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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ARB 01 just off the coast of Somalia on November 10

Deep Depression ARB 01 was the second deadliest tropical cyclone worldwide in 2013 as well as the deadliest to affect Somalia in recorded history. The sixth tropical cyclone and third deep depression of the 2013 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, ARB 01 formed in the Arabian Sea on November 8. The cyclone subsequently strengthened into a deep depression before making landfall in the Puntland region of Somalia at peak intensity on November 11. After making landfall, the cyclone rapidly weakened over land and degenerated into a well-marked low-pressure area later on the same day.

Although the cyclone remained weak throughout its life, torrential rainfall associated with the system killed 162 people across Somalia, and left about 300 others missing. (Full article...)

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Operation Eastern Exit was the codename given to the military evacuation of the United States embassy in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, in January 1991. In late December 1990, violence quickly enveloped the city as armed militants began clashing with government soldiers. On 1 January 1991, the US Ambassador to Somalia, James Keough Bishop, contacted the Department of State requesting an evacuation of the embassy, which was approved the following day. United States Central Command began planning and mobilizing forces that evening. The initial plan was to evacuate with a military transport plane through the Mogadishu International Airport, but this was later abandoned. A helicopter evacuation via the USS Guam and USS Trenton was the remaining option.

On the morning of 5 January, a 60-person Marine and Navy SEAL security detail was dispatched from Guam aboard two CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters to secure the embassy and prepare for the main evacuation. The two helicopters returned to Guam with the first 61 evacuees. Throughout the day, foreign diplomats and civilians sought refuge at the embassy. Four waves of five CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters each evacuated the embassy compound shortly after midnight on 6 January. The evacuees were transported to Muscat, Oman, where they disembarked on 11 January. In total, Operation Eastern Exit evacuated 281 (with a 282nd born aboard ship) diplomats and civilians from 30 countries, including 12 heads of missions (eight ambassadors and four chargés d'affaires). (Full article...)

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Mogadishu Battle of Jilib Embassy of the United States, Mogadishu Cyclone Sagar Somalia at the 2000 Summer Olympics 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 Zahra Mohamed Ahmad (pictured), who gives legal advice at the Somali Women Development Centre, is said to be a Woman of Courage?
...that the Somali Ajuuraan State excelled in hydraulic engineering and fortress building?

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

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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 1Dulbiciid in Godaalo, Xudun District, tallest Somalia mountain outside karkaar range (from Geography of Somalia)
Image 2Somali women basket weaving (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 men and women in front of a traditional house (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 5Almnara Tower, Mogadishu. (from History of Somalia)
Image 6In 1698, the Portuguese in Mombasa surrendered to a joint Somali-Ottoman force. (from History of Somalia)
Image 7Former 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 8Foreign 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 9Somali woman in Hargeisa opening speech with traditional greeting. (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 10Neolithic rock art at the Laas Geel complex depicting a camel. (from History of Somalia)
Image 11Somali women in traditional dirac and shash (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 12Engraving 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 13Somalia map of Köppen climate classification. (from Geography of Somalia)
Image 14Mosque of Islamic Solidarity (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 15Dervish commander Haji Sudi on the left with his brother in-law Duale Idres. Aden, 1892. (from History of Somalia)
Image 16Barawa city was an important medieval centre of Somali enterprise. (from History of Somalia)
Image 17Sheikh Ali Ayanle Samatar, a prominent Somali Islamic scholar. (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 18Taleh was the capital of the Dervish movement. (from History of Somalia)
Image 19Embassy of Somalia in Paris (from History of Somalia)
Image 20Somali woman building a Somali house (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 21Governor's palace in Mogadiscio (from History of Somalia)
Image 22Exhumed skeletal remains of victims of the Isaaq genocide (from History of Somalia)
Image 23Italian Somalia (from History of Somalia)
Image 24US Army helicopter shortly before Battle of Mogadishu in 1993. (from History of Somalia)
Image 25Ruins of the Sultanate of Adal in Zeila, Somalia. (from History of Somalia)
Image 26Somali women performing a traditional dance (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 27Ahmad ibn Ibrihim al-Ghazi's pioneering use of cannons figured prominently in his Conquest of Ethiopian territories. (from History of Somalia)
Image 28Mogadishan currency – The Sultanate of Mogadishu was an important monetary supporter of Adal. (from History of Somalia)
Image 29Topography of Somalia (from Geography of Somalia)
Image 30The Silk Road extending from southern Europe through Arabia, Somalia, Egypt, Persia, India and Java until it reaches China. (from History of Somalia)
Image 31A traditional dabqaad incense burner. (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 32Cinema Italia in Mogadiscio, 1937 (from History of Somalia)
Image 33Traditional Somali clans (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 3419th century Martello fort in Berbera constructed by Haji Sharmarke Ali Saleh (from History of Somalia)
Image 35Bimaal clan elders and the Bimal Sultan on board Marco Polo discussing matters with Italian figures (from History of Somalia)
Image 36Flag of the Somali Youth League (SYL), the nation's first political party. (from History of Somalia)
Image 37Major General Mohamed Siad Barre, Chairman of the Supreme Revolutionary Council. (from History of Somalia)
Image 38Wa'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 39Somalis performing the folk dance called Dhaanto (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 40Mosque in Borama, Somaliland (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 41Abdirahman Ahmed Ali Tuur Chairman of the Somali National Movement that overthrew Barre's regime in Northern Somalia (from History of Somalia)
Image 42Merca is an ancient Islamic center in Somalia. (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 43Exterior of the Saryan Museum, Hargeisa (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 44Mohammed Abdullah Hassan, leader of the Dervish movement. (from History of Somalia)
Image 45Map 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 46Somali Army soldiers during the operation Operation Indian Ocean, October 2014 (from History of Somalia)
Image 47Mogadiscio cathedral (from History of Somalia)
Image 48The battle flag of Al-Shabaab, an Islamist group waging war against the federal government. (from History of Somalia)
Image 49Fiat building in Mogadiscio, 1940 (from History of Somalia)
Image 50A Somali woman showing a decorated pottery (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 51The Guardafui Channel, between the tip of Somalia and Socotra island. (from Geography of Somalia)
Image 52Somali language books on display. (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 53Model of a medieval Mogadishan ship. (from History of Somalia)
Image 54The Osmanya writing script. (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 55AMISOM reinforcement convoy on the Baidoa-Mogadishu road in April 2014 (from History of Somalia)
Image 56Somali singer Fartuun Birimo wearing henna hand and arm designs. (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 57An avenue in downtown Mogadishu in 1963. (from History of Somalia)
Image 58Italian stamp from Mogadiscio (from History of Somalia)

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