Somalia - A Nation in Chaos

Authors: Spence and Taylor S.

 
Somalia has the largest coastline in all of africa. It is bordered by Djbouti, Ethiopia, and Kenya. Crime and violence is very common wthin it's borders. It is rated as the most dangerous country in the world.

The Somalia Flag - Blue Like the Sky

The somalia flag consists of a light blue back ground with a large, five pointed, white flag in the center. 

Crime and violence is very common. In Somalia, there is no working government. There hasn't been one since 1991. Because of this, nobody is safe. There is no medical help, food, and there is no potable water.

Somalia has been rated of the most dangerous places in the world by HowStuffWorks.com.

This is a song dedicated to Somalia

"Mogadishu may serve lobster on the roof overlooking the sea, but they also advise that visitors hire at least 10 armed guards to get them from the airport to the hotel. The United States doesn't even operate an embassy in Somalia, so you're truly on your own." - HowStuffWorks.com -- Read the article.

Somalia was originally colonised and controlled by britain. There is no real known population, but estimates in 2008 suggest that there are about 8,926,326 people within the borders. There is no working government, but Somalia and Kenya are trying to get themselves under control. The official language of Somalia is Arabic (official), but other languages include Aweer, Boon, English, and Somali.

Because there is no functioning government, there isn't much of a currency system. The government crashed in 1991, President Siard Barre was overthrown by two millitias from the north and south sides of Somalia. One of the only partial surviving systems was the currency system, including the Somali Shilling. The Somali Shilling is extremely inflated, with 1 USD buying 1,600 SOS (Somali Shillings) as of November 4th, 2010.

Somalia was released into independence in 1950, after britain left. There is no healthcare, as the government is literally dismantled. The people in Somalia die from disease, starvation, and gang to gang wars. There are no known major tribes, and the closest thing you can get to a tribe is the family system. The "family" is most likely a gang you joined to steal food and claim territory - the gang that will keep you alive longer.

"Somalis recognize four seasons, two rainy (gu and day) and two dry (jiilaal and hagaa). The gu rains begin in April and last until June, producing a fresh supply of pasture and for a brief period turning the desert into a flowering garden. Lush vegetation covers most of the land, especially the central grazing plateau where grass grows tall. Milk and meat abound, water is plentiful, and animals do not require much care. The clans, reprieved from four months' drought, assemble to engage alternately in banter and poetic exchange or in a new cycle of hereditary feuds. They also offer sacrifices to Allah and to the founding clan ancestors, whose blessings they seek." - countrystudies.us

The main religion of Somalia is Sunni Muslim. This is not the reason most Somalis practice cultures that we in America would find rude, like not shaking hands with the opposite sex. Or, treating the other sex in a rude/cruel way.

The Ethnoloque website features a full list of Somalian languages.

[Images: photosntravels.com]

There is alot of wild life in Somalia, and the range is very large. 

Taylor's Somalia Mask

The Face of Somalia
What is your mask like? Is it happy, energetic, or fun? What about angry, depressed, and worried? My mask's face is red because the people in Somalia are very angry. This also helps explain the yellow line under the eyes, as they symbolize the gangs and millitias that took down the Somali government; the gangs who are still fighting against eachother. Because there are so many gangs, nobody is safe - explaining the the open lock on the forehead. There is little clean water in Somalia, giving reason to the blue dripping from the black lips. Now, you're probably wondering why the lips are black. The lips are black to show that there is extreme poverty, death by starvation, and suffering. The darkness means emptiness. As for the gigantic eyelashes, those show off the odd  traditions and customs in Somalia. The bomb on the cheek represents the real sense of danger the people feel, and the dark threat they must face. Does your mask face death?

Sad Somalia

I am a war torn country collapsing under it's own weight, that is dangerous and unforgiving.

I wonder why the torment never stops, and why the government grow back.

I hear the quiet sounds of night, occasionally accompanied by gunfire and angry shouts.

I see the ashes, ruins of a once thriving capitol, resting in their final places.

I want silence, safety, and solitude. My people want this too, but need clean water and food.

I am a war torn country collapsing under it's own weight.

I feel angry, stressed, and unstable; so do my people.

I touch the warm ground, littered with bullet shells, debris, and rocks.

I smell anger, tears, and dust - all mixed with the scents of nature and the ocean.

I worry for the innocent people, struggling to get food and water for their famished families.

I cry for the ones who died slowly, be it starvation, hunger, or disease.

I am a war torn country collapsing under it's own weight.

I understand the dangers, the risks inside my borders.

I say hope should lead the way, even it hope isn't here yet.

I dream of a better, safer tomorrow where children will learn and families wouldn't of the common cold.

I hope the wars will lighten, diminish, until one day there is peace.

I am Somalia, a war torn country collapsing under it's own weight.

Further Questions for Research

If you think you know the answers to some of these questions, feel free to respond below!

• Why are there so many stereotypes about Africa?
• Building on the above question, what do you think encourages these stereotypes? 
• Why do you think Africa stereotypes are often bad?
• Should we blame the media for stereotypes?
• Would you live in Africa? If so, what country?
• Why does it seem like there is little hope in and for Africa?
• Who owns the African land?
• Why isn't [most] Africa as advanced as America?
• What prevents or slows progress in Africa?
• Do the people of Africa think they're in a bad position? Why or why not?