Somalia

Somalia, Colony of Italy

Geography: -Italian Somaliland is located in the modern day Northeast African nation of Somalia. The Terrain of Somalia is mostly flat with some rising hills and plateaus in the North. The climate is described as principally desert-like, with irregular rainfall. There are hot and humid periods between monsoon seasons. While there are recurring droughts and frequent dust storms over the Eastern plains in the summer, flooding often occurs during the rainy seasons. -This served as an attractive posession to Italian Imperialists because of its convenient location. The terrain and climate were relatively moderate, and being right on the Indian ocean, Somalia was easily accessible for trade purposes.

Natural Resources: -Somalia is the home of many unexploited natural resources, including, Uranium, Iron ore, Tin, Gypsum, Bauxite, Copper, Salt, Natural Gas, and Oil reserves.  -These resources were very appealing to the Italians, for they contributed to the necessary materials for industrial factories. With more resources, Italians were able to produce more without the burden of importing the materials from other countries.

Agricultural and Manufactured products: -Sheep, cattle, goats, bananas, sorghum, corn, coconuts, rice, sugar cane, mangoes, sesame seeds, beans, and fish are all products that Somalia exports. Major industries of Somalia include sugar refining and textile factories. -This was a very desirable market for the Italians because the variety of foods and goods attracted other countries, which resulted in an increase in trade.

Culture: The Somali people share a common language of Somali, but others speak Arabic, Italian, and English. Most are muslims of the Sunni sect. The Camel is symbolic of Somalia because it provides transportation, milk, meat, income, and status to a majority of the Somalis. These instances of the camel are very important to the people of Somalia. The national flag became a standard on October 12, 1954. The blue background is said to represent the bright sky, and the star stands for freedom. Italians had a great influence on cultural practices in Somalia.

**     **Italian imperialism did leave a positive trace in Somalia. They created hospitals and schools, and improved the sanitary conditions of the country. With this, health of the people improved, and the general lifespan of an average Somali increased. In order to develop the economy, Italians built railroads, dams, and telephones/ telephone lines as well.** **Negative Effects of Italian Imperialism in Somalia:**
 * Positive Effects of Italian Imperialism in Somalia:
 * Some would say that Italian imperialism also had a bad influence on Somalia. Though Europeans were more developed in the areas of science and medicine, Somali people were not used to European disease, and because of this, the natives were dying. With the newly set boundaries, the peoples of Africa were forced to join together, and many of the groups were rivals. This caused an outbreak in violence among the groups. These boundaries also caused groups to be separated, often breaking up families. The culture of Somalia was being changed, and many practices that became tradition were of Italian descent. **