Outline of Somaliland
Encyclopedia
Diplomatic recognition
Diplomatic recognition in international law is a unilateral political act with domestic and international legal consequences, whereby a state acknowledges an act or status of another state or government in control of a state...
self-declared sovereign state
Sovereign state
A sovereign state, or simply, state, is a state with a defined territory on which it exercises internal and external sovereignty, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states. It is also normally understood to be a state which is neither...
that is internationally recognised as an autonomous region of Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
. The government of Somaliland regards the territory as the successor state to the British Somaliland
British Somaliland
British Somaliland was a British protectorate in the northern part of present-day Somalia. For much of its existence, British Somaliland was bordered by French Somaliland, Ethiopia, and Italian Somaliland. From 1940 to 1941, it was occupied by the Italians and was part of Italian East Africa...
protectorate
Protectorate
In history, the term protectorate has two different meanings. In its earliest inception, which has been adopted by modern international law, it is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity...
, which was independent for a few days in 1960 as the State of Somaliland
State of Somaliland
The State of Somaliland was a short-lived independent state in the territory of modern-day Somalia.-History:In May 1960, the British Government stated that it would be prepared to grant independence to the then protectorate of British Somaliland, with the intention that the territory would unite...
, before uniting with the Trust Territory of Somalia
Trust Territory of Somalia
The Trust Territory of Somalia was a United Nations Trust Territory that was administered by Italy from 1949 to 1960, following the dissolution of the former Italian Somaliland inside the territory of modern-day Somalia.-History:In 1941, Italian Somaliland was occupied by British and South African...
(the former Italian Somaliland
Italian Somaliland
Italian Somaliland , also known as Italian Somalia, was a colony of the Kingdom of Italy from the 1880s until 1936 in the region of modern-day Somalia. Ruled in the 19th century by the Somali Sultanate of Hobyo and the Majeerteen Sultanate, the territory was later acquired by Italy through various...
) later the same week to form the Somali Republic.
Somaliland is bordered by Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
in the south and west, Djibouti
Djibouti
Djibouti , officially the Republic of Djibouti , is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the east...
in the northwest, the Gulf of Aden
Gulf of Aden
The Gulf of Aden is located in the Arabian Sea between Yemen, on the south coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and Somalia in the Horn of Africa. In the northwest, it connects with the Red Sea through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, which is about 20 miles wide....
in the north, and the autonomous Puntland
Puntland
Puntland , officially the Puntland State of Somalia , is a region in northeastern Somalia, centered on Garowe in the Nugaal province. Its leaders declared the territory an autonomous state in 1998....
region of Somalia to the east.
In 1988, the Siad Barre
Siad Barre
Mohamed Siad Barre was the military dictator and President of the Somali Democratic Republic from 1969 to 1991. During his rule, he styled himself as Jaalle Siyaad ....
regime committed massacres against the people of Somaliland, which were among the events that led to the Somali Civil War
Somali Civil War
The Somali Civil War is an ongoing civil war taking place in Somalia. The conflict, which began in 1991, has caused destabilisation throughout the country, with the current phase of the conflict seeing the Somali government losing substantial control of the state to rebel forces...
. The war left the economic and military infrastructure severely damaged. After the collapse of the central government in 1991, the local government, led by the Somali National Movement
Somali National Movement
The Somali National Movement was a 1980s-1990s Somali rebel group. Founded and led by Isaaq members to protect the clan's interests, it was key in the formation of Somaliland, a self-declared sovereign state that is internationally recognised as an autonomous region of Somalia.-Formation:In April...
(SNM), declared independence
Declaration of independence
A declaration of independence is an assertion of the independence of an aspiring state or states. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another nation or failed nation, or are breakaway territories from within the larger state...
from the rest of Somalia on May 18 of the same year.
Since then, the territory has been governed by an administration that seeks self-determination
Self-determination
Self-determination is the principle in international law that nations have the right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status with no external compulsion or external interference...
as the Republic of Somaliland . The local government maintains informal ties
Foreign relations of Somaliland
Foreign relations of Somaliland are the responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Somaliland is a de facto independent state, which is regarded by all foreign governments as part of Somalia...
with some foreign governments, whom have sent delegations to Hargeisa
Hargeisa
Hargeisa is a city in the northwestern Woqooyi Galbeed region of Somalia. With a population of approximately 2 million residents, it is the second largest city in the country. Hargeisa is the capital of Somaliland, a self-declared republic that is internationally recognized as an autonomous region...
