Somalia

UK: /səʊˈmɑːliə/ US: (sō mä′lē ə, -mäl′yə)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

So•ma•li•a  (sō mä′lē ə, -mäl′yə), n. 

1. Place Names an independent republic on the E coast of Africa, formed from the former British Somaliland and the former Italian Somaliland. 9,940,232;
   246,198 sq. mi. (637,653 sq. km). Cap.: Mogadishu. Official name, Soma′li Democrat′ic Repub′lic. 

So•ma′li•an, adj., n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Somalia / səʊˈmɑːlɪə/ noun

1. a republic in NE Africa, on the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden: the north became a British protectorate in 1884; the east and south were established as an Italian protectorate in 1889; gained independence and united as Somalia (or the Somali Republic) in 1960. In 1991 the former British Somaliland region in the north unilaterally declared itself independent as the Republic of Somaliland, and Puntland and other areas are also operating effectively as separate states, but this has not been recognized officially. Official languages: Arabic and Somali. Official religion: (Sunni) Muslim. Currency: Somali shilling. Capital: Mogadishu. Pop: 14 742 523 (2017 est). Area: 637 541 sq km (246 154 sq miles)