When most people think of Somalia the image of things like black hawk down comes to mind. They have no idea of the politics, culture, art, music, or even the beautiful locations that reside in the country. To the everyday person Somalia is just a disease-infested country that has continuous problems, and has to rely on the rest of the world to solve its issues with military action. Now to say that the country doesn’t have its share of problems would be a lie, but looking at all the bad without focusing on the good is one sided. There are still some people that even through the turmoil, attacks, and threats continue to move forward.
For instance, in 1991 Somalia, after their civil war split in two with Somaliland, residing in the Gulf of Aden. Since this divide Somaliland has held peaceful elections and has began to slowly grow. They have done so without the aid of foreign countries, because all the support goes only to Somalia. They have also done so without the recognition from other countries. They have been a self-declared country for 23 years with a functional political system and its own currency. This is a good example of strong willed people that are willing to progress against all odds.
The self- declared country also maintains its own national defense and helps maintain order in their region. They do so by effectively dealing with pirates, disarming aggressive militant tribal groups, and even have anti-terrorism laws set in place. Also even with the neglect of aid from outside sources Somaliland still contributes to public goods in key areas. These are things like basic security, the investment climate, and service delivery at the local level, and they do all this by taxation from local businesses.
Besides from the political situation there are also many beautiful things to be seen in Somaliland. There is the Sheikh Mountains and the bypass offers a host of natural attractions and extraordinary driving experience. In Berbera there is a coastal city, which serves as the biggest seaport for Somaliland. Activities on the coast include swimming, snorkeling, fishing, and scuba diving, and there is also the Hargeisa Zoo which houses a menagerie that includes lions, leopards, antelopes, birds and reptiles. These attractions can all be seen because Somaliland has tourist locations within the country that offer hotels and a variety of food.
Now a perception that I had before this article was dealing with food. It was not until I did some research that I discovered that Somali like many other nations has many different foods. For instance they have the sabaayad flatbread, which is a Somali flat bread made with flour cooked on a hot griddle, and it can be rolled with butter, sugar, or honey. A lot of other cuisines that Somalia has have been influenced by English, French, and Italian cuisines. However since Somalia and Somaliland are Muslim they do not use pork in any of there dishes.
Finally the last thing I will discuss is how all of this research has impacted my original thinking on the country. I’ve spent a lot of time near Somalia, and have had an image of what that region must have looked like. From all my travels and the countries that I have lived in I have learned that every country has its beautiful things. They all have their attractions, cultures, music, and the best of all foods. These experiences have allowed me to look at the world differently than most Americans that have never left the sanctity of the country. In conclusion Somalia like many other countries is one country I would like to visit, and experience their cultures in a different habituated environment.
