed at a public trough controlled by corrupt officials," wrote Peter Maas in the May 2001 issue of The Atlantic Monthly. Tele-communications, transportation, and shipping companies were organized up to provide services to the liberated private sector. Internet cafes have sprung up in Mogadishu. Private security firms helped businessmen protect their investments and property. A recent World Bank study grudgingly admitted: "Somalia boasts lower rates of poverty and, in some cases, better infrastructure than richer countries in Africa." This is almost certainly because it is not cursed with a World Bank-subsidized central government to siphon away the nation’s wealth.

— [3]

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. Oil also is an untapped resource, mainly in Puntland. But due to protests, battles, and the like, it is hard for foreign experts to come into the country.

Health

Somalia continues to have one of the highest child mortality rates in the world, with 10% of children dying at birth and 25% of those surviving birth dying before age five. But on the other hand Somalia also has one of the lowest HIV/Aids infection rates in Africa.

Somalia has one of the lowest HIV infected populations in Sub-Saharan Africa

The breadth of the AIDS pandemic has led to the idea in the West that the entire continent is ravaged by the disease. But Somalia -- isolated for 14 years since the civil war began and populated by devout Muslims -- has an infection rate of perhaps only 1.5 or 2 per cent of the adult population.

— -Stephanie Nolan

"The outside world's picture of Somalia has been distorted by the natural tendency of the foreign media to focus on bad news” and that "[p]eace reigns in most of the country " and "as a result regional and local governments have been able to resume working in many areas." The article quotes former Somalia ambassador to Washington, Omar Mohalim Mohamoud as "Somalis consider themselves born free. To them, the State equals registration, regulation and restriction" and attributes this prejudice against a new central government to the nomadic culture and the bad experiences of the Barre regime. The article concludes by stating that "Somalia can only deal with its massive material and social problems once the pieces of the jigsaw have been fitted back together."

File:Newhomes.jpg

The building of new homes in Mogadishu.

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."

— CIA Factbook

Infrastructure such as roads are as numerous as those in neighbouring countries but of much lower quality. A World Bank report states that the private sector has found it too hard to build roads due to high transaction costs and the fact that those who pay road fees are not the only ones using the road (see free rider problem), presenting a problem with recuperation of investment. The thriving telecommunications industry is private, offering wireless service and Internet cafés. Competing phone companies have agreed on interconnection standards, which were brokered by the United Nations funded Somali Telecom Association. 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 fifteen airlines, over sixty aircraft, six international destinations, and more domestic routes. According to a World Bank report, the "private airline business in Somalia is now thriving with more than five carriers and price wars between the companies." The owner of Daallo Airlines says, "Sometimes it's difficult without a government and sometimes it's a plus," but "Corruption is not a problem, because there is no government."

The private sector also supplies water. However, a statistic from 2000 indicated that only 21% of the population had access to safe drinking water at that time. With the collapse of the central government, the education system is now private. A World Bank study reports "modest gains in education." As last measured in 2001, primary school enrolment, which stood at 17%, was nearly at pre-war levels, and secondary school enrolment had been increasing since 1998. However, "adult literacy is estimated to have declined from the already low level of 24% in 1989 to 17.1% in 2001." [4] A more recent 2003 study reported that the literacy rate had risen to 19%. [5] In comparison, literacy is at 49% in wealthier West Africa and 35% among its neighbours. Higher education ended completely in the civil war of 1991, but Mogadishu University reopened in 1998 and its first class graduated in 2001. Other universities have opened in other cities. In addition to customer fees, much of the funding for the education system comes from international Islamic charities such as Al-Islah.[6]

Some signs of investment: in 2004, a Coca-Cola bottling plant opened in Mogadishu.

The main problem affecting economic growth is the lack of stability, or the perception of it. For businesses to operate, it is necessary to provide some level of security and internationally recognized governments are widely perceived as being more reliable in this than the traditional tribal leadership that currently holds sway in Somalia. However, investors are feeling more comfortable lately; for example, a Coca-Cola bottling plant opened in Mogadishu in 2004.

File:Somalishop.jpg

A Somali shop, 2005.

Remittance services has become a large industry in Somalia. Successful people from the world-wide diaspora who fled because of the war contribute to the economy around $2 billion annually. 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 has 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.

Demographics

This 2002 CIA map shows population density throughout Somalia.

Main article: Demographics of Somalia

Somalia has a population of around 8,863,338. 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 but Somalia is one of the fastest growing countries in Africa and the world. Some estimates range between 10 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 civil war,the country has a large diaspora community, one of the largest of the whole continent. There are over a million Somalis outside of Africa, and this excludes those who have inhabited Ogaden province, Northeastern Kenya, and Djibouti.

Languages

Main article: Languages of Somalia

Nearly all inhabitants speak Somali, the official language. This standard was based on dialects from the Mudug province.