. Ethiopia also maintains a consulate in the region as well as in neighboring Puntland, and has an embassy in Mogadishu
Mogadishu
Mogadishu , popularly known as Xamar, is the largest city in Somalia and the nation's capital. Located in the coastal Benadir region on the Indian Ocean, the city has served as an important port for centuries....
, Somalia's capital. However, Somaliland's self-proclaimed independence remains unrecognised by any country or international organisation.
The following outline is provided as an overview and topical guide to Somaliland
Somaliland
Somaliland is an unrecognised self-declared sovereign state that is internationally recognised as an autonomous region of Somalia. The government of Somaliland regards itself as the successor state to the British Somaliland protectorate, which was independent for a few days in 1960 as the State of...
:
General reference
- Common English regional name: SomalilandSomalilandSomaliland is an unrecognised self-declared sovereign state that is internationally recognised as an autonomous region of Somalia. The government of Somaliland regards itself as the successor state to the British Somaliland protectorate, which was independent for a few days in 1960 as the State of...
- Common endonym(s)
- ISO country code: none
- ISO region code: none
- InternetInternetThe Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
country code top-level domainCountry code top-level domainA country code top-level domain is an Internet top-level domain generally used or reserved for a country, a sovereign state, or a dependent territory....
: none
Geography of Somaliland
- Location — Somaliland is situated within the following regions:
- Eastern HemisphereEastern HemisphereThe Eastern Hemisphere, also Eastern hemisphere or eastern hemisphere, is a geographical term for the half of the Earth that is east of the Prime Meridian and west of 180° longitude. It is also used to refer to Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australasia, vis-à-vis the Western Hemisphere, which includes...
and Southern HemisphereSouthern HemisphereThe Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"... - AfricaAfricaAfrica is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
- East AfricaEast AfricaEast Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
- Horn of AfricaHorn of AfricaThe Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...
- SomaliaSomaliaSomalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
- Somaliland is regarded internationallyForeign relations of SomalilandForeign relations of Somaliland are the responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Somaliland is a de facto independent state, which is regarded by all foreign governments as part of Somalia...
as being an autonomous region of SomaliaSomaliaSomalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
.
- Somalia
- Horn of Africa
- East Africa
- Time zone: East Africa TimeEast Africa TimeEast Africa Time, or EAT, is a time zone used in eastern Africa. The zone is three hours ahead of UTC , which is the same as Arabia Standard Time, and also the same as Eastern European Summer Time....
(UTC+03)
- Eastern Hemisphere
- Atlas of Somaliland
Regions within Somaliland
- AwdalAwdalAwdal is a region in northwestern Somalia. Its capital is Borama.Awdal is bordered by Ethiopia, Djibouti, the Somali region of Woqooyi Galbeed, and the Gulf of Aden...
- SaaxilSaaxilSaaxil is a region in Somaliland, a de facto independent republic which is recognized as a part of Somalia. Its capital is Berbera...
- SanaagSanaagSanaag is an administrative region in northern Somalia. Its capital city is Erigavo.Sanaag has a long coastline facing the Gulf of Aden to the north, and is bordered by the Somali regions of Woqooyi Galbeed, Togdheer, Sool and Bari....
- SoolSoolSool is an administrative region in northern Somalia.-Overview:With its capital at Las Anod, Sool is historically known for being the seat of the anti-colonial Dervish movement....
- TogdheerTogdheerTogdheer is an administrative region in northwestern Somalia. It lies in the territory of Somaliland, a self-declared republic that is internationally recognized as an autonomous region of Somalia.-Overview:...
- Woqooyi GalbeedWoqooyi GalbeedWoqooyi Galbeed, also known as Maroodi Jeex, is an administrative region in northwestern Somalia. It lies in the territory of Somaliland, a self-declared republic that is internationally recognized as an autonomous region of Somalia....
Government and politics of Somaliland
- Form of governmentForm of governmentA form of government, or form of state governance, refers to the set of political institutions by which a government of a state is organized. Synonyms include "regime type" and "system of government".-Empirical and conceptual problems:...
