The African Horn (Somalia Peninsula)

The African horn is called the East African region due to its similarity in outlines on a geographical map with a rhinoceros horn. It seems to be issued to the Indian Ocean.

It is often possible to hear the term "African horn" as applied to the Somali peninsula. включает в себя больше, чем только Сомали. However, it includes more than just Somalia. The African horn also includes Djibouti, Ethiopia and Eritrea.

The waves of the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean over the centuries have changed the outlines of the amazing peninsula of Somalia to such a bizarre shape as we used to see it today - the African rhino horn. It is located on the eastern tip of the African continent.

Ethiopia and Somalia - these two states today are dividing the peninsula among themselves. Its area is about 750 thousand square meters. Km. The relief is mostly rocky, with inaccessible steep banks, which is particularly complicated by the approaches from the Red Sea. A significant influence on the formation of this relief was provided by the Great Rift Valley.

State of Somalia

Located in the east of Africa, the state of Somalia (Somali), owns most of the land - is the largest of the countries that occupy the African horn.

With it, there are neighboring states such as Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti.

Geographical position

Ogaden - a low plateau, passing in the northern part to the limestone-sandy plateau, and in the southern part to Golgodon, is the location of Somalia. Huge plains stretching along the coast, the more 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, a lot of narrow gorges turn into boiling rivers, but without replenishing with groundwater, almost all of them dry up quite quickly, except for the high-water river Jubba and Ube-Shabelle. Even during periods of prolonged drought, these two ponds are full of water.

The climate of the African horn

From the south, the country is exposed to the constant influence of monsoons. There is a hot subequatorial climate with an average temperature of about 30 ° C.

In the northern part it is even hotter - from + 40 ° C. Although relatively cool in the mountains. Sometimes there are frosts here, especially in winter.

Not being an exception, Somalia, like other African countries, is largely dependent on the change of seasons. That is, alternating alternating wet and droughty periods of the year. March is the rainiest month. Often short showers can go in the fall. But in general, the amount of precipitation is very scarce and nature does not have time to recover after a debilitating drought, as the heat period again comes.

Fauna and flora

Once upon a time the peninsula was dominated by tropical forests. Today, their remains can be seen only near the rivers that do not perish. The current dominants are savannahs with short shrubs.

The fauna is still more or less preserved. On the territory of the peninsula move herds of buffaloes, zebras, antelopes, which in turn go on the hunt local predators - hyenas, lions, leopards. Not far from the rivers Wabe-Sheballe and Jubba, today you can watch crocodiles and hippos in their natural habitat.

Because of the illegal activities of poachers, it is now rare to find giraffes, elephants, rhinoceroses. They are on the brink of extinction.

More than two hundred and twenty species of various mammals still inhabit the African horn today. Somalia is trying to save the endangered beetle antelope, silver dikdiki, Spike gazelles and dubatags, which from day to day can finally die out. For this, national parks and reserves are organized on the territory of the peninsula, giving them international significance.

The African horn still boasts the fact that on its territory there are more than 90 species of unique reptiles from 250 species living on the planet.

Thanks 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, unique specimens of natural creations can be found. And more than half of the representatives of the flora, which sheltered the African horn, do not meet anywhere else in the world.

A lot of diverse fish are found in the waters that wash the peninsula, and in addition, quite a lot of birds still nest on the island, which surprise the visitors with their diversity and bright color.

Government structure

The country of the African horn of Somalia is officially a federal republic, divided into eighteen provinces. In fact, the state is anarchy. About two dozen opposing military and political groups co-exist in the same territory. Some of them are openly 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 Federative Government, power in a certain sense is also present in all heads of local tribes, pirate clans, commanders of armed formations. The sharia court controls the legal sphere. This explains the perennial war of the African horn.

Population

Despite the significant demographic explosion that occurred in East Africa in the 21st century, the Somali population has increased very slightly. Today it is no more than ten million. At the same time, local people, who make up the majority of the population, come from different tribes, belonging to the ethnic group of Aboriginal people.

Arabic, Somali, and in some places even English and Italian - the official languages of communication. More than half of the population are illiterate, there is practically no education system. The overwhelming majority of the local population consider themselves to be Sunni Muslims. This is the country of the African horn, which treats Christianity extremely negatively, and the persecution of the so-called infidels - all those who are not Muslim - is extremely widespread.

And so the poor population of the country is very prone to piracy, because it sees in it the only means of subsistence. It is beyond the power of even developed countries to accompany merchant ships, so the fight against a phenomenon of the past, like piracy, is now beyond the economic task. As a result, sailors have to fight off pirates themselves.

Economy of the peninsula

The economy of Somalia also leaves much to be desired. Poor conditions for living in the presence of rich mineral resources, which contain tantalum, uranium, as well as oil and tin, have a very negative impact on the mood of the population. Industry was virtually destroyed during the civil war.

All these factors make this region completely unattractive in terms of infusion of investment. Destroyed infrastructure, lack of security for foreigners make the conditions for tourism unthinkable.

The agricultural sector is the only thing that still retains the African horn. The peninsula, the ecology of which is constantly deteriorating, survives due to fishing, export of bananas and livestock products.

Since ancient times, the population of the peninsula has fought for the land. Land plots fought against cattle-breeders, the Arabs fought against Christians, the Portuguese conquered the peninsula in the 16th century. In the XIX century, on the basis of religious differences, skirmishes of local sultanates began.

Until now, famine, numerous refugees, civil wars make the African horn unsuitable for a quiet life. The Somali peninsula can not recover from the shocks associated with the independence of the state, which occurred in 1960.

Somalia Attractions

It is extremely difficult to assess the current state of the state's sights. Most of the most unique historical buildings were destroyed and irretrievably lost during prolonged wars.

Today, even considered to be one of the best beaches on the continent have become unsafe for holidaymakers. Tourists come here reluctantly and very rarely.