POPULATION 7,753,310
SUNNI MUSLIM 99.96 percent
CHRISTIAN 0.04 percent

Country Overview

Introduction

Somalia, one of the most Islamic countries in Africa, lies at the extreme east coast of the continent in an area called the Horn of Africa. To the north is the Gulf of Aden, and to the east and south are the Indian Ocean. Inland it borders Djibouti to the northwest, Ethiopia to the west, and Kenya to the southwest. Somalia is unique because it is the only monoethnic African nation-state. Somalis are united by culture, language, religion, and a common ancestor (Samaal); however, they are still divided politically between various ethnic subgroups.

Modern Somalia, which is largely a creation of European powers, has tried without much success to create a centralized authority through the armed forces and a civilian bureaucracy. The majority of Somalis maintain ethnic loyalty that gives greater political and emotional allegiance to traditional lineages. The...