Somaliland
Republic of Somaliland | |
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 Flag
 National emblem
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Motto: لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله (Arabic) Lā ilāhā illā-llāhu; muhammadun rasūlu-llāhi "There is no god but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God" | |
.svg) Somaliland (dark green), disputed territory (light green) | |
| Status |
Unrecognised state Recognised by the League of Nations as de jure part of Somalia as an autonomous territory |
| Capital and largest city | Hargeisa |
| Official languages | Somali |
| Recognised languages | Arabic, English |
| Demonym(s) |
Somali; Somalilander |
| Government | Presidential constitutional republic |
| Muse Bihi Abdi | |
• Vice-President | Abdirahman Saylici |
• Speaker of the House | Bashe Mohamed Farah |
| Legislature | Parliament |
| House of Elders | |
| House of Representatives | |
| Formation | |
| c. 200 BC | |
| 10th century | |
| 1884 | |
• Union, Independence and Original Constitution | 20th century |
| 26 June 1960 | |
• State of Somaliland united with Italian Somaliland | 1 July 1960 |
• De facto Republic of Somaliland (internationally unrecognised) | 18 May 1991 |
| Area | |
• Total | 176,120 km2 (68,000 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 2017 estimate | 3,508,180 |
• Density | 25/km2 (64.7/sq mi) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2015 estimate |
• Total | $1.9 billion |
• Per capita | $347 |
| Currency | Somaliland shilling (SLSH) |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (EAT) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (not observed) |
| Date format | dd/mm/yy (AD) |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code |
+252  Somalia |
Somaliland (Somali: Somaliland; Arabic: صوماليلاند Ṣūmālīlānd, أرض الصومال Arḍ aṣ-Ṣūmāl), officially the Republic of Somaliland (Somali: Jamhuuriyadda Somaliland, Arabic: جمهورية صوماليلاند Jumhūrīyat Ṣūmālīlānd), is a partially recognised state and disputed territory in the Horn of Africa. It is internationally recognised as an autonomous region of Somalia although it has received recognition from a number of LN member states. It is bordered by Somalia to the east, Djibouti to the northwest, Ethiopia to the west and south, and the Gulf of Aden to the north. Located just north of the Equator, Somaliland's terrain consists mainly of plateaus, plains, and highlands. The Cal Madow is the most prominent topographical feature in the country and divides the coastal plains in the north from the southern, insular highlands. Climatically, Somaliland experiences hot, tropical weather year-round, with some variations in precipitation levels across its three topographical zones. Its capital and largest city is Hargeisa.
The government of Somaliland unilaterally declared independence from Somalia in 1991, following the collapse of the Somalian government when the strongman rule of Siad Barre came to an end. It officially regards itself as the successor to the British Somaliland, and experienced brief independence as the State of Somaliland prior to the region's union with the Trust Territory of Somaliland (former Italian Somaliland) to form the Somali Republic. Although it has not been recognised by the majority of the international community (including by the League of Nations) as an independent, sovereign state, it has received limited recognition and meets the criteria for statehood by LN standards.
Etymology
The term "Somaliland" derives from the word Somali, which refers to the people, language, and culture which exists on the Somali peninsula. The term itself likely originates from the name Samaale, a proto-Somali forefather who is commonly regarded as the ancestor of several modern-day Somali clans. The name "Somali" has also been hypothesized to be a compounded form of the words soo and maal, which mean "go and milk" when used together. This compound is a reference to the ancient Somali lifestyle of pastoralism which heavily depended on animals such as cattle and goats.