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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The South-West State of Somalia (Somali: - Koonfur Galbeed), (Af-Maay: Koofur Orsé), is a Federal Member State in southwestern Somalia. It was founded by Hasan Muhammad Nur Shatigadud, leader of the Somalia RRA on 1 April 2002. It was the third autonomous region to be established.

After its dissolution in 2005, the territory was re-established in November 2009 as an official federal member state of Somalia. Abdiaziz Laftagareen was selected the president of this state. The official capital of South-West state is Barawa, located on the coast of the Somali Sea, though the state administration is currently based in Baidoa. (Full article...)

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Somalia sent a delegation to compete at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia from 15 September to 1 October 2000. This was the African country's fifth appearance at a Summer Olympic Games, following their debut twenty-eight years earlier at the 1972 Summer Olympics. The delegation consisted of two athletics competitors: Ibrahim Mohamed Aden and Safia Abukar Hussein, the latter was Somalia's first female Olympic athlete. Neither of the two participants progressed beyond the first round of their respective competitions. (Full article...)

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Mogadishu Battle of Jilib Embassy of the United States, Mogadishu Operation Eastern Exit Cyclone Sagar 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 Ahmad ibn Ibrihim al-Ghazi, a Somali Imam and General of the Adal Sultanate, invaded Ethiopia and defeated several Ethiopian emperors, wreaking much damage on that kingdom?

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

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See Wiki Loves Africa in Somalia at Wikimedia Commons for more Somalia images.

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

Image 1Major General Mohamed Siad Barre, Chairman of the Supreme Revolutionary Council. (from History of Somalia)
Image 2Somali singer Fartuun Birimo wearing henna hand and arm designs. (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 3Downtown Mogadishu in 1936. Arch of Triumph Umberto to the left, Cathedral and Arba Rucun mosque to the centre-right. (from History of Somalia)
Image 4Somali women basket weaving (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 5Embassy of Somalia in Paris (from History of Somalia)
Image 6The battle flag of Al-Shabaab, an Islamist group waging war against the federal government. (from History of Somalia)
Image 7Taleh was the capital of the Dervish movement. (from History of Somalia)
Image 8A traditional dabqaad incense burner. (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 9Mogadiscio cathedral (from History of Somalia)
Image 10In 1698, the Portuguese in Mombasa surrendered to a joint Somali-Ottoman force. (from History of Somalia)
Image 1119th century Martello fort in Berbera constructed by Haji Sharmarke Ali Saleh (from History of Somalia)
Image 12Former 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 13Somali woman in Hargeisa opening speech with traditional greeting. (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 14Somalis performing the folk dance called Dhaanto (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 15Topography of Somalia (from Geography of Somalia)
Image 16The Osmanya writing script. (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 17Wa'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 18Flag of the Somali Youth League (SYL), the nation's first political party. (from History of Somalia)
Image 19Somali Army soldiers during the operation Operation Indian Ocean, October 2014 (from History of Somalia)
Image 20Merca is an ancient Islamic center in Somalia. (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 21Italian Somalia (from History of Somalia)
Image 22Cinema Italia in Mogadiscio, 1937 (from History of Somalia)
Image 23Barawa city was an important medieval centre of Somali enterprise. (from History of Somalia)
Image 24Mosque in Borama, Somaliland (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 25Exhumed skeletal remains of victims of the Isaaq genocide (from History of Somalia)
Image 26Mosque of Islamic Solidarity (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 27The Silk Road extending from southern Europe through Arabia, Somalia, Egypt, Persia, India and Java until it reaches China. (from History of Somalia)
Image 28Dervish commander Haji Sudi on the left with his brother in-law Duale Idres. Aden, 1892. (from History of Somalia)
Image 29Foreign 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 30Mohammed Abdullah Hassan, leader of the Dervish movement. (from History of Somalia)
Image 31Somalia map of Köppen climate classification. (from Geography of Somalia)
Image 32Governor's palace in Mogadiscio (from History of Somalia)
Image 33Somali woman building a Somali house (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 34Somali women performing a traditional dance (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 35US Army helicopter shortly before Battle of Mogadishu in 1993. (from History of Somalia)
Image 36Almnara Tower, Mogadishu. (from History of Somalia)
Image 37The Guardafui Channel, between the tip of Somalia and Socotra island. (from Geography of Somalia)
Image 38Italian stamp from Mogadiscio (from History of Somalia)
Image 39Ruins of the Sultanate of Adal in Zeila, Somalia. (from History of Somalia)
Image 40Abdirahman Ahmed Ali Tuur Chairman of the Somali National Movement that overthrew Barre's regime in Northern Somalia (from History of Somalia)
Image 41Fiat building in Mogadiscio, 1940 (from History of Somalia)
Image 42Dulbiciid in Godaalo, Xudun District, tallest Somalia mountain outside karkaar range (from Geography of Somalia)
Image 43Sheikh Ali Ayanle Samatar, a prominent Somali Islamic scholar. (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 44Model of a medieval Mogadishan ship. (from History of Somalia)
Image 45Neolithic rock art at the Laas Geel complex depicting a camel. (from History of Somalia)
Image 46Mogadishan currency – The Sultanate of Mogadishu was an important monetary supporter of Adal. (from History of Somalia)
Image 47Somali women in traditional dirac and shash (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 48An avenue in downtown Mogadishu in 1963. (from History of Somalia)
Image 49A Somali woman showing a decorated pottery (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 50Engraving 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 51AMISOM reinforcement convoy on the Baidoa-Mogadishu road in April 2014 (from History of Somalia)
Image 52Somali men and women in front of a traditional house (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 53Ahmad ibn Ibrihim al-Ghazi's pioneering use of cannons figured prominently in his Conquest of Ethiopian territories. (from History of Somalia)
Image 54Map 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 55Somali language books on display. (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 56Bimaal clan elders and the Bimal Sultan on board Marco Polo discussing matters with Italian figures (from History of Somalia)

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