definitions

Somalia

[ soh-mah-lee-uh, -mahl-yuh ]
/ soʊˈmɑ li ə, -ˈmɑl yə /

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.

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Official name Somali Democratic Republic.

Related forms

So·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

British Dictionary definitions for somalian (1 of 2)

Somalian

/ (səʊˈmɑːlɪən) /

adjective

of or relating to Somalia or its inhabitants

noun

a native or inhabitant of Somalia

British Dictionary definitions for somalian (2 of 2)

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

Culture definitions for somalian

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.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.