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The Demography of Somalia describes the condition and overview of Somalia's peoples. Demographic topics include basic education, health, and population statistics as well as identified racial and religious affiliations.
Ethnic groups
The clan groupings of the Somali people are important social units and clan membership plays an important part in Somali culture and politics. Clans are patrilineal and are often divided into sub-clans, sometimes with many sub-divisions.
In traditional Somali society, marriage was often to someone from another clan (exogamic) but during the 20th century Somali Civil War this seems to have become the exception rather than the rule.
Hierarchy of clans
Certain clans are traditionally classed as "noble clans", referring to the belief that they share a common Somali ancestry, whereas some minority clans are believed to have mixed parentage. The noble clans are believed to be descended from Samaale (or Samale), and are sometimes referred to collectively by this name. The four noble clans are Darod, Dir, Hawiye, and Isaaq. Of these, the Darod, Dir, and Hawiye trace their descent from Samaale through Irir Samaale. "Sab" is the term used to refer to minority clans in contrast to Samaale.
The Digil and Mirifle/Rahanweyn are agro-pastoral clans in the area between the Jubba and Shebelle Rivers. They occupy a kind of second tier in the Somali social system. They do not follow a nomadic lifestyle, live further south and speak a group of Somali dialects (Af-Maay) which have recently been classified as a separate language and so they have been isolated to some extent from the mainstream of Somali society.
A third tier, the occupational clans, have sometimes been treated as outcasts, because traditionally they could only marry among themselves and other Somalis considered them to be ritually unclean. They lived in their own settlements among the nomadic populations in the north and performed specialised occupations such as metalworking, tanning and hunting. Minority clans and other ethnic groups make up 6% of the population. These include ethnic Somali clans such as the Midgan, Tumal, Yibir, Jaji and Yahar as well as other ethnic minority groups such as the Bantu (Jareerweyne); Reer Hamar, Bravanese, and other Benadiri people; and Bajuni. The Eyle, who live in the southwest, are also a minority group.
Clan and sub-clan groupings
There is no clear agreement on the clan and sub-clan structures. The divisions and subdivisions as given here are partial and simplified. Many lineages are omitted. Note that some sources state that the Rahanweyn group is made up of the Digil and Mirifle clans, whereas others list the Digil as a separate group from the Rahanweyn. (For a comparison of different views on the clan-lineage-structures in Somalia see Conflict in Somalia.)
- Darod
- Awrtable, Dhulbahante, Jidwaq, Leelkase, Majeerteen, Marehan, Ogaden, and Warsangali.
- Isaaq
- Arap, Ayoup, Garhajis (which is split into Eidagale and Habar Yoonis), Habar Awal and Habar Jeclo.
Demographic data from the CIA World Factbook
Population
8,863,338
Age structure
0-14 years:
44.4% (male 1,973,294; female 1,961,083)
15-64 years:
53% (male 2,355,861; female 2,342,988)
65 years and over:
2.6% (male 97,307; female 132,805) (2006 est.)
Population growth rate
2.85% (2006 est.)
Birth rate
40 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Darood is 30%
Death rate
16.63 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.73 male(s)/female
total population:
1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate
114.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population:
48.90 years
male:
46.71 years
female:
50.28 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate
6.76 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Nationality
noun:
Somali(s)
adjective:
Somali
Ethnic groups
Somali 85%; Arabs, Bantu and other non-Somali 15%
Religions
Languages
Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English
Literacy
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
7.8%
male:
9.7%
female:
5.8% (2001 est.)
See also
- Somalia
- Transitional Federal Parliament (of Somalia)
- Demographics of Djibouti
- Demographics of Ethiopia
- Demographics of Kenya
- Sixth Clan
References
- ^ Laitin, David D. & Samatar, Said S. (1987). Somalia: Nation in Search of a State, Colorado: Westview Press. ISBN 0-86531-555-8
- Worldbank, 2005, p. 56
- ^ Note that some Sheikhals, claim they are part of the larger Hawiye group, while others dispute this.
Sources
- Conflict in Somalia: Drivers and Dynamics, Worldbank, January 2005, Appendix 2, Lineage Charts
- Victims and Vulnerable Groups in Southern Somalia, Country Information and Policy Unit, Home Office, Great Britain, Somalia Assessment 2001
- Somali Clan Structure, Country Information and Policy Unit, Home Office, Great Britain, Somalia Assessment 2001
- Somalia Tribal Study, 2005
External links
- "The Somali Ethnic Group and Clan System", from "Reunification of the Somali People", Jack L. Davies
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