The East African region is called the Horn of Africa due to its similarity in outline on a geographical map with a rhinoceros horn. It seems to protrude into the Indian Ocean.
You can often hear the term "horn of Africa" in relation to the Somali peninsula. However, it includes more than just Somalia. The Horn of Africa also includes Djibouti, Ethiopia and Eritrea.
The waves of the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean over the past centuries have changed the shape of the amazing peninsula of Somalia to such a bizarre shape as we are used to seeing it today - the African rhinoceros horn. It is located on the eastern tip of the African continent.
Ethiopia and Somalia - these two states today divide the peninsula between themselves. Its area is about 750 thousand square meters. km. The relief is predominantly rocky, with impregnable steep banks, which especially complicates the approaches from the Red Sea. Significant impact on the formationsuch relief was provided by the Great Rift Valley.
State of Somalia
Located in eastern Africa, the state of Somalia (Somali), owns most of the land - it is the largest of the countries occupying the Horn of Africa.
Neighbouring states such as Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti.
Geographic location
Ogaden - a low plateau, turning in the northern part into a limestone-sand plateau, and in the southern part into Golgodon, is the location of Somalia. Huge plains stretching along the coast, the further south, the more extensive. The area of the state is 637.6 thousand square kilometers. This is the forty-first line of the world ranking.
During the rainy season, many narrow gorges turn into raging rivers, but without groundwater replenishment, almost all of them dry up rather quickly, with the exception of the abounding Jubba River and Wabe Shebelle. Even during periods of prolonged drought, these two reservoirs are full of water.
Climate of the Horn of Africa
From the south, the country is constantly exposed to monsoons. A hot subequatorial climate prevails with an average temperature of around 30°C.
It is even hotter in the northern part - from +40°C. Although relatively cool in the mountains. Sometimes there are frosts here, especially in winter.
No exception, Somalia, like other African countries, is largely dependent on the change of seasons. That is, from alternating wet and dry periods of the year. March is the mostrainy month. Often short showers can go in the fall. But in general, the amount of precipitation is very scarce and nature does not really have time to recover from the debilitating drought, as the heat period sets in again.
Fauna and flora
Once upon a time, tropical forests dominated the peninsula. Today, their remains can only be seen near perennial rivers. The current dominants are savannahs with undersized shrubs.
The fauna is more or less preserved. Herds of buffaloes, zebras, antelopes move around the territory of the peninsula, on which, in turn, local predators - hyenas, lions, leopards - go hunting. Not far from the rivers Wabe-Shebelle and Jubba, today you can watch crocodiles and hippos in their natural habitat.
Due to the criminal activities of poachers, it is now rare to see giraffes, elephants, rhinos. They are on the brink of extinction.
More than two hundred and twenty species of different mammals still inhabit the Horn of Africa today. Somalia is trying to save the endangered beira, silver dik-diks, spica gazelles and dibatags, which could die out any day now. For this, national parks and nature reserves are organized on the territory of the peninsula, giving them international significance.
The Horn of Africa still boasts that more than 90 species of unique reptiles from 250 species living on the planet live on its territory.
Due to the warm climate of the Somali peninsula, more than five thousand species of plants live and flourish on it,among which, according to scientists, you can find unique examples of natural creations. And more than half of the flora that the horn of Africa shelters are not found anywhere else in the world.
A lot of various fish is found in the waters washing the peninsula, and in addition, quite a lot of birds still nest on the island, which amaze the eyes of visitors with their variety and bright colors.
Government
The country of the Horn of Africa Somalia is officially a federal republic, divided into eighteen provinces. In fact, anarchy reigns in the state. About two dozen opposing military-political groups coexist on the same territory. Some of them are outright radical.
The legitimate authority of the state is stationed in the city of Mogadishu. Its population is just under one million inhabitants. However, at the same time as the Federal Government, in a certain sense, all the heads of local tribes, pirate clans, and commanders of armed formations also have power. The Sharia court controls the legal sphere. This explains the many years of war in the Horn of Africa.
Population
Despite the significant population explosion that occurred in East Africa in the XXI century, the population of Somalia has increased very little. Today it is no more than ten million. At the same time, the locals, who make up the majority of the population, come from varioustribes belonging to the Aboriginal ethnic group.
Arabic, Somali, and in some places even English and Italian are official languages. More than half of the population is illiterate, there is practically no education system. The vast majority of the local population consider themselves Sunni Muslims. This is a country in the Horn of Africa, where Christianity is extremely negative, and the persecution of the so-called infidels - all those who are not Muslims is widespread.
And so the poor population of the country is very prone to piracy, because they see it as the only means of subsistence. Escorting merchant ships is beyond the power of even developed countries, so the fight against such a phenomenon of the past as piracy is today an impossible task from an economic point of view. As a result, the sailors have to fight off the pirates on their own.
Economy of the peninsula
The economy of Somalia also leaves much to be desired. Beggarly living conditions in the presence of the richest subsoil containing, in addition to tantalum, uranium, also oil and tin, have an extremely negative effect on the mood of the population. The industry was practically destroyed during the civil war.
All these factors make this region completely unattractive in terms of infusion of investments. Destroyed infrastructure, lack of security for foreigners make conditions unthinkable for tourism.
The agricultural sector is the only thing leftAfrican horn. The deteriorating peninsula survives on fishing, banana exports and livestock products.
Since ancient times, the population of the peninsula fought for the land. Farmers fought with pastoralists, Arabs fought against Christians, the Portuguese conquered the peninsula in the 16th century. In the 19th century, clashes between local sultanates began on the basis of religious differences.
Until now, hunger, numerous refugees, civil wars make the Horn of Africa unsuitable for a quiet life. The Somali peninsula is struggling to recover from the turmoil of independence in 1960.
Sights of Somalia
It is extremely difficult to assess the current state of the sights of the state. Most of the most unique historical buildings were destroyed and irretrievably lost during the long wars.
Today, even once considered one of the best beaches on the continent, they have become unsafe for vacationers. Tourists come here reluctantly and extremely rarely.
