Where Is Somalia?

Somalia is the name of a small East African nation situated on the Horn of Africa. The precise meaning of the name Somalia is open to speculation, since there is no official explanation. It is however widely believed that the name Somalia is derived from the fact that its inhabitants are called Somalis. Somali in turn is probably coined from the words 'so' which means 'go, and 'mal' which means 'to milk'. They were given this name owing to the fact that whenever a visitor came they would order their servants to 'so mal', that is, fetch milk to offer the guests.

Somalia's population is estimated to be around 8,228,000 people. Its capital city is Mogadishu. In addition to its tumultuous past, Somalia has suffered much even in recent times.  In 2004 it was ravaged by the tsunami. In 2006, Somalia not only suffered the devastation wrought by torrential rains and floods but was also ravaged by a bloody civil war. Somalia also has one of the highest rates of child mortality in the world.

Somalia is located on the East Coast of Africa at the place known as the horn of Africa. Somalia lies just east of Ethiopia and to the north east of Kenya. The tiny country of Djibouti lies to its north west. The country is shaped like a boomerang or the number seven. The countries capital is Mogadishu and it has a population of approximately eight million two hundred thousand.

Somalia was occupied by the Italians till about 1960. The country has recently been in the news regarding the conflict between the government and the Union of Islamic Courts. The Islamic courts very much like the Taliban in Afghanistan had got stability to Mogadishu and other cities from the previous factional fighting amongst the different warlords. The government has retaken the cities with the help of Ethiopian troops and air power.