Somalia explained to kids

Somalia is a country in East 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. Somalia has the longest coastline on Africa's mainland, and its terrain consists mainly of plateaus, plains, and highlands. Climatically, hot conditions prevail year-round, with periodic monsoon winds and irregular rainfall. Somalia has been inhabited since at least the Paleolithic. During the Stone Age, the Doian and Hargeisan cultures flourished here. Each painting has an inscription below it, which has been carbon-dated to the 2nd or 3rd century CE. In the classical era, several ancient Somali kingdoms were founded. This prosperity continued throughout the Middle Ages. Trade with other countries was vital to the Somali economy, and many Somali merchants were involved in the Indian Ocean slave trade. Somalia was a colonial possession of Britain and Italy from the late 19th century until 1960, when it gained independence. A period of civilian rule followed, until the military seized power in a 1969 coup and began a period of dictatorship. In 1991, the Somali Republic collapsed due to civil war. The Somali people are divided into ethnic groups. The majority are Somali and Bantu, with smaller numbers of Arabs, Persians, Somalis of Arab descent, and Italians. Somalis are predominantly Sunni Muslim, and there is a small Christian minority. The Somali economy is based on agriculture, livestock, and fishing. Remittances from Somalis in the diaspora account for a significant portion of the economy. Somalia has been described as one of the most failed states in the world. It has had a history of political violence and instability, and its economy has been in decline since the early 1990s.