Somalia Information, Geography and History

Information

•  Full name: Somali Republic or Somali Democratic Republic.

•  Capital City: Mogadishu.

•  Language: Somali, Arabic, English and Italian.

•  Currency: Somali Shilling.

•  Religion: Sunni Muslim.

•  National Anthem: “Somaliyaay toosoo” meaning ‘Somalia Wake Up' and “Somalia Hanolato” meaning ‘Long Live Somalia'.

•  Newspaper: AllPuntland, Hiiraan, Puntland Post and Shabelle Times.

•  Places to Visit: Berbera, Mogadishu, Hargeisa, Hargeisa Markets and Las Geel.

•  Transport: Airways : there are flights twice a week from the Daallo Airlines from Dubai, London and Paris to Djibouti. The other airline that operates between other countries and Somalia is the Ethiopian Airlines; Roadways : buses are available between Jijiga in Ethiopia Hargeisa.

•  Shopping: hand-crafted jewellery made from gold, silver, semiprecious stones and beads; hand woven clothes and textiles; traditional Somali garments; baskets woven in the Benadir region; meerschaum making and woodcarvings.

Introduction

the country of Somalia was formed of the merging of British Somaliland in the north with Italian Somaliland in the south, in the year 1960. However, that only ended the colonial divide. Peace remained un-restored with persisting clan-wars, dictatorship and civil war. After the end of the civil war in 1991, the ‘Republic of Somaliland' withdrew from the main country. Somalia has failed to reinstate a proper national government since the end of the civil war in 1991, and remains without one. The other aspect of the country, aside of the clan-wars, that continually thwarts Somalia's stability are the recurring droughts. Somalia is made up of some 18 regions.

Location of Somalia

the country of Somalia is conveniently located in the region that is better known as the “Horn of Africa”. Somalia is situated in the eastern extreme in Africa. Its immediate political neighbors are Kenya to the southwest; Ethiopia to the west; and Djibouti to the northwest.

The northern, eastern and the southeastern borders are surrounded by water bodies. The Gulf of Aden lies to the north of Somalia and the Indian Ocean to its east and southeast.

Physical Map of Somalia

the country of Somalia is basically made up of flat lands; if at all there is an increase in altitude, it rises to form a table land or plateau. However, there occur several mountains in the north of the country that rise to an altitude to about 2,000 meters above sea level. Located in the part of Africa that is termed as the “Horn of Africa”, this semi-arid country has the second largest coastal stretch in the continent, measuring about 3,025 kilometers. The two main rivers that water the country are Juba and Shebelle; both of them flow into the Indian Ocean in the east.

Climate of Somalia

the country of Somalia has two types of conditions: an arid desert condition and also a tropical one. Also the climatic conditions of the country are massively dependent on the landscape and region location. So, basically the country has a typically hot climate all year round punctuated by irregular and scanty rainfall. Between the months of May and October, the weather is rendered pleasant by the monsoon in the southwest. The other spell of precipitation – the northeast monsoons – occurs in the months between December and February . Despite the decline in temperature during the monsoons, the humidity in the country shoots up. The country is not alien to droughts with monsoons, meager as they are, giving a miss every now and then. The annual precipitation on an average is 28 cm.

Flora and Fauna of Somalia

the country of Somalia mainly houses desert variety of plants. However, the coastal areas have tropical varieties. The indigenous species of plants found in extensive numbers are incense trees, acacia thorntrees, papaya, aloes, kapok, baobab, mangrove and candelabra. There are also several imported varieties in Somalia that have become popular; they are the pine, flamboyant, coconut, dune palm and juniper. The animal habitat in the country comprises of a rich collection too. The variety will delight you with a range from elephants to wild boars. The other varieties that fall somewhere in between are baboons, lions, porcupines, wildcats, gazelles, giraffes, waterbucks, zebras, hippopotamuses and hyenas. Reptile species also come in a wide range. The list includes the dik-dik, lizard, crocodiles, turtles and many species of snakes and vipers like, puff adders, spitting cobras, and kraits. The avian varieties that are sighted in Somalia are bustards, sand grouse, ostriches, green pigeons, ducks, partridges, guinea fowls and herons.

Keep surfing Mapsofworld for all the information you need about the Somalia and book Southwest Airlines, Mexicana Airlines, Lufthansa Airlines tickets online. any other in the world.