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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(Mogadishu area) flag according to 1576 Portuguese map

The Ajuran Sultanate (Somali: Saldanadda Ajuuraan, Arabic: سلطنة الأجورانية), natively referred to as Ajuuraan, and often simply Ajuran/Ajur, was a Muslim empire in the Horn of Africa that thrived from the late medieval and early modern period. Founded by Somali Sultans its rise to prominence began during the 13th and 14th centuries and by the 15th century, it was Africa's only 'hydraulic empire'. Through a strong centralized administration and an aggressive military stance towards invaders, the Ajuran Empire successfully resisted Oromo invasions from the west and fought against Portuguese incursions from the east.

The Ajuran were among the great centres of commerce in the contemporary African and Islamic world. Trading routes dating from ancient and early medieval periods of Somali maritime enterprise were strengthened and re-established, foreign trade and commerce in the coastal provinces flourished with ships sailing to and from kingdoms and empires in the Near East, East Asia, and the wider world. The Ajuran are believed to be the first Africans to have contact with China. (Full article...)

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This is a Good article, an article that meets a core set of high editorial standards.

Lido beach

Mogadishu, locally known as Xamar or Hamar, or Jorawar, is the capital and most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port connecting traders across the Indian Ocean for millennia and has an estimated urban population of 4,126,815.

Mogadishu is located in the coastal Banaadir region on the Indian Ocean, which, unlike other Somali regions, is considered a municipality rather than a maamul goboleed (federal state). (Full article...)

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Did you know -

Statue of Mohammed Abdullah Hassan in Mogadishu.

...that Mohammed Abdullah Hassan (pictured), was the emir of Diriye Guure, the Sultan of the Dervish State, whom with the Haroun led a resistance war against British, Italian and Ethiopian forces for over two decades?

Selected image -

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

Wiki Loves Africa in Somalia images

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

General images -

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

Image 1US Army helicopter shortly before Battle of Mogadishu in 1993. (from History of Somalia)
Image 2Neolithic rock art at the Laas Geel complex depicting a camel. (from History of Somalia)
Image 3In 1698, the Portuguese in Mombasa surrendered to a joint Somali-Ottoman force. (from History of Somalia)
Image 4Governor's palace in Mogadiscio (from History of Somalia)
Image 5Somali women in traditional dirac and shash (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 6Barawa city was an important medieval centre of Somali enterprise. (from History of Somalia)
Image 7Abdirahman Ahmed Ali Tuur Chairman of the Somali National Movement that overthrew Barre's regime in Northern Somalia (from History of Somalia)
Image 8Somali singer Fartuun Birimo wearing henna hand and arm designs. (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 9The Guardafui Channel, between the tip of Somalia and Socotra island. (from Geography of Somalia)
Image 10Mogadiscio cathedral (from History of Somalia)
Image 11Ruins of the Sultanate of Adal in Zeila, Somalia. (from History of Somalia)
Image 12Dulbiciid in Godaalo, Xudun District, tallest Somalia mountain outside karkaar range (from Geography of Somalia)
Image 13Exhumed skeletal remains of victims of the Isaaq genocide (from History of Somalia)
Image 14Somalis performing the folk dance called Dhaanto (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 15Italian Somalia (from History of Somalia)
Image 1619th century Martello fort in Berbera constructed by Haji Sharmarke Ali Saleh (from History of Somalia)
Image 17Somali woman in Hargeisa opening speech with traditional greeting. (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 18Former 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 19Sheikh Ali Ayanle Samatar, a prominent Somali Islamic scholar. (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 20Somali woman building a Somali house (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 21Ahmad ibn Ibrihim al-Ghazi's pioneering use of cannons figured prominently in his Conquest of Ethiopian territories. (from History of Somalia)
Image 22AMISOM reinforcement convoy on the Baidoa-Mogadishu road in April 2014 (from History of Somalia)
Image 23The battle flag of Al-Shabaab, an Islamist group waging war against the federal government. (from History of Somalia)
Image 24Mosque of Islamic Solidarity (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 25Merca is an ancient Islamic center in Somalia. (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 26A traditional dabqaad incense burner. (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 27Embassy of Somalia in Paris (from History of Somalia)
Image 28Map 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 29The Osmanya writing script. (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 30Taleh was the capital of the Dervish movement. (from History of Somalia)
Image 31Downtown Mogadishu in 1936. Arch of Triumph Umberto to the left, Cathedral and Arba Rucun mosque to the centre-right. (from History of Somalia)
Image 32Foreign 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 33Somali women performing a traditional dance (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 34Almnara Tower, Mogadishu. (from History of Somalia)
Image 35Mosque in Borama, Somaliland (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 36Mohammed Abdullah Hassan, leader of the Dervish movement. (from History of Somalia)
Image 37Somali wearing the traditional Jubbad over a Khamiis (Thawb) and a Emama(Turban) (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 38Major General Mohamed Siad Barre, Chairman of the Supreme Revolutionary Council. (from History of Somalia)
Image 39Fiat building in Mogadiscio, 1940 (from History of Somalia)
Image 40Cinema Italia in Mogadiscio, 1937 (from History of Somalia)
Image 41Somali Army soldiers during the operation Operation Indian Ocean, October 2014 (from History of Somalia)
Image 42Somali language books on display. (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 43Somalia map of Köppen climate classification. (from Geography of Somalia)
Image 44An avenue in downtown Mogadishu in 1963. (from History of Somalia)
Image 45Model of a medieval Mogadishan ship. (from History of Somalia)
Image 46The Silk Road extending from southern Europe through Arabia, Somalia, Egypt, Persia, India and Java until it reaches China. (from History of Somalia)
Image 47Somali women basket weaving (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 48Dervish commander Haji Sudi on the left with his brother in-law Duale Idres. Aden, 1892. (from History of Somalia)
Image 49Flag of the Somali Youth League (SYL), the nation's first political party. (from History of Somalia)
Image 50A Somali woman showing a decorated pottery (from Culture of Somalia)
Image 51Mogadishan currency – The Sultanate of Mogadishu was an important monetary supporter of Adal. (from History of Somalia)
Image 52Topography of Somalia (from Geography of Somalia)
Image 53Engraving 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 54Wa'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 55Bimaal clan elders and the Bimal Sultan on board Marco Polo discussing matters with Italian figures (from History of Somalia)
Image 56Italian stamp from Mogadiscio (from History of Somalia)

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