Country Profile

The Federal Republic of Somalia is a sovereign country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, the Gulf of Aden to the north, the Guardafui Channel and Somali Sea to the east, and Kenya to the southwest. Somalia has the longest coastline on Africa’s mainland. Its terrain consists mainly of plateaus, plains, and highlands. Hot conditions prevail year-round, with periodic monsoon winds and irregular rainfall. In the late 19th century, Somalia was colonized by European powers, first Germany and then Britain and Italy when the Germans abandoned their efforts in 1890. The British and Italians established the colonies of British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland. In 1960, the two regions united to form the independent Somali Republic under a civilian government. A new provisional constitution was passed in August 2012, reforming Somalia as a federation. The same month, the Federal Government of Somalia was formed and a period of reconstruction began in Mogadishu.