FACTS ABOUT SOMALIA

AMAZING FACTS ABOUT SOMALIA

1.                 Somalia is officially known as the “Kingdom of Norway”

2.                 Mogadishu is the capital city of Somalia.

3.                 The total population of Somalia is 10,817,354.

4.                 The natives of Somalia are called Somalis.

5.                 The Somali shilling (SOS) is official currency of Somalia.

6.                 Somalia shares a border with Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya.

7.                 Restaurants are popular in many cities in Somalia, however, women very rarely dined out with men until the late 1990’s.

8.                 While dining at home, it is customary for the women to serve the men first. After the men have finished their meals, they will sit down and eat with the children.

9.                 When eating, people in Somalia scoop the food from their bowl using their first three fingers. Some will roll a banana leaf and use that for scooping. Urban Somalis will use silverware while dining, but many would rather use their fingers.

10.            A stock exchange system exists with pirates in Somalia. Locals can invest in a pirate group and after a successful heist will receive a reward. Once, a woman gave a RPG 7 to a pirate group and ended up receiving 75,000 dollars.

11.            Somalia doesn't export anything other than livestock and hides. Even it doesn't produce for domestic consumption.

12.            It's normal to hear gunshots all the day and night.  Usually the shots are not aimed at anybody but for testing as weapons are commercial goods like any other goods.

13.            There are no libraries in Somalia. Some higher education institutions may be excluded.

14.            Books written in Somali language are rare. So are Somali writers.

15.            Newspapers are rare. This is because we don't read but we listen. We are oral society.

16.            Somali women do not wear the Muslim veil; however, they are not allowed to socialize with men in public.

17.            Nomads in Somalia consider the country’s pastureland available to all. If a family digs water well, it is not considered the property of all. It would just belong to the family.

18.            When a family has a wedding, a birth, or a circumcision, it calls for a huge celebration which involves food. The family would slaughter animals, make bread, and prepare food for guests as well as for the poor who are invited to the celebration as well.

19.            The most widely recognized symbol in Somalia is the camel. This is because the camel provides meat, milk, transportation, income, and status for those who own one.

20.            The main language spoken in Somalia is Somali. Some also speak Arabic, Italian, and English.

21.            Educated young adults in Somalia who come from well to do families speak five languages or more.

22.            The Civil War in Somalia has been going on for over a decade.

23.            The Civil War has been going on against Ethiopia, warlord-led groups, and even the United States.

24.            Since the Civil War in Somalia broke out in the early 1990’s, over 500,000 people have died.

25.            During the Civil War in Somalia, an American Black Hawk helicopter was shot down. The three soldiers who were on board died.

26.            On March 25, 1994, the United States withdrew from Somalia and the Civil War after being there for 15 months.

27.            Since the beginning of the Civil War in the early 1990’s, not one tourist visited Somalia until 2010, when a man from Canada Mike Spencer Brown arrived, shocking authorities by declaring himself a tourist. Read about his adventures journeys here.

28.            Due to the Civil War, the capital of Somalia is an extremely dangerous city. It is where different clans are always battling for control.

29.            The people of Somalia are suffering from famine and drought. Unfortunately, due to the fighting among the competing clans, food delivery is restricted.

30.            The power struggle that has been going on is between two warring clan lords, Mohamed Farah Aideed and Ali Mahdi Mohamed.

31.            Due to the Civil War, over 350,000 innocent civilians have died of disease and starvation because they could not get food. Due to the problem, George H.W. Bush ordered emergency airlifts of food and supplies to help the residents.

32.            Somalia is one of the poorest countries in the world.

33.            In the year 2000, residents in Somalia have been working to rebuild the cities from the destruction created during the Civil War.

34.            The United States provided Somalia financial assistance, which helped improve the seaports and Mogadishu International Airport.

35.            Many of the industries in Somalia were built with the help of foreign nationals.

36.            The only industries that exist in Somalia are fish and meat canneries, mild processing plants, leather tanning factories, and electrical and pharmaceutical factories.

37.            More than half of the residents of Somalia are self-employed. They are farmers, herders, and independent business owners.

38.            Traditionally, Small clans in Somalia have men and older boys do the important work, such as tending camels and cattle. Girls and young boys tend to the sheep and goats.

39.            Many men were killed during the Civil War or due to diseases, such as tuberculosis. This left it up to the women to fend for themselves.

40.            Women in Somalia have shown a remarkable adaptability and talent for business. Many international organizations have helped them with their education and job training.

41.            When people in Somali get married, there is not just a bond between the man and his wife, but also between the clans and the families.

42.            On July 1, 1960, the new country of Somalia was formed.

43.            In 1969, in a bid to become the dictator, Mohamed Siad Barre led a non-violent, bloodless coup.

44.            Between 1977 and 1978, Somalia invaded the Ogaden portion of Ethiopia.

45.            In 1988, Ethiopia and Somalia finally signed a peace treaty.

46.            In December 1992, a coalition force was launched by the U.N. and led by the United States to restore order so that food could be delivered to the starving Somali people.

47.            The Battle of Mogadishu is one of the worst battles in Somalia. Eighteen American soldiers were killed and over 70 were wounded.

48.            During the Battle of Mogadishu, an American pilot named Michael Durant was captured. He was freed on October 14, 1993.

49.            Due to unsanitary water, hundreds of Somalians were killed during a cholera outbreak. This led to a severe drought in Somalia.

50.            In 2001, The United Nations was forced to pull staff and aid workers from the country due to the dangerous fighting and kidnappings, due to arguments about religion, government, education, and health.

51.            On August 8, 2011, United States President Barack Obama announced $105 million would be given for emergency funding in the country.

52.            Over 73 percent of Somalis live on less than $2 U.S. Dollars per day.

53.            The 2011 famine in Southern Somalia was the first in that region in over 30 years.

54.            About one in 8 children in Somalia is acutely malnourished.

55.            Today, over one million people in the country are in desperate need of emergency food assistance.

56.            Due to the two decades of conflict, 1.1 million Somalis are displaced in their own country.

57.            On April 8, 2009, Somali pirates hijacked the U.S. Maersk Alabama. The captain, Richard Phillips, offered himself as a hostage to protect his crew.

58.            The U.S. Navy SEALs fatally shot three of the pirates and the fourth was taken into custody.

59.            A book was written and a movie was made about the Captain’s ordeal.

60.            The pirate who survived was taken to the United States, where he was sentenced to over 33 years in a U.S. federal prison.

61.            The surviving pirate agreed to plead guilty, and the charge of piracy and possession of a machine gun were dropped. He pleaded guilty to kidnapping and hostage-taking.

62.            Somalia Exports: livestock, bananas, hides, fish, charcoal and scrap metal.

63.            Somalia Imports: manufactures, petroleum products, foodstuffs and construction materials.

64.            The internet country code for Somalia is .so.