Somaliland is situated in the Horn of Africa . It lies between the 08°00' - 11°30' parallel north of the equator and between 42°30' - 49°00' meridian east of Greenwich. Somaliland is bordered by Eithopia in the south and west, Djibouti in the northwest, the Gulf of Aden in the north, and the autonomous Puntland region of Somalia to the east.
Somaliland has a 740 kilometres (460 mi) coastline with the majority lying along the Gulf of Aden . The region is slightly larger than England, with an area of 137,600 km2 (53,128 sq mi).
Somaliland's climate is a mixture of wet and dry conditions. The northern part of the region is hilly, and in many places the altitude ranges between 900 and 2,100 metres (2,953 and 6,890 ft) above sea level. The Awdal, Saaxil and Maroodi jeex (formerly known as Woqooyi Galbeed, as shown on the accompanying map) regions are fertile and mountainous, while Togdheer is mostly semi-desert with little fertile greenery around. The Awdal region is also known for its offshore islands, coral reefs and mangroves.
Extreme recorded temperatures range from −3.3 °C (26 °F) at Ceerigaabo to 47.7 °C (117.9 °F) at Berbera. The combination of a yearly average temperature of 31 °C (87.8 °F) and the high level of humidity makes Berbera one of the hottest cities in the world.
With few exceptions, Somalilanders are entirely Muslims , the majority belonging to the Sinni branch of Islam. Though traces of pre-Islamic traditional religion exist in Somaliland, Islam is extremely important to the Somali sense of national identity. Many of the Somali social norms come from their religion. For example, men shake hands only with men, and women shake hands only with women. Many Somali women wear a hijab when they are in public. In addition, Somalis abstain from pork, gambling , and alcohol , and receiving or paying any form of interest. Muslims generally congregate on Friday afternoons for a sermon and group prayer.
Under the Constitution of somaliland , Islam is the state religion of Somaliland, and no laws may violate the principles of Sharia . The promotion of any religion other than Islam is illegal, and the state promotes Islamic tenets and discourages behavior contrary to Islamic morals.
Islam and poetry have been described as the twin pillars of Somali culture. Somali poetry is mainly oral, with both male and female poets. They use things that are common in Somalia as metaphors. Most Somalis are Suni Muslims and Islam is vitally important to the Somali sense of national identity . Most Somalis do not belong to a specific mosque or sect and can pray in any mosque they find.
Celebrations come in the form of religious festivities, two of the most important being Eidul-adha and Eidul-fitr, which marks the end of the fasting month. Families get dressed up to visit one another, and money is donated to the poor. Other holidays include 26 June and 18 May, which celebrate Somaliland's independence from Britain and Somalia respectively; the latter, however, is not recognised by the international community.....................
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