Somalia

[ soh-mah-lee-uh, -mahl-yuh ]

/ soʊˈmɑ li ə, -ˈmɑl yə /

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noun

an independent republic on the eastern coast of Africa, formed from the former British Somaliland and the former Italian Somaliland. 246,198 sq. mi. (637,653 sq. km). Capital: Mogadishu.

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Official name So·ma·li Dem·o·crat·ic Re·pub·lic [soh-mah-lee dem-uh-krat-ik ri-puhb-lik]. /soʊˈmɑ li ˌdɛm əˈkræt ɪk rɪˈpʌb lɪk/.

OTHER WORDS FROM Somalia

So·ma·li·an, adjective, noun

Words nearby Somalia

som, SOM1, soma, somaesthesia, Somali, Somalia, Somalian, Somali cat, Somali Current, Somaliland, soman

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Somalia in a sentence

According to a 2011, county refugee fact sheet, Iraq, Somalia, Iran, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan were among the most predominant countries of birth of refugees resettling in San Diego County.
Middle Eastern Communities Say Census Whitewashes Their Numbers, Needs|Maya Srikrishnan|March 18, 2021|Voice of San Diego
In 1977, it marked the last wild Variola minor case, in Somalia.
Smallpox used to kill millions of people every year. Here’s how humans beat it.|Kelsey Piper|February 5, 2021|Vox
He fell in love with the animals when his work took him to Somalia, a country in eastern Africa in which many of the world’s camels live.
When physicians and veterinarians team up, all species benefit|Liz Devitt|November 5, 2020|Science News For Students
So, as some have pointed out, it would actually be more of an “Afghanistan-style” deal or a “Somalia-style” deal or, well, you get the point.
The EU and the UK still haven’t reached a post-Brexit agreement. What’s next?|Jen Kirby|October 16, 2020|Vox

They never told me what country it was, but I’m pretty sure it was Somalia.
Speak Softly and Carry Big Data (Ep. 395)|Stephen J. Dubner|October 31, 2019|Freakonomics
At first fighters were taken to Somalia; now Al-Shabab has brought the war to Kenyan territory.
Al-Shabab’s Anti-Christian Slaughter|Margot Kiser|December 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Granderson said Bush conducted air strikes against Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Somalia.
Fact-Checking the Sunday Shows: September 28|PunditFact.com|September 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One theory holds that Gedi was deserted to avoid the advancing nomadic Galla tribe coming from Somalia.
Kenya Has Its Own Machu Picchu—the Lost Town of Gedi|Nina Strochlic|September 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In Iraq, Yemen, and Somalia, host governments invited U.S. forces in, as opposed to Syria.
Obama's New War on ISIS May Be Illegal|Eli Lake|September 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
UDPATE: Ahmed Abdi Godane was killed in a U.S. airstrike in Somalia on Monday, September 1, 2014, the Pentagon has announced.
Ahmed Abdi Godane Is Al-Shabab's Osama bin Laden|Jamie Dettmer|September 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Poets in Somalia hold an inordinate sway over the indigenous population.
After the Rain|Sam Vaknin

British Dictionary definitions for Somalia

Somalia

/ (səʊˈmɑːlɪə) /

noun

a republic in NE Africa, on the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden: the north became a British protectorate in 1884; the east and south were established as an Italian protectorate in 1889; gained independence and united as Somalia (or the Somali Republic) in 1960. In 1991 the former British Somaliland region in the north unilaterally declared itself independent as the Republic of Somaliland, and Puntland and other areas are also operating effectively as separate states, but this has not been recognized officially. Official languages: Arabic and Somali. Official religion: (Sunni) Muslim. Currency: Somali shilling. Capital: Mogadishu. Pop: 10 251 568 (2013 est). Area: 637 541 sq km (246 154 sq miles)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for Somalia

Somalia

[ (soh-mah-lee-uh, soh-mahl-yuh) ]

Republic in extreme eastern Africa, directly south of the Arabian Peninsula across the Gulf of Aden, bordered by Ethiopia and Kenya to the west. Mogadishu is the capital and largest city.

notes for Somalia

Britain, France, and Italy established protectorates in the area in the late 1880s. Somalia gained independence in 1960.

notes for Somalia

Civil war and famine have recently ravaged the country. In 1992, the United States embarked on a humanitarian intervention designed to ensure delivery of food supplies to the population. After American troops were drawn into a conflict between local warlords and suffered casualties, the United States withdrew from Somalia in 1994. The country currently lacks any central government.