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Somali (ethnicity)

Somalis
Soomaali
صوماليون
Somali map.jpg
Traditional area inhabited by the Somali ethnic group
Total population
c. 26 million
Regions with significant populations
Horn of Africa
 Somalia 12 million
 Ethiopia 4.6 million
 Kenya 2.4 million
 Djibouti 524,000
 Yemen 200,000
 Canada 150,000
 United Arab Emirates 130,000
 United States 129,018
 United Kingdom 114,000
 Sweden 63,853
 Norway 42,217
 South Africa 40,000
 Netherlands 39,465
 Saudi Arabia 34,000
 Germany 33,900
 Egypt 22,709
 Denmark 21,050
 Finland 19,059
 Australia 16,169
 Italy 8,228
  Switzerland 7,025
 Austria 6,000
 Belgium 2,627
 Pakistan 2,500
 New Zealand 1,617
 Ireland 1,495
Languages
Somali
Religion
Islam (Sunni, Sufi)
Related ethnic groups

Somalis (Somali: Soomaali, Arabic: صوماليون‎‎) are an ethnic group inhabiting the Horn of Africa (Somali Peninsula). The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afroasiatic family. They are predominantly Sunni Muslim. Ethnic Somalis number around 23-27 million and are principally concentrated in Somalia (around 12 million),Ethiopia (4.6 million),Kenya (2.4 million), and Djibouti (524,000). Expatriate Somalis are also found in parts of the Middle East, North America, Oceania and Europe.

Samaale, the oldest common ancestor of several Somali clans, is generally regarded as the source of the ethnonym Somali. The name "Somali" is, in turn, held to be derived from the words soo and maal, which together mean "go and milk" — a reference to the ubiquitous pastoralism of the Somali people. Another plausible etymology proposes that the term Somali is derived from the Arabic for "wealthy" (dhawamaal), again referring to Somali riches in livestock.

An Ancient Chinese document from the 9th century CE referred to the northern Somalia coast — which was then part of a broader region in Northeast Africa known as Barbara, in reference to the area's Berber (Hamitic) inhabitants — as Po-pa-li. The first clear written reference of the sobriquet Somali, however, dates back to the 15th century. During the wars between the Sultanate of Ifat based at Zeila and the Solomonic Dynasty, the Abyssinian emperor had one of his court officials compose a hymn celebrating a military victory over the Sultan of Ifat's eponymous troops.Simur was also an ancient Harari alias for the Somali people.


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Wikipedia

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