Somalia

[soh-mah-lee-uh, -mahl-yuh]

noun

1. an independent republic on the eastern coast of Africa, formed from the former British Somaliland and the former Italian Somaliland. 246,198 sq. mi. (637,653 sq. km). Mogadishu.

Somalia

/ səʊˈmɑːlɪə /

noun

1. a republic in NE Africa, on the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden: the north became a British protectorate in 1884; the east and south were established as an Italian protectorate in 1889; gained independence and united as Somalia (or the Somali Republic) in 1960. In 1991 the former British Somaliland region in the north unilaterally declared itself independent as the Republic of Somaliland, and Puntland and other areas are also operating effectively as separate states, but this has not been recognized officially. Official languages: Arabic and Somali. Official religion: (Sunni) Muslim. Currency: Somali shilling. Capital: Mogadishu. Pop: 10 251 568 (2013 est). Area: 637 541 sq km (246 154 sq miles)

Somalia

1. Republic in extreme eastern Africa, directly south of the Arabian Peninsula across the Gulf of Aden, bordered by Ethiopia and Kenya to the west. Mogadishu is the capital and largest city.

Civil war and famine have recently ravaged the country. In 1992, the United States embarked on a humanitarian intervention designed to ensure delivery of food supplies to the population. After American troops were drawn into a conflict between local warlords and suffered casualties, the United States withdrew from Somalia in 1994. The country currently lacks any central government.

Britain, France, and Italy established protectorates in the area in the late 1880s. Somalia gained independence in 1960.

Other Word Forms

• Somalian adjective

Example Sentences

Mohamed, who is from Somalia, says he is awaiting a decision himself on whether he can stay in the UK.

From BBC

Dashi, who arrived in the UK a child bride, 13, from Somalia, has called for more education to "bring communities together".

From BBC

If he felt safe living in Somalia and there was what he branded "mass migration" there, he admitted he would not accept it.

From BBC

Mohammed, from Somalia, said a camp or regular housing "would be better" and he and other asylum seekers wanted to support themselves by working.

From BBC

This giraffe lives in the open savannas and wooded grasslands of Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia.

From BBC