The Horn of Africa is called the East African region due to its similarity in outline to the rhino horn. It is as if issued in the Indian Ocean.
Often you can hear the term "African horn" 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 outlines of the amazing Somalia peninsula 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 divide the peninsula among themselves. Its area is about 750 thousand square meters. km The relief is predominantly rocky, with inaccessible steep banks, which especially complicates the approaches from the Red Sea. The Great Rift Valley had a significant impact on the formation of such a relief .
State of somalia
Located in eastern Africa, the state of Somalia (Somali), owns most of the land - this is the largest of the countries occupying the African horn.
It is adjoined by such states as Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti.
Geographical position
Ogaden is a low plateau that passes 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 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.
In the rainy season, many narrow gorges turn into raging rivers, but without groundwater, almost all of them dry out quite quickly, with the exception of the high-water river Jubba and Uabe-Shabelle. 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 dominates 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, especially in winter.
Not an exception, Somalia, like other African countries, is largely dependent on changing seasons. That is, from alternating wet and arid periods of the year. March is the wettest month. Often short rains can go in the fall. But in general, the amount of precipitation is very scarce and nature really does not have time to recover from the exhausting drought, as the heat period again begins.
Fauna and flora
Once upon a time, tropical forests dominated the peninsula. Today, their remains can only be seen near the never-ending rivers. Current dominants are savannas with stunted shrubs.
The fauna is more or less preserved. Herds of buffalo, zebras, antelopes move around the peninsula, which in turn are hunted by local predators - hyenas, lions, leopards. Not far from the Uabe-Shabelle and Jubba rivers, today you can watch crocodiles and hippos in their natural habitat.
Due to the criminal actions of poachers, now rarely seen giraffes, elephants, rhinos. They are on the verge 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 Beira antelopes, silver dikds, Spike gazelles and dibatags, which can finally die out any day. For this, national parks and reserves are organized on the peninsula, giving them international significance.
The horn of Africa so far can boast that more than 90 species of unique reptiles from 250 species living on the planet live on its territory.
Thanks to the warm climate of the Somali Peninsula, more than five thousand plant species live and flourish on it, among which, according to scientists, you can find unique examples of natural creations. And more than half of the representatives of the flora, which were sheltered by the African horn, are not found anywhere else in the world.
Many diverse fish live in the waters washing the peninsula, and in addition, quite a lot of birds nest on the island, which surprise the eyes of visitors with their diversity and bright color.
Government structure
The country of the Horn of 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 frankly radical.
The legal authority of the state is deployed in the city of Mogadishu. Its population is just under one million inhabitants. However, at the same time as the Federal Government, all heads of local tribes, pirate clans, and commanders of armed groups have power in a certain sense. 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 21st century, the population of Somalia has increased very slightly. Today it is no more than ten million. At the same time, the locals, who make up the majority of the population, are from different tribes belonging to the ethnic group of Aborigines.
Arabic, Somali, and in some places even English and Italian are the official languages of communication. More than half of the population are illiterate, there is practically no education system. The vast majority of the local population considers themselves Sunni Muslims. This is the country of the Horn of Africa, in which Christianity is extremely negative, and the persecution of the so-called infidels - all those who are not Muslims, is very widespread.
And so the poor population of the country is very prone to piracy, because it sees in it the only livelihood. Escorting merchant ships is beyond the power of even developed countries, so the fight against such a thing of the past as piracy is an impossible task from an economic point of view. As a result, sailors have to fight off the pirates themselves.
Peninsula Economy
Somalia's economy also leaves much to be desired. Poverty living conditions in the presence of the richest subsoil containing, in addition to tantalum, uranium, oil and tin, are extremely negatively reflected in the mood of the population. Industry was virtually destroyed during the civil war.
All these factors make this region completely unattractive in terms of investment infusion. The destroyed infrastructure and the lack of security for foreigners make the conditions for tourism unthinkable.
The agricultural sector is the only thing that has preserved the African horn. The peninsula, whose ecology is constantly deteriorating, survives through fishing, exporting bananas and livestock products.
From ancient times, the population of the peninsula fought for land. The farmers fought with herders, the Arabs fought against the Christians, the Portuguese conquered the peninsula in the 16th century. In the XIX century, on the basis of religious differences, clashes between 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 turmoil associated with the acquisition of independence by the state in 1960.
Somalia attractions
It is extremely difficult to assess the current state of state attractions. Most of the most unique historical buildings were destroyed and irretrievably lost during 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.