Somalia — the most dangerous country in the world. True, now it is difficult to call it even a country, because this small African state has long been torn apart by an ongoing internecine war. There is neither law nor order here — only those who are able to defend their right to their place under the sun survive here.
Interesting facts about Somalia
- Due to civil strife and the activity of separatists, Somalia as a state did not exist for a long time – it broke up into many small parts that were constantly at war with each other. All social structures collapsed, and in the early 1990s alone, 300,000 Somalis died of starvation. Finally, in 2012, an interim constitution was adopted, according to which Somalia is now a federation.
- 20-meter ficuses grow in the few forests of Somalia.
- For 3 thousand years BC. Greeks and Egyptians were engaged in the trapping of elephants in what is now Somalia, which were then sent to Egypt.
- Somalia ranks second among the countries where the rights of Christians are most often violated.
- Somalia is the world record holder for export of myrrh and frankincense.
- The main value for Somalis is camels. A person who owns a dozen of these animals, as well as herds of sheep and goats, is considered wealthy. The real rich are people who managed to acquire from 100 to 1000 camels.
- The reason for the holiday in Somalia is the birth of a son or the offspring of a camel. In honor of these significant events, the whole village gathers for dancing, accompanied by playing drums, tambourines and sea shells.
- Most Somalis consider poultry, fish and eggs to be “unclean”, therefore these foods are not eaten.
- Somalia is the only country on the planet where everyone speaks the same language.
- The level of infection with the immunodeficiency virus among the inhabitants of Somalia is one of the lowest on the African continent. True, Somalis continue to die from outbreaks of other diseases and lack of drinking water.
- A few years ago, a Somali radio station held a contest for children to learn the Koran. The winner received a Kalashnikov assault rifle and 700 local dollars.
- Iman, the famous American supermodel and David Bowie’s widow, was born in Somalia. She left Egypt for the United States, where her father, a Somali diplomat, sent her to study.
- At the beginning of the 20th century, Nikolai Gumilyov visited the Somali Peninsula. He expressed his impressions of this place in just a few lines, according to which there is no dirtier and bleaker place in the world than Somalia.
- The names of fairy tales that are read to Somali children can terrify even adults – for example, “Tragedy”, “Human court” or “Hyena’s gouged out eye”.
- Somalis earn on the export of shark meat, bananas and leather products.
- In Somalia, there is an underground exchange for local pirates, where instead of securities are sold by plans for future attacks on merchant ships of other states.
- According to experts, there are at least five pirate gangs in Somalia, consisting of approximately 1,000 armed militants.