Somaliland
Somaliland | |
|---|---|
 National emblem
| |
Motto: لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله (Arabic) Lā ilāhā illā-llāhu; muhammadun rasūlu-llāhi "There is no god but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God" | |
.svg) Location of Somaliland. | |
| Capital | Hargeisa |
| Official languages | |
| Demonym(s) | Somali Somalilander |
| Government | Constitutional presidential republic |
| Muse Bihi Abdi | |
• Vice-President | Abdirahman Saylici |
• Speaker of the House | Baashe Mohamed Farah |
| Legislature | Parliament |
| House of Elders | |
| House of Representatives | |
| Independence from Somalia | |
• Proclaimed | 18 May 1991 |
• Recognition | Unrecognized[3][4] |
| Area | |
• Total | 137,600 km2 (53,100 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 2008 estimate | 3,500,000 |
• Density | 25/km2 (64.7/sq mi) |
| Currency | Somaliland shillinga (SLSH) |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (EAT) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (not observed) |
| Date format | d/m/yy (AD) |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +252 (Somalia) |
| Internet TLD | .so |
| |
Rankings unavailable as Somaliland is unrecognised. | |
Somaliland is an unrecognized state in middle-east Africa. It borders the Republic of Djibouti to the west, the Federal Republic of Ethiopia to the south and Somalia to the east.[5]
Somaliland was a British colony until 26 June 1960, when it became the Somaliland Protectorate, an independent country. On 1 July, 1960, the Somaliland Protectorate joined a new country called Somalia, and they formed the Somali Republic.[6] In May of 1991, after a war, five families in the Somali Republic declared independence. They formed Somaliland out of six political areas in northern Somalia.
Currently, Somaliland is an unrecognized state. This means that no country with membership in the United Nations or international organization views Somaliland as an independent country.[3] Instead, they think Somaliland as a part of Somalia.
Somaliland has a republican government with free elections. The capital is Hargeisa. Berbera is a beautiful city on the coast.
People from Somaliland are often criticized for their country having declared independence from Somalia and working as an independent state. However, the country is much more peaceful than Somalia, has its own functioning market economy, and is not burdened with high tax rates, unlike other African countries. Some Dhulbahante people in the east have rejected joining Somaliland. These Dhulbahante created their own movement called Khatumo State.
Demographics[change | change source]
Language[change | change source]
Most people in Somaliland speak Somali and Arabic. Article 6 of the Constitution of 2001 says the official language of Somaliland is Somali,[6] but Arabic is a mandatory subject in school. English is also spoken and taught in schools.
The main Somali dialect is Standard Somali. Standard Somali is spoken in most of Somalia and in countries that border it. Standard Somali is used by almost all of the media in the Somaliland region.
Religion[change | change source]
Almost all Somalilanders are Muslims.[7] This is because Islam is the state religion, and practicing a religion other than Islam is against the law.[6] Small amounts of non-Islamic traditions exist in Somaliland, but Islam is very important to the Somali sense of national identity.
References[change | change source]
- ↑ Name used in The Constitution of the Republic of Somaliland and in Somaliland Official Gazette
- ↑ Susan M. Hassig, Zawiah Abdul Latif, Somalia, (Marshall Cavendish: 2007), p.10.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lacey, Marc (5 June 2006). "The Signs Say Somaliland, but the World Says Somalia". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 December 2010.
- ↑ The UK Prime Minister's Office Reply To The "Somaliland E-Petition"
- ↑ "Somaliland Official Website". somalilandgov.com. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "THE CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOMALILAND" (PDF). International relations and security network. 31 May 2001. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
- ↑ "Background Note: Somalia". U.S Department of State. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
Other websites[change | change source]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Somaliland. |
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