Somalia information

Somalia (Soomaaliya; الصومال), officially the Somali Republic (Jamhuuriyadda Soomaaliya, جمهورية الصومال) and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic, is a country located on the Horn of Africa in East Africa. It is bordered by Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya on its southwest, the Gulf of Aden with Yemen on its north, the Indian Ocean at its east, and Ethiopia to the west.
Somalia gained its independence from Italy on 1 July 1960. On the same day, it united with British Somaliland, which gained independence on 26 June 1960 to form the Somali republic. The Somali state currently exists largely in a de jure capacity; Somalia has a weak but largely recognised central government authority, the Transitional Federal Government (TFG), but this currently controls only the central region of Somalia, and until recently controlled only the city of Baidoa.
De facto control of the north of the country resides in the local authorities; of these Puntland, Maakhir, Galmudug, acknowledge the authority of the TFG and maintain their declaration of autonomy within a federated Somalia, while Southwestern Somalia and Jubaland in the south also acknowledge the authority of TFG. Its political capital, Baidoa, is currently the TFG capital, and its commercial capital, Kismayo, is being disputed. On the other hand, Somaliland in the north, with its capital in Hargeisa, has declared independence and does not recognize the TFG as governing authority. (...) more....

Somalia travel guide by