: - Capital of Somaliland: Hargeisa
- Elections in SomalilandElections in SomalilandSomaliland elects on national level a head of state and a legislature. The president is elected by the people for a five year term. The Parliament has two chambers. The House of Representatives will have 82 members, elected for a five year term...
- Political parties in Somaliland
Foreign relations of Somaliland
- Diplomatic missions in Somaliland
- Diplomatic missions of Somaliland
Law and order within Somaliland
- Constitution of SomalilandConstitution of SomalilandThe Constitution of Somaliland was adopted by the Houses of the Parliament of Somaliland on 30 April 2000. The constitution was approved in a referendum held on May 31, 2001 when 97% of the voters voted in its favour. Its re-published version consists of a Preamble and five main chapters each of...
- LGBT rights in SomalilandLGBT rights in SomalilandLGBT rights in Somaliland refers to homosexuality being a crime in Somaliland, a de facto independent republic which is claimed in whole by Somalia. Punishment ranges from imprisonment to, in extreme cases, capital punishment...
Military of Somaliland
- Forces
- Army of Somaliland
- Air Force of Somaliland
- Navy of Somaliland
Culture of Somaliland
- Cuisine of SomalilandCuisine of SomalilandSomali cuisine varies from region to region and is a mixture of native Somali, Ethiopian, Yemeni, Persian, Turkish, Indian and Italian influences. It is the product of Somalia's tradition of trade and commerce. All food is halal.- Breakfast :...
- Coat of arms of SomalilandCoat of arms of SomalilandThe National Emblem of Somaliland was introduced on 14 October 1996 along with the Flag of Somaliland, when it was approved by the National Conference...
- Flag of SomalilandFlag of SomalilandThe current flag of Somaliland was introduced on October 14, 1996, when it was approved by the National Conference. Somaliland is a de facto independent republic which is recognized as a part of Somalia...
- Public holidays in SomalilandPublic holidays in SomalilandThe holidays in Somaliland:Somaliland uses two calendar systems: the Gregorian calendar primarily, but the Islamic calendar for religious holidays.- External links :*...
- Roman Catholicism in Somaliland
Economy and infrastructure of Somaliland
- Currency of SomalilandCurrencyIn economics, currency refers to a generally accepted medium of exchange. These are usually the coins and banknotes of a particular government, which comprise the physical aspects of a nation's money supply...
: ShillingSomaliland shillingThe Somaliland shilling is the official currency of Somaliland, a de facto independent republic which is recognized as a part of Somalia. It was introduced on 18 October 1994 at one new Somaliland shilling to 100 Somali shillings... - Tourism in SomalilandTourism in SomalilandTourism in Somaliland is a small but growing industry. The Government of Somaliland has plans to develop it further and views it as an industry with potential for significant growth. The Laas Gaal cave paintings have been cited as a potential attraction for tourists. Some tourists also visit for...
Infrastructure of Somaliland
- Telecommunications in Somaliland
- Transport in Somaliland
- Airports in Somaliland
- Rail transport in Somaliland
See also
- List of international rankings
- Outline of geographyOutline of geographyThe following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to geography:Geography – science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth.- Geography is :...
- Outline of SomaliaOutline of SomaliaSomalia , officially the Republic of Somalia and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under communist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, the Gulf of Aden with Yemen to the north, the Indian Ocean to the...
- Outline of PuntlandOutline of Puntlandthumb|The location of [[Puntland]]thumb|Map of the regions claimed by [[Puntland]]Puntland is a region in northeastern Somalia, centered on Garowe , whose leaders declared it an autonomous state in 1998. A third of the Somali people live in the province. Unlike neighbouring Somaliland, Puntland...
External links
- Somaliland official website
- Somaliland Net
- Somaliland.Org news website
- Democracy Comes of Age in Somaliland Contemporary Review, 2005, Stefan Simanowitz
- Somaliland Times
- Somaliland BBC Country Profile
- Somaliland - Interest free but not yet Shari’ah-compliant economy
- United Kingdom parliamentary debate on recognition of Somaliland, February 4, 2004 led by Tony WorthingtonTony WorthingtonWilliam Anthony Worthington, known as Tony Worthington is a retired politician in the United Kingdom.-Early life:...
- Somaliland recognition finds enhanced support