Somaliland at a glance

The Republic of Somaliland was British Protectorate (1884-1960). Prior to the formalization of The British rule over Somaliland, the government had different treaties with Somaliland clans from 1884. Britain declared its protection of Somaliland on 20th July, 1887 and Somaliland was officially referred as British Somaliland. It was the first Somali-inhabited country in East Africa to be independent from the colonial powers on 26th June, 1960.
Somaliland has been only a five days republic with recognition from 35 nations including all five UN Security Council members when it joined with the Italian Somalia on 1st July, 1960 to form ‘The Somali Republic’. Widespread injustice and inconvenience on the power-sharing between the two unified Republics gave decision makers in Somaliland to withdraw from that union, but the actual trigger point for Somaliland’s withdrawal from the union was when Mohammed Siad Barre took power in 1969. With the military government in power, the extrajudicial killing, rape, genocide & other human rights violations started in Somaliland. In 1981 Somaliland leaders came together to form the Somali National Movement (SNM) with the goal of overthrowing social and political injustice. Since the creation of SNM Somaliland territories were subject to indiscriminate aerial bombardment by Siad Barre’s military regime; more than 200,000 lives were lost and approximately one million Somalilanders fled to neighboring countries including Ethiopia. The Somalia military regime led by Siad Barre collapsed in 1991 and Somaliland reclaimed its independence once again.
Since then, the political system was democratic and peaceful. It has held six different elections, including three presidential elections with peaceful transfer of power, parliamentary and local councils’. In Somaliland, the peace building and state building approaches were home-grown and indigenous systems that permitted it to be stable in volatile regions.

AREA:
The Republic of Somaliland covers an area of 65,338.87 square miles (169,226.89 square km). The coastline area is 850km. It borders Ethiopia to the south and west, Djibouti to the north-west, the Gulf of Aden to the North and Somalia to the east.
POPULATION:
5 Million (Estimated).
MAJOR LANGUAGES:
Somali, Arabic and English
RELIGION: Islam