The Somali language was not used extensively for writing until 1973, when a standard orthography using the Latin alphabet was decreed by the Supreme Revolutionary Council (SRC). Somali is now the language of instruction in schools. English, Italian, and Arabic are also widely used.

Religion

Main article: Islam in Somalia

File:SomaliaMosque.jpg

Eid celebrations in Mogadishu.

The vast majority of Somalis are Sunni Muslims. Loyalty to Islam reinforces distinctions that set Somalis apart from their immediate African neighbors, many of whom are either Christians (particularly the Amhara and others of Ethiopia) or adherents of indigenous African faiths.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Somalia

• Cuisine of Somalia
• List of writers from Somalia
• Music of Somalia

Telecommunications

File:SomaliaInternet.jpg

An Internet service provider in Mogadishu.

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 neighbouring countries, despite (or perhaps due to) Somalia's lack of government. Somalia has the cheapest cellular calling rates in Africa, with some companies charging less than a cent a minute. (Telecoms thriving in lawless Somalia) Companies providing telecommunication services are:

Column-generating template families

The templates listed here are not interchangeable. For example, using {{col-float}} with {{col-end}} instead of {{col-float-end}} would leave a <div>...</div> open, potentially harming any subsequent formatting.

Column templates

Type	Family	Handles wiki table code?†	Responsive/ mobile suited	Start template	Column divider	End template
Float	"col-float"	Yes	Yes	{{col-float}}	{{col-float-break}}	{{col-float-end}}
	"columns-start"	Yes	Yes	{{columns-start}}	{{column}}	{{columns-end}}
Columns	"div col"	Yes	Yes	{{div col}}	–	{{div col end}}
	"columns-list"	No	Yes	{{columns-list}} (wraps div col)	–	–
Flexbox	"flex columns"	No	Yes	{{flex columns}}	–	–
Table	"col"	Yes	No	{{col-begin}}, {{col-begin-fixed}} or {{col-begin-small}}	{{col-break}} or {{col-2}} .. {{col-5}}	{{col-end}}

^† Can template handle the basic wiki markup {| | || |- |} used to create tables? If not, special templates that produce these elements (such as {{(!}}, {{!}}, {{!!}}, {{!-}}, {{!)}})—or HTML tags (<table>...</table>, <tr>...</tr>, etc.)—need to be used instead.

See also

Column-generating template families

The templates listed here are not interchangeable. For example, using {{col-float}} with {{col-end}} instead of {{col-float-end}} would leave a <div>...</div> open, potentially harming any subsequent formatting.

Column templates

Type	Family	Handles wiki table code?†	Responsive/ mobile suited	Start template	Column divider	End template
Float	"col-float"	Yes	Yes	{{col-float}}	{{col-float-break}}	{{col-float-end}}
	"columns-start"	Yes	Yes	{{columns-start}}	{{column}}	{{columns-end}}
Columns	"div col"	Yes	Yes	{{div col}}	–	{{div col end}}
	"columns-list"	No	Yes	{{columns-list}} (wraps div col)	–	–
Flexbox	"flex columns"	No	Yes	{{flex columns}}	–	–
Table	"col"	Yes	No	{{col-begin}}, {{col-begin-fixed}} or {{col-begin-small}}	{{col-break}} or {{col-2}} .. {{col-5}}	{{col-end}}

^† Can template handle the basic wiki markup {| | || |- |} used to create tables? If not, special templates that produce these elements (such as {{(!}}, {{!}}, {{!!}}, {{!-}}, {{!)}})—or HTML tags (<table>...</table>, <tr>...</tr>, etc.)—need to be used instead.

Lists

• List of notable Somali leaders
• List of Somali companies
• List of Somalia-related topics

External links

Government

• Official Website of the Federal Government of Somalia

News

• News about Somalia
• Somalia: Counter-terrorism Alliance militiamen surrendered to Islamic courts.
• Malaria Kills dozens in Somalia Gedo region
• Hyenas killing people in Somaliland
• AllAfrica.com - Somalia news headline links
• International Freedom of Expression eXchange: Somalia
• Somalia Enters a Revolutionary Situation
• Somalia's Islamists Resume Their Momentum and Embark on a Diplomatic Path

Economy

• Anarchy and Invention: How Does Somalia's Private Sector Cope without Government?

General information

• Conoco-Somalia Declassification Project maintained by Professor Keith Yearman, College of DuPage
• BBC News Country Profile - Somalia
• BBC News In Depth - Somalia: Emerging from Ruins?
• Somalia: No Government, No Peace
• The case of the unwanted US Somalis - Somalia
• Open Directory Project - Somalia directory category
• Somali Planet Networks
• CBC Digital Archives - The Somalia Affair
• HornAfrik Widely-listened-to private FM radio station in Mogadishu
• News and Discussions News and Discussions

UNESCO

• UNESCO Nairobi office on HIV/AIDS in Somalia
• UNESCO Nairobi office on education in Somalia

Geographic locale

Template:Cushitic-speaking en:Somalia