ـ[بَحْرُ الرَّمَل]ــــــــ[03 - 11 - 2010, 12:28 م]ـ
DJIBOUTI
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Background
Settled around the 3rd century BC by the Arab ancestors
of the Afars, Djibouti was later populated by Somali
Issas. In AD 825 Islam was brought to the area by
missionaries. Arabs controlled the trade in this region
until the 16th century; it became the French protectorate
of French Somaliland in 1888. In 1946 it became
a French overseas territory, and in 1977 it
gained its independence. In the late 20th century, the
country received refugees from the Ethiopian-Somali
war and from civil conflicts in Eritrea. In the 1990s it
suffered from political unrest.
Location:
Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Somalia
Area:
total: 23,200 sq km
Climate:
desert; torrid, dry
Natural resources:
geothermal areas, gold, clay, granite, limestone, marble, salt, diatomite, gypsum, pumice, petroleum
Population:
724,622 (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 163
Ethnic groups:
Somali 60%, Afar 35%, other 5% (includes French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian)
Religions:
Muslim 94%, Christian 6%
Languages:
French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Djibouti
Administrative divisions:
6 districts (cercles, singular - cercle); Ali Sabieh, Arta, Dikhil, Djibouti, Obock, Tadjourah
National holiday:
Independence Day, 27 June (1977)
ـ[بَحْرُ الرَّمَل]ــــــــ[03 - 11 - 2010, 12:30 م]ـ
SOMALIA
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Background
Muslim Arabs and Persians first established trading
posts along the coasts of Somalia in the 7th–10th
centuries. By the 10th century Somali nomads occupied
the area inland from the Gulf of Aden, and
the south and west were inhabited by various groups
of pastoral Oromo peoples. Intensive European exploration
began after the British occupation of Aden
in 1839, and in the late 19th century Britain and
Italy set up protectorates in the region. During World
War II the Italians invaded British Somaliland
(1940); a year later British troops retook the area,
and Britain administered the region until 1950,
when Italian Somaliland became a UN trust territory.
In 1960 it was united with the former British Somaliland,
and the two became the independent Republic
of Somalia. Since then it has suffered political
and civil strife, including military dictatorship, civil
war, drought, and famine. No effective central government
has existed since the early 1990s. In 1991
a proclamation of a Republic of Somaliland, on territory
corresponding to the former British Somaliland,
was issued by a breakaway group, but it did not receive
international recognition. A multinational force
intervened from 1992 to 1994 in an unsuccessful
attempt to stabilize the region. The country remained
in turmoil.
Location:
Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia
Area:
total: 637,657 sq km
Climate:
principally desert; northeast monsoon (December to February), moderate temperatures in north and hot in south; southwest monsoon (May to October), torrid in the north and hot in the south, irregular rainfall, hot and humid periods (tangambili) between monsoons
Natural resources:
uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas, likely oil reserves
Population:
9,832,017
country comparison to the world: 83
Ethnic groups:
Somali 85%, Bantu and other non-Somali 15% (including Arabs 30,000)
Religions:
Sunni Muslim
Languages:
Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English
Capital:
name: Mogadishu
Administrative divisions:
18 regions (plural - NA, singular - gobolka); Awdal, Bakool, Banaadir, Bari, Bay, Galguduud, Gedo, Hiiraan, Jubbada Dhexe, Jubbada Hoose, Mudug, Nugaal, Sanaag, Shabeellaha Dhexe, Shabeellaha Hoose, Sool, Togdheer, Woqooyi Galbeed
National holiday:
Foundation of the Somali Republic, 1 July (1960); note - 26 June (1960) in Somaliland
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