THE COUNTRY
Somalia is officially
referred to as the Federal Republic of Somalia. It is divided in to four regions:
Southern Somalia, Central Somalia, Puntland and Somaliland. The capital city is
Mogadishu. The Somali shilling is the national currency, although the US Dollar
is mostly preferred. In 1960 the independent Somali Republic under a civilian
government was formed.
THE GEOGRAPHY
The country is strategically located at the
mouth of the Bab el Mandeb gateway to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. Somalia
occupies the tip of a region that due to its resemblance on the map to a
rhinoceros’ horn is commonly referred to as 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 continent.
THE HISTORY
The existence
of Somalia reaches deep in to the canals of history. In antiquity, it was an
important center for commerce with the rest of the ancient world. According to
most scholars, it is among the most probable locations of the fabled ancient
Land of Punt. Egyptians called it The Land of Punt, “Punt” meaning “the land of
spices” from the aromatic plants that grow there. For a long time Somalia was an unknown country
for European explorers until the Portuguese explorers reached the coastal
cities of Somalia on their way to India. They called it Terra Incognita, which
means the unknown land. These new discoveries encouraged many other European
navigators to sail on the Somali coasts.
THE PEOPLE
The ancestral
homeland of the Somalis, together with affiliated Cushite peoples, was in the
highlands of southern Ethiopia, specifically in the lake regions. Unlike the
Bantu who migrated downwards, the Somalis migrated upwards to modern day
Somalia. The country has a population of about 10million, with around 85% of
local residents being 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.
THE CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS
Somalis
generally drive on the right or centre. The country has strong Muslim
influences hence, it is important to be aware that women must always be
covered, even during such activities as swimming. They must always be fully
clothed, as Sharia law is strictly enforced, and does not permit women to show
much of their bodies or to mingle with men.
THE CUISINE
Somali meals
are meat driven, vegetarianism is relatively rare. The overriding
characteristic of the country’s diet is that it consists of halal foods (Arabic
for "allowable" as opposed to haram: "prohibited"). Somalis
are Muslims and under Islamic Law (or Shar'1ah), pork and alcohol are not
allowed. The Cuisine of Somalia varies from region to region and consists of an
exotic mixture of native Somali, Yemeni, Persian, Turkish, Indian and Italian
influences. It is the product of Somalia's rich tradition of trade and
commerce. Despite the variety, there remains one thing that unites the various
regional cuisines: all food is served halal.
WARNING
Somalia is
currently a war zone—quite possibly the most dangerous country in the world to
visit—and remains extremely dangerous for independent travel or sightseeing due
to armed conflict between Government forces and various warlords/factions
(including al-Qaeda linked Al Shabab).
