Somalia’s history and rise expose a forgotten African power the world was never taught to remember. Long before headlines of conflict and collapse, Somalia stood as one of Africa’s most powerful and sophisticated civilizations. For years, Somali sailors dominated the Indian Ocean trade, connecting Africa to the global east through advanced navigation and shipbuilding. Cities like Mogadishu were global commercial hubs, minting their own currency, attracting scholars and merchants, and earning praise from foreign chroniclers for their wealth and beauty.
On land, Somalia developed a unique social system built on mobility, clan networks, and xeer, one of Africa’s oldest legal traditions. This decentralized structure fueled Somali resistance to empires, making the nation extraordinarily difficult to conquer and allowing it to withstand foreign domination for decades.
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To understand modern Somalia, you must first understand Somalia’s history and rise, not just its collapse. In the 20th century, the country shocked the world again. During the 1970s, Somalia launched one of Africa’s most successful literacy campaigns, rapidly transforming a largely nomadic society into one of the most literate on the continent. It built a strong military, and a sense of unity that many have since forgotten. The eventual collapse was not inevitable. It was shaped by authoritarian rule, Cold War abandonment, foreign interference, and internal fractures. Yet even in collapse, Somalis rebuilt through community systems, and relentless resilience. Today, Somalia is quietly re-emerging, driven by a young population, strategic geography, and a history the world rarely acknowledges.
Watch the full breakdown on YouTube to explore how Somalia rose, fell, and continues to defy the narrative.
