Somalia

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

noun

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

Official name Somali Democratic Republic.

Related formsSo·ma·li·an, adjective, nounpro-So·ma·li·a, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for somalian

Contemporary Examples of somalian

In 2011, the Somalian community in Minnesota suffered a measles outbreak.
Why Jenny McCarthy Is Worse Than Elisabeth Hasselbeck
Tricia Romano
July 10, 2013
During the deployment, he was involved with a humanitarian rescue of 85 Somalian and Ethiopian refugees whose boat capsized.
The Hero Summit Speakers List
November 14, 2012
“His response was diplomatic, but cautious,” Somalian Najma Abdi said.
What Hillary Can Teach Obama About Africa
Dayo Olopade
August 7, 2010

British Dictionary definitions for somalian

Somalian

adjective

of or relating to Somalia or its inhabitants

noun

a native or inhabitant of Somalia

Somalia

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

Word Origin and History for somalian

Somalia

country named for the indigenous Somali people, whose name (attested in English by 1814) is of unknown origin.

somalian in Culture

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.

Note

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

Note

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.