Last 100 Topics:
Somalia has no national government at present; however, a two-year reconciliation process led by the Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) concluded in October 2004 following the formation of a transitional parliament, known as the Transitional Federal Assembly, in August 2004, and election of a Transitional President in October 2004. A...
Somalia lacks natural resources and faces major development challenges, and recent economic reverses have left its people increasingly dependent on remittances from abroad. Its economy is pastoral and agricultural, with livestock--principally camels, cattle, sheep, and goats--representing the main form of wealth. Livestock exports in recent years have...
Greetings Somali warmly greet each other with handshakes, but shaking hands with the opposite sex is avoided. Common verbal greetings include: Assalam Alaikum (Peace be upon you) Nabad miyaa (is their peace). Subah wanaagsan (Good morning) Galab wanaagsan (Good afternoon) Habeeb wanaagsan (Good night) Gestures Somali use sweeping hand and arm gestures...
Early history traces the development of the Somali state to an Arab sultanate, which was founded in the seventh century A.D. by Koreishite immigrants from Yemen. During the 15th and 16th centuries, Portuguese traders landed in present Somali territory and ruled several coastal towns. The sultan of Oman and Zanzibar subsequently took control of these...
Somalia is located on the east coast of Africa on and north of the Equator and, with Ethiopia and Djibouti, is often referred to as the Horn of Africa. It comprises Italy's former Trust Territory of Somalia and the former British Protectorate of Somaliland (now seeking recognition as an independent state). The coastline extends 2,720 kilometers (1,700...
As early as the seventh century A.D., indigenous Cushitic peoples began to mingle with Arab and Persian traders who had settled along the coast. Interaction over the centuries led to the emergence of a Somali culture bound by common traditions, a single language, and the Islamic faith. Today, about 60% of all Somalis are nomadic or semi-nomadic pastoralists...
|