Language Family: Eastern Cushitic branch of Cushitic subfamily of Afro-Asiatic
Location: Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Djibouti
Related Languages: Rendille, Bayso, Dasenach and Arbore

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* * RAPID REFERENCE * *

• I. Profession Associations/Organizations
• II. Mega Resource Sites
• III. Online Language Materials/Tutorials
• IV. Online Dictionaries
• V. Area Studies/Country Sites
• VI. Media Sites
  

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  I. Professional Associations/Organizations

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• African Language Teachers Association
  The African Language Teachers Association is an organization dedicated to the teaching and learning of African languages. Its membership is open to individuals and organizations that share this interest.

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  II. Mega Resource Sites

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• Library of Congress Portals to the World - Somalia
  Links to electronic resources selected by Library of Congress subject experts. Site is very conservative and somewhat disappointing in its offerings.

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• Yahoo Regional Country Sites - Somalia
  Links to sites for Cities, Arts and Humanities, Business and Economy, Computers and Internet, Country Guides, Education, Government, News and Media, Social Science, Society and Culture, etc.

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• Somalinet
  In-country resource site with links to country, history, news, etc.

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• Africa.no Index on Africa -- Somalia
  Many links to Art and Culture, History, Politics, etc.

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• Arab.net -- Somalia
  Excellent resource site with links to history, geography, business, culture, etc.

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  III. Online Language Materials/Tutorials

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• Ethnologue.com -- Somali
  Description of Somali language, speakers, dialects, etc.

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• Ethnologue.com -- The Languages of Somalia
  As the title suggests, not everyone in Somalia speaks Somali.

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• Languages-on-the-net: Somali
  Solid list of resources and links, not all "freeware".

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• Somali Language Page
  Basically a links page maintained by Mohamed Diriye Abdullahi, PhD, native speaker of Somali.

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  IV. Online Dictionaries

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• Short Somali-English, English-Somali Online Dictionary
  This dictionary is designed primarily for Somali speakers wanting to learn English. But it works just as well in reverse.

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• Somali-English-Italian Trilingual Dictionary
  Produced by RedSea-Online.com, "this freely-accessible data source is growing constantly.The dictionary has currently 504 entries, 168 Somali quotes (songs, classical poems, proverbs and other traditional sayings as well as constitutional articles). Other 373 entries has been recently submitted by our visitors and they pending for review and approval by the dictionary staff." Description

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  V. Area Studies/Culture Sites

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• Somalia - A Country Study
  Exceptionally detailed presentation from the Library of Congress. Includes sections on: Geography, Society, Economy, Government and
  Politics, Very detailed History and Historical Development, Contemporary Trends, etc.

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• U.S. Department of State Background Notes - Somalia
  Background Notes are updated/revised as they are received from regional bureaus and are added to the database of the Department of State web site. Categories include: Geography, People, History, Government, Political Conditions, Economy, Defense, Foreign Relations, US Relations, and Travel/Business.

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• CIA World Factbook - Somalia
  Good resource site for information on Geography, People, Government, Economy, Communications, Transportation,
  Military, and Transnational Issues .

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• BBC News Country Profiles - Somalia
  Full profiles provide an instant guide to history, politics and economic background of countries; also bio sketches of leaders, essay on media, and historic timelines. They also include audio and video clips from the BBC archives.

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• Political Resources on the Net - Somalia
  Listings of political sites available on the Internet sorted by country, with links to Parties, Organizations, Governments, Media and more from all around the world.

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• CountryWatch.com - Somalia
  Good resource site with maps and information on government, news, etc. Requires sign-up to get to deeper levels.

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• United Nations Homepage
  Includes links to UN NewsCenter, which includes headlines in latest developments in Peace and Security, Economic Development, Humanitarian Aid/Refugees, Environment/Shelter, Human Rights, Women/Children/Population, Health/Poverty/Food Security, Culture/Education.

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• International Monetary Fund - Somalia
  Latest developments in Peace and Security, Economic Development, Humanitarian Aid/Refugees, Environment/Shelter, Human Rights, Women/Children/Population, Health/Poverty/Food Security, Culture/Education.

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• The World Bank Group
  This site is undergoing construction problems; however pre-set links to WBG Search - Somalia and Somalia at a Glance function.

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• TradePort Country Library - Somalia
  From About: "TradePort is designed to be an easy-to-use tool offering one place to go for comprehensive trade information,
  trade leads, and company databases."

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• Energy Information Administration Country Analysis Briefs - Somalia
  From About: "The Energy Information Administration (EIA), created by Congress in 1977, the a statistical agency of the U.S. Department of Energy. We provide policy-independent data, forecasts, and analysis to promote sound policy making efficient markets and public understanding regarding energy and its interaction with the economy and environment."

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• USAID - Somalia
  The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) "is an independent agency that provides economic, development and humanitarian assistance around the world in support of the foreign policy goals of the United States."

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• World Health Organization - Somalia
  About WHO" "The World Health Organization, the United Nations specialized agency for health, was established on 7 April 1948. WHO's objective, as set out in its Constitution, is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. Health is defined in WHO's Constitution as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."

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• International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - Somalia
  The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is the world's largest humanitarian organisation, with 178 member National Societies.

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• Amnesty International - Somalia
  Amnesty International is a champion defender of human rights worldwide. Familiarity with a given country's human rights issues can provide a unique insight into many other aspects of its culture and politics.

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• Human Rights Watch - Somalia
  Human Rights Watch is dedicated to protecting the human rights of people around the world.

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• Lonely Planet World Guide - Somalia
  The people at Lonely Planet are not your typical travel guides. They're bright and on top of situations in the countries they write about. A lot can be learned from them. Typical headings include: Introduction, Facts for the Traveler, When to Go, Events, Money and Costs, Attractions, Off the Beaten Track, Activities, History, Culture, Environment, Getting There and Away, Getting Around, and Further Reading and Related Weblinks.

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• Dangerous Places - Somalia
  This is an unusual website: "The authors and publishers assume no liability nor do they encourage you to do, see, visit or try any of the activities or actions discussed in this site." Nonetheless, there is some very good, hard to find information here - whether you're a soldier of fortune or just an interested student of the country.

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• Somaliland.com
  In-country website with links to government organizations and political parties.

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  VI. Media Sites

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• Kidon Media-Links: Somalia
  Connects you with a few newspapers and magazines. Not much for Somalia.

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• OnlineNewspapers.com - Somalia
  About 3 online Somali newspapers from this print media megasite.

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• Yahoo! News -- Somalia
  Current and recent events news reports in English from a variety of sources.

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• BBC Somali Service -- In Somali and English
  News, Educational Projects, and even Missing Persons reports.

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• TVRadioWorld - Somalia
  About: "TvRadioWorld is an informational directory dealing with radio and television broadcasters worldwide." Site allows you to bookmark favorite radio stations for listening.

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