Affinity Bloc: Horn of Africa

Overview: The Somalis are one of Africa's largest, homogeneous ethnic groups. They occupy the Horn of Africa, speak a single language, worship as Sunni Muslims of the Shafi school, and claim a common heritage. Although increasingly large numbers of Somalis live in such cities as Mogadishu, most of them remain in the countryside. Traditionally, the Somali economy revolved around nomadic animal husbandry, and today nearly two-thirds of all Somalis are still engaged in the production of camels, sheep, and goats. A number of tribal subgroups are included within the Somali people cluster.

  -- James S. Olson, The Peoples of Africa. London: Greenwood Press (1996), p. 529

Peoples within this cluster: Dabarre; Isaaq; Jiiddu; Rahanweyn; Shabelle; Somali; Somali, Garre; Tunni

Countries where they are found: Canada; Djibouti; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Italy; Kenya; Netherlands; Saudi Arabia; Somalia; Sudan; Sweden; Tanzania; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom; United States; Yemen