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Somalia is situated on the horn of East Africa and is bordered by the Gulf of Aden and Djibouti to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east and south, to the north and northwest by Ethiopia and Kenya to the southwest.

The northern region is mountainous with plateaus ranging 3,000 and 7,000 ft. To the northeast there is an extremely dry dissected plateau that reaches a maximum height of 8,250 ft. South and west of this region, extending to the Shebeli River, lies a plateau whose maximum elevation is 2,250 ft. The region between the Juba and Shebeli rivers is low agricultural land, and the area that extends southwest of the Juba River to the Kenyan border is low pasture land.

The Juba and Shebeli rivers originate in Ethiopia and flow toward the Indian Ocean. They provide water for irrigation but are not navigable by commercial vessels. The Shebeli dries up before reaching the ocean. Despite its lengthy shore line, Somalia has no natural harbours because of inshore coral reefs.

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 Somalia ranges from tropical to subtropical and from arid to semiarid. Temperatures usually average 28° C (82° F), but may be as low as 0° C (32° F) in the mountain areas and as high as 47° C (116° F) along the coast. The monsoon winds bring a dry season from September to December and a rainy season from March to May. The average annual rainfall is only about 280 mm (about 11 in).

Vegetation in Somalia consists chiefly of coarse grass and stunted thorn and acacia trees. Aromatic flora, producing frankincense and myrrh, are indigenous to the mountain slopes. In southern Somalia, eucalyptus, euphorbia, and mahogany trees are found. Wildlife is abundant and includes crocodiles, elephants, giraffes, leopards, lions, zebras, and many poisonous snakes.

The vast majority of the population consists of Somali, a Cushitic people. A small minority of Bantu-speaking people live in the southern part of the country. Other minority groups include Arabs, Indians, Italians, and Pakistanis. Some 70 percent of the people are nomadic or seminomadic pastoralists. The remainder are either crop farmers or inhabitants of the few urban centers.

Getting around in Somalia can be tough. The country has no railroads; of about 22,500 km (about 14,000 mi) of roads, about 25 percent are paved or gravel. Mogadishu is the leading port. A government-owned airline provides international service. Until the early 1990s, two government-owned radio stations broadcast in Arabic, English, Italian, Somali, and several other languages, but the collapse of Somalia's infrastructure because of the civil war has caused much of the country's telecommunications to be disrupted. Three of the competing factions provide some broadcasting.

Mogadishu
With a population of about 1 million, Mogadishu is the largest city and chief seaport. The city has a rich 1,000-year history. Persian and Arab traders founded Mogadishu in the 10th century and intermarried with the local population. One of the earliest Arab settlements on the East African coast, the city was a leading commercial port by the 13th century; it went into a period of decline by the 16th century. The port was under the control of the sultan of Zanzibar, and of the Italian government in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Mogadishu finally became capital of an independent Somalia in 1960.From 1992 to 1995 Mogadishu became the center of a United Nations (UN) operation intended to restore government and to ease famine caused in part by Somalia's civil war. With a new government it seems like peace is returning to the city. There are still many refugees in town but slowly life is getting back to normal.

For visitors the main landmarks in town are the Arba-Rucun Mosque (Mosque of the four pillars) and the cathedral the Italians built right next to it. They are close to the waterfront and the old city with its many white houses and small streets. Other attractions include the beach, which is okay although the tow can be dangerous and there are often sharks. But if Mogadishu is your next travel destinations fear will probably not stop you...

Culture

As early as the seventh century A.D., indigenous Cushitic peoples began to mingle with Arab and Persian traders who had settled along the coast. Interaction over the centuries led to the emergence of a Somali culture bound by common traditions, a single language, and the Islamic faith.

Today, about 60% of all Somalis are nomadic or semi-nomadic pastoralists who raise cattle, camels, sheep, and goats. About 25% of the population are settled farmers who live mainly in the fertile agricultural zone between the Juba and Shebelle Rivers in southern Somalia. The remainder of the population (15%-20%) is urban.

Sizable ethnic groups in the country include Bantu agricultural workers, several thousand Arabs and some hundreds of Indians and Pakistanis. Nearly all inhabitants speak the Somali language, which remained unwritten until October 1973, when the Supreme Revolutionary Council (SRC) proclaimed it the nation's official language and decreed an orthography using Latin letters. Somali is now the language of instruction in schools, to the extent that these exist. Arabic, English, and Italian also are used extensively.

somalia
forget africa somalia is da best country in da WORLD!!!! reppin somalia all day way BRAP BRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!