PEOPLE
The Cushitic populations of the Somali Coast in the Horn of Africa have an ancient history. Known by ancient Arabs as the Berberi, archaeological evidence indicates their presence in the Horn of Africa by A.D. 100 and possibly earlier. As early as the seventh century A.D., the 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.
The Somali-populated region of the Horn of Africa stretches from the Gulf of Tadjoura in modern-day Djibouti through Dire Dawa, Ethiopia, and down to the coastal regions of southern Kenya. Unlike many countries in Africa, the Somali nation extends beyond its national borders. Since gaining independence in 1960, the goal of Somali nationalism, also known as Pan-Somalism, has been the unification of all Somali populations, forming a Greater Somalia. This issue has been a major cause of past crises between Somalia and its neighbors--Ethiopia, Kenya, and Djibouti.
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 Shabelle 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.
Nationality: Noun--Somali(s). Adjective--Somali.
Population (2006 est., no census exists): 8.8 million (of which an estimated 2 million in Somaliland).
Annual growth rate (2006 est.): 2.85%.
Ethnic groups: Somali, with a small non-Somali minority (mostly Bantu and Arabs).
Religion: 99.9% Muslim.
Languages: Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English.
Education: Literacy--total population that can read and write, 37.8%: male 49.7%; female 25.8%.
Health: Infant mortality rate—114.9/1,000 live births. Life expectancy at birth--total population: 48.7 yrs.
Work force (3.7 million; very few are skilled workers): Pastoral nomad--60%. Agriculture, government, trading, fishing, industry, handicrafts, and other--40%.
