[soh-mah-lee-uh, -mahl-yuh] 
| an independent republic on the E coast of Africa, formed from the former British Somaliland and the former Italian Somaliland. 9,940,232; 246,198 sq. mi. (637,653 sq. km). Capital: Mogadishu. |
So·ma·li·a (sō-mä'lē-ə, -mäl'yə)  (click for larger image in new window) A country of extreme eastern Africa on the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. Arab and Persian traders first established outposts in the region between the 7th and 10th centuries. European colonization began in the 19th century, with the protectorate of British Somaliland established in the north in 1887. The southern territory eventually came under Italian control and in 1936 was combined with newly conquered Ethiopian territory to form Italian East Africa. Britain ruled the entire region after World War II, with Italy returning in 1950 to administer its former protectorate under a UN mandate. The independent republic of Somalia was created in 1960 out of the British and Italian territories. Mogadishu is the capital and the largest city. Population: 9,120,000. So·ma'li·an adj. & n. |
Republic in extreme eastern Africa, directly south of the Arabian Peninsula across the Gulf of Aden, bordered by Ethiopia and Kenya to the west. Mogadishu is the capital and largest city.
Note: Britain, France, and Italy established protectorates in the area in the late 1880s. Somalia gained independence in 1960.
Note: Civil war and famine have recently ravaged the country. In 1992, the United States embarked on a humanitarian intervention designed to ensure delivery of food supplies to the population. After American troops were drawn into a conflict between local warlords and suffered casualties, the United States withdrew from Somalia in 1994. The country currently lacks any central government.
li