This comprehensive reference work serves as an essential guide to the history, culture, and society of Somalia, emphasizing the diversity of its people. It replaces an earlier edition to bring the narrative up to date, including the collapse of the Somali state in 1991 and the subsequent civil war. The dictionary includes entries on persons, places, events, and traditions that Decisively shaped the nation.
The work addresses complex questions regarding governance, national sovereignty, and humanitarian intervention. It concedes the "dark side" of Somali political history while striving to show what is "good and hopefully enduring" in the culture. A major goal of the book is to aid in peace and reconciliation by providing a pluralistic record that does not emphasize one clan over another.
Included are detailed chronologies tracing Somali history back to ancient expeditions from Pharaonic Egypt to the "Land of Punt". It also provides a comprehensive bibliography, maps of historic sites and languages, and appendices listing government members and political factions.
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