Somali

Way of life

Many Somalis live as emigrants or refugees in America, Europe, Arabia and various other parts of the world. The Somalis live together in clans. Membership of the clans is determined by the line of paternal descent. A large proportion of Somalis live in a very traditional way and mainly practice livestock farming. They are pastoral nomads and travel with their animals through the lowlands of the Horn of Africa in search of grazing land and watering holes. The Somalis mainly keep camels. Depending on the terrain, however, they also keep cattle, goats or sheep. Most clans in south-western Somalia live as sedentary farmers and, in addition to livestock farming, also engage in farming. Many have migrated to villages and towns, but a large proportion still live as nomads.

Religion

The Somali people were one of the first peoples in Africa to practice Islam. Even today, most of them are Muslims. Female and male circumcision is still common among the Somalis. According to Somali tradition, face veils are not mandatory. However, since the 1980s they have become increasingly common, especially in the cities. The traditional clothing of Somali women consists of a type of sari made of cotton, over which a cloth is worn that covers the hair.