Interesting things about Somalia, Africa.

Essay by aetindallJunior High, 9th gradeA, April 2004

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About the somali people...

Before the civil war, the population of Somalia was estimated at 7.7 million people. It is believed that about 400,000 people died of famine or disease or were killed in the war, and nearly 45% of the population was displaced inside Somalia or fled to neighboring countries, to the Middle East, or to the West. Of those that are still here today, the majority live in rural areas. Also , ethnically and culturally, Somalia is one of the most homogeneous countries in Africa. The majority of Somali people are ethnic Somalis who speak the same language, Somali and who practice the same religion, Islam.

The land...

Situated in eastern Africa, Somalia forms the cap of the Horn of Africa. Somalia covers an area of about 638,000 square kilometers, making it slightly smaller than Texas. Climate is the primary factor in much of Somali life. With hot, dry weather year-round, except at the higher elevations in the north, most of Somalia has a semi-arid to arid environment.

Somalia has two rainy seasons: the Gu (April to June) and the Dayr (October to November). In the south, the mean monthly temperature ranges from 68° F to 92° F (I'd be happy with that). The hottest months are February through April. Somalia's hottest climate is on the northern coastal strip along the Gulf of Aden, where temperatures range from 105° F in the summer to 78° F in the winter.

History...

Somalis claim descent from Arabian families who settled on the Somali coast 1,000 years ago. While scholars still debate the origins of the Somalis and the time of their entry into present-day Somalia, there is no doubt that they were in the region several hundred years before the first recorded use of their names in the...