Somalia – the country and its coins

Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is a country in the Horn of Africa. The country borders Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya. Below is a list of some of the most interesting and unique facts about Somalia.

Total area: 637,657 km²

Capital: Mogadishu (population 2,497,463 as of fall 2022) is the country’s largest city.

Official language: Somali, some also speak Arabic, Italian and English.

Local currency: the Somali shilling (English: Somali shilling/ SOS)

Form of government: Federal Parliamentary Republic

National colors: Blue, White

The northeastern region of the African continent is called the Horn of Africa because the group of countries forms a horn-like landmass over the peninsula.

Climate: mainly desert; northeast monsoon (December to February), moderate temperatures in the north and hot in the south; southwest monsoon (May to October), humid in the north and hot in the south, irregular rainfall, hot and humid periods (tangambili) between monsoons.

Somalia is one of the poorest countries in the world.

Natural resources: uranium and largely untapped reserves of iron ore, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas.

Somalis enjoy fresh smelling homes through Dabqaad, a white clay vessel used as an incense burner before important gatherings.

The notorious Somali pirates originate from Somalia. For several years, piracy off the coast of Somalia by Somali pirates was a major threat to international fishing and cargo vessels. Many ships were looted by Somali pirates or the crew of such ships were taken hostage and released for ransom. In recent years, however, actions by the international community have helped create a relatively safe environment for ships sailing the Somali coast.

National symbol: Leopard

Another very common symbol in Somalia is the camel. This is because the camel provides milk, meat, transportation, income and status for those who own a camel.

The industries that exist in Somalia are fish and meat canning factories, leather tanneries as well as electrical and pharmaceutical factories, sugar refining, textiles. Very many inhabitants of Somalia are self-employed. They are farmers, shepherds or have their own business.

Sights in Somalia

Lido beach

Located in the north of Mogadishu, Lido Beach was created in the 1930s for the Italian colonists. It is the most beautiful beach in the city and is visited by very many locals and tourists. Visitors stay at Lido Beach until well after dark to watch the beautiful night skyline and deep blue sea.

On the beach there are several first-class resorts that offer delicious seafood and numerous activities that provide unforgettable moments.

Saryan Museum

The Saryan Museum was founded in 2017 by Saeed Shukri, who is dedicated to collecting and preserving cultural and historical objects. The museum is located in the Sha’ab district of Hargeisa and collects objects of ethnographic, historical, prehistoric and natural history significance. The collections include documents on the history of Somaliland since the earliest times, archaeological artifacts, ethnographic objects and numismatic items.

Mogadishu Cathedral

Mogadishu Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Mogadishu, Somalia, built in 1928 by the Italian colonialists. Known as the Cattedrale di Mogadiscio, it was built in the Norman Gothic style and is based on the Cathedral of Cefalù in Sicily. It served as the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mogadishu before being bombed in 1990 and destroyed by Islamic rebels in 2008.

After the war, in 2013, the cathedral was used as a refugee camp for internally displaced persons. However, in 2017 the reconstruction of the cathedral church was started.

Laas Geel

Laas Geel or Laas Gaal is a small rock massif near Hargeysa in northern Somalia (Somaliland), known for the cave paintings discovered in its caves. It houses some of the earliest cave paintings ever discovered in the Horn of Africa, and the various alcoves and underground tunnels offer a raw and haunting vision of prehistory in the area.

Tomb of the unknown soldier

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is one of the best sights in Somalia. The monument was erected in honor of the unknown Somali soldiers – men and women – who died defending the Somali Republic. In a figurative sense, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier represents not only the soldiers who fell anonymously in an unknown place, but is representative of the tomb of every soldier who fell in war or died of his war-related wounds, and is often a symbolic cenotaph (cenotaph means: empty grave in memory of a dead person buried elsewhere).

It is popularly known as Daljirka Dawson and is an important landmark in Mogadishu. The tomb is located in the center of the capital and consists of a huge column and the flag of the country.

Gold coins from Somalia – our favorites

Among our gold coin favorites from Somalia is definitely the Somalia Leopard 2021 1 oz gold coin, from the popular African Wildlife series. The Somalia Leopard Gold has been issued since 2018 and is related to the successful Somalia African Wildlife Elephant Gold 2018 1 Oz series, which has been minted since 2004. The African Wildlife series from Somalia is issued annually with a changing leopard motif and is very popular with collectors as well as investors worldwide.

The leopard, Somalia’s official national animal, is a species of big cat with a distinctive spotted coat. Leopards are not only found in Somalia, but in many parts of the world, from sub-Saharan Africa to India and China. Although they are large animals that can weigh up to 200 pounds, leopards are actually the smallest of the big cats. Somali leopards are significantly smaller than leopards in other areas.

Somalia African Wildlife Elephant is our other favorite: this coin was first produced in 2004, but as a silver coin. Due to high demand and great popularity, it was then released as a gold coin for the first time in 2010. On the reverse of the gold coin is the coat of arms of the Republic of Somalia, the year of the coin and the inscription “1000 Shillings”. The diameter of the gold coin is 38.7mm.

Do you have questions about the coins from Somalia? We look forward to hearing from you.