SOMALIA

Area

637.657 Kmq

Mortalità infantile

125 per 1.000

(Fonts - population, annual growth, life expectancy, infant mortality, imports and exports: The World Factbook 2000, www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook - GNP per capita: UNDP, Human Development Report 2000, Oxford 2000 - other infos: Instituto del Tercer Mundo, Guya del mondo 1999/2000, Montevideo 1999) www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook

HISTORY

Somalia occupies the most eastern part of the African continent, i.e., the extreme part of the peninsula known as the Horn of Africa. The Somalis form a Cushitic (Nilotic-Hamitic) ethnic group which is relatively homogeneous from the cultural, linguistic and religious point of view. The major ethnic groups (Issaq, Dir and Digil) present a cultural and linguistic unity that is quite rare in Africa. Islam has been the religion of the great majority of the Somalis for over thirteen centuries, although there is also a Christian minority, mainly in Mogadishu. Somali society is essentially pastoral and nomadic and is made up of two national groups: the Samale and the Sab. The Somalis, precisely because they are nomads, are organized in patriarchal families and clans with strongly hierarchical ranks of nobility. The Somali language belongs to the Cushitic group and has some dialectal variations, but other languages are used in commercial and international relations: Arabic, English and Italian. In 1960 Somaliland and Italian Somalia became independent and immediately formed the Somali Republic (1st July). In the night between 29th and 21st October 1969, after the assassination of the President of the Republic, Ali Shermanke, a bloodless military coup d'état dissolved all the political parties and put an end to the parliamentary republic. General Mohamed Siad Barre became head of the Supreme Revolutionary Council and President of the Republic and remained in this position until 1990 when he was deposed and expelled by an armed uprising led by General Aidid. Following the defeat of the regime of Siad Barre and his flight. Somalia has not known peace and national unity. The devastation of wars, conflicts between clans and internal struggles have provoked the economic, political and social collapse, forcing a humanitarian armed intervention by the United Nations in an attempt to put an end to the conflict but unfortunately this failed. Since 1994, Somalia has been abandoned to its uncertain fate.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

CALCHI NOVATI, Il corno d'Africa nella STORY e nella politica, Torino: SEI 1994

MEROSI M., Somalia, Roma : SEAM 1995

ARECCHI, Somalia, Bergamo: Cesvi 1996

OSMAN O., Somalia, Bologna: Ed. Pendragon 1998

MOHAMED ALÌ NUR, Somalia:appunti di viaggio, Roma: Edizioni associate Cisp 1998

GIACARDI W. (a cura di), Somalia: passato recente e speranze per il futuro, Torino : Tirrenia stampatori 2000

Languages-On-The-Web Best Somali Links

MUSIC

PUGLIELLI (a cura di), Aspetti dell'espressione artistica in Somalia, Roma: Università di La Sapienza 1987

Real World Records Releases - Waaberi

ITALIAN NGO IN SOMALIA

CISP, COOPI, COSV, INTERSOS, AFRICA 70, COSPE, AMREF, APH, GRT, CEFA, CINS, TEN