Somalia

Somalia, a country on Africa’s northeast coast, occupies the Horn of Africa, with Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, and Kenya to the southwest. To the north lie the Gulf of Aden and the entrance to the Red Sea, which is of strategic significance for international commerce and the marine transport of oil.

Somalia has a population of approximately 10 million, of whom 85% are ethnic Somalis. Somali and Arabic are the official languages of Somalia; English is also widely spoken and taught. Virtually the entire population is Muslim, with the majority belonging to the Sunni denomination. Islam entered the region early in the seventh century CE, even before the faith had firmly taken root in its place of origin, and for 1,400 years ...