Somalia is located in East Africa and borders Ethiopia, Djibouti, the Gulf of Aden, the Indian Ocean and Kenya. The landscape of Somalia consists mainly of plateaus, plains and highlands. Somalia was colonized by Italy and Britain in the late 19th century and was established as an independent republic in 1960. Since 1991, however, the country has been plagued by civil war and conflict. Typical of Somalia is the nomadic lifestyle and traditional culture, as well as the cuisine, which consists mainly of meat, dairy products and spices. Among the most famous sights of Somalia are the fish market of Mogadishu, the cave system of Laas Geel and the Hafun patch on the Horn of Africa.
