6.5 Somalia
Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, the Gulf of Aden to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east, and Kenya to the southwest.Nearly all Somalis are Sunni Muslims. For more than 1400 years, Islam made a great part of Somali society. Practicing Islam reinforces distinctions that further set Somalis apart from their immediate neighbors, many of whom are either Christians or adherents of indigenous faiths. The early Muslims sought refuge from persecution in cities on the northern Somali coast.
Key Temporary Issues in Somalia
Poverty
Poverty in Somalia has become a prominent and continuing affair. People in Somalia, have acclimatized to the consequences of poverty. Approximately, 43% of Somalia's population lives below the poverty line. Poverty in Somalia is more pronounced in the rural areas than in the urban regions.
Two specific regions of Somalia; Somaliland, located in the North West and Puntland, located in the north east, experience more stability with regard to socio economic conditions. Stability in the two areas may be attributed to the fact that, Somaliland and Puntland have independent governing bodies.
On the contrary, the southern part of Somalia, is comparatively poorer and suffers from unstable economic conditions. The southern part of Somalia, where conflict and confusions reign supreme, is subjected to food shortage. Somalia economy suffers from lack of proper infrastructure.