The Somali are a group of people that make up the majority of the population of present day Somalia. These people trace their ancestry to Arabia. They are most closely related to the Oromo of Ethiopia and the Afars of Djibouti. The Somali language, which is spoken by nearly all Somali people, did not become an official written language until 1972. Almost all Somalis are Sunni Muslims. Their faith is an important part of their lives, despite a rather relaxed religious practice. Despite the fact that the Somalis are all of the same relative origin, they are one of the most divided groups of people in Africa. There are six major tribes or clans of people, the Dir, Isaq, Hawiye, Darod, Digil, and Rahanwayn. The literacy rate among these people is quite low. They have a free education system, but it is not compulsory and thus many children do not attend.
Though the exact time the Somalis migrated to their present day homeland is debatable, linguistics suggest that they migrated northwards from modern day Ethiopia no later then the fifth century AD The land of the Somalis was known as “The Land of Punt” during the time of the Ancient Egyptians. The Somalis traded with the Egyptians and later the Greeks. They traded such things as hides, skins, ivory, and slaves. The only formal rule that existed before the 19th century was that of the sultans of Zanzibar. The first country to take interest in Somalia was Great Britain, which set up trading posts in the early 19th century. Italy moved into the area and established a presence in 1927. Somalis actively helped the Italians take over Ethiopia in 1935, just before the beginning of World War II. Somalia gained full independence in 1960, but has had trouble maintaining a stable government ever since.
Though this page has been carefully researched, the author does not claim expertise on the Somali.
Please send questions, comments, and corrections to emuseum@mnsu.edu and include the URL.
If you are Somali, your feedback is much appreciated.
Resources
Loughran, Katheryne. Somalia In Word And Image. Washington D.C.:Foundation for Cross Cultural Understanding, Bloomington, Indiana.
“Somalia.” http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~joeys/e316/countries/somalia.html. 4-7-00
John Tietz