History of Somalia

Somalia is a small country in the Horn of Africa with an ancient culture and tradition. The Land of Punt traded with the Middle East, China, India, ancient Egypt and the Swahili coast for millennia. The Somali people were traditionally nomadic livestock herders, sedentary farmers and coastal traders.

In 1991, civil war broke out in Somalia, leaving Somalia in anarchy ever since. While many without the resources to leave have stayed, thousands have fled. Of the 15 million Somalis in the world, fewer than 8 million remain in Somalia.

Somalis are currently the largest group granted asylum in the United States. There are over 150,000 Somalis in the USA. Large Somali communities exist in Minnesota, Columbus, Atlanta, Maine, San Diego, Seattle and Phoenix. There are now over 13,000 Somalis in Arizona.

Culture

The Somali people are split across the national boundaries of Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya. Somalis speak one or more of the few dialects of the Somali language. A vast majority of Somali people practices Islam. In the cities, Somali women are often found wearing long flowing dresses and shawls made up of multiple layers. Dress becomes less elaborate as you travel to the countryside, such as the woman pictured above who is from Baidoa.

Somalia map Somali cuisine is rich in spices such as cardamom, clove, saffron, anise and coriander. Somalis serve a variety of dishes including seasoned rice, vegetables, meat stews, salads and pasta. A staple in Somali cuisine is anjero, flat bread made out of sorghum. During dry seasons, a Somali herdsman's only meal may be smoked camel's milk..