Somalia

Overview

Somalia is bounded on the north by the Gulf of Aden, on the east and south by the Indian Ocean, on the southwest by Kenya , on the west by Ethiopia , and on the northwest by Djibouti . The total area is 637,657 sq km (about 246,200 sq mi). The northern part of Somalia is known as Somaliland and is a de facto semi-autonomous region, not recognized by the international community as an independent country, however.

Mogadishu is the capital and largest city of the country. Most travelers will find that it is the most convenient place to start their trip to this fascinating country. It's the only place with an Internet Cafe, for example.

Somalia has a long coastline, extending for about 3025 km (about 1880 mi), but it has few natural harbors. A sandy coastal plain borders on the Gulf of Aden in the north. A series of mountain ranges, with average elevations between about 915 and 2135 m (about 3000 and 7000 ft), dominates the northern part of the country. To the south, the interior consists of a rugged plateau, ranging in elevation from about 500 m (about 1640 ft) in the north to less than 180 m (less than 600 ft) in the south. In the south, a wide coastal plain, which has many sand dunes, borders on the Indian Ocean. The country's two major rivers are found on the southern plateau, the Jubba in the southern part and the Shabeelle in the south central section.

The climate of...more

History

Early history traces the development of the Somali people to an Arab sultanate which was founded in the seventh century A.D. by Koreishite immigrants from Yemen. During the 10th and 11th centuries Portuguese traders landed in present Somali territory and ruled several coastal towns. The sultan of Zanzibar subsequently took control of these towns and their surrounding territory.

The Warsangeli Sultante was an imperial power centered around the borders of the North East of British Somaliland and some parts of South East of Italian Somaliland. It was one of the largest Sultanates of all times in Somalia, and, at the height of its power, it included  the Sanaag region, parts of North East of Bari region. It was established by a tribe of Warsangeli in North of Somalia and ruled by the descendents of the Gerad Dhidhin.

The Sultan also known as the Gerad, in some parts of Somalia, sometimes the Sultan or Gerad, was the sole regent and government of the Sultanate, at least officially. The dynasty is most often called the Gerad   or the House of  North East Somaliland Sultan. The sultan enjoyed many titles such as Sovereign of the House of North East of Somaliland Sultanate , Sultan of Sultans of Somaliland. Note that the first rulers never called themselves sultan s. The sultan title was established by Sultan Mohamud Ali Shire   in 1897

Gerad Dhidhin (1298�1311) Gerad Hamar Gale(1311�1328) Gerad Ibrahim (1328�1340) Gerad Omer (1340�1355) Gerad Mohamud  (1355�1375) Gerad Ciise (1375�1392) ...more