According to petwithsupplies, Somalia is a nation located in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, and Kenya to the southwest. Somalia has an estimated population of over 15 million people, most of whom live in rural areas. The largest cities in Somalia are Mogadishu, Hargeisa, Berbera, Kismayo, and Garowe. Mogadishu is the capital of Somalia and its largest city with an estimated population of 2.6 million people in 2019. It serves as a major economic hub for the country due to its strategic location on the Indian Ocean coastline. The city is home to numerous government institutions and organizations such as the Federal Parliament building and Banadir University. In addition, it has become a major tourist destination due to its vibrant nightlife and cultural attractions such as Laas Geel caves, which are ancient rock art sites located near Mogadishu. Hargeisa is the second-largest city in Somalia with an estimated population of 1.5 million people in 2019. It serves as the capital of Somaliland, an autonomous region within Somalia that declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but is not recognized internationally as an independent state. Hargeisa’s economy relies heavily on trade with Ethiopia and Djibouti through its port at Berbera on the Gulf of Aden coast; it also serves as a major transit point for goods moving between Ethiopia and Djibouti via land routes through Somaliland territory. Berbera is a port city located on the Gulf of Aden coast near Hargeisa with an estimated population of 500 thousand people in 2019. It serves as one of Somalia’s main seaports for imports and exports; however it faces competition from neighboring ports such as Bossaso which has become increasingly popular due to its proximity to Ethiopia’s landlocked cities such as Dire Dawa and Jijiga which have been connected by road since 2017. Kismayo is another important port city in southern Somalia with an estimated population of 500 thousand people in 2019; it serves as a key commercial center for trade between Kenya and other countries throughout East Africa due to its strategic location at the mouth of Jubba River near Kenya’s border with Somalia at Lamu Port Town (LPT). Additionally, Kismayo serves as a base for various international organizations operating throughout southern Somalia such as the United Nations, European Union, and International Committee of the Red Cross. In 2008, Somalia was still in the midst of a prolonged civil war that had been ongoing since the ouster of former President Siad Barre in 1991. The conflict had left the country divided into various warring factions, with no unified central government or single governing authority. This led to a situation of competing interests and loyalties among clan-based militias and other armed groups vying for power and control over different regions of the country. The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) was established in 2004 as a result of peace negotiations between some of the major Somali factions, but its authority was limited to parts of south-central Somalia, primarily in and around Mogadishu. In 2006, an Islamist group called the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) took control over much of southern Somalia, including Kismayo and parts of Mogadishu. In response, Ethiopia sent troops into Somalia to support the TFG in what became known as the Second Somali War. This ultimately resulted in a defeat for ICU forces and allowed the TFG to extend its control over much of south-central Somalia. At this time, Somaliland declared its independence from Somalia but was not recognized internationally as an independent state; this region is now considered semi-autonomous with its own government, currency, and police force. Puntland also declared itself autonomous from Mogadishu at this time but has since largely been under TFG control. Additionally, there are several other autonomous regions such as Galmudug which were established during this period but remain largely unrecognized by both Somaliland and Puntland governments. The TFG’s efforts to establish order were further challenged by militant groups such as Al Shabaab which emerged during this period; Al Shabaab’s presence has continued to be a major destabilizing factor throughout much of southern Somalia since 2008 due to their links with international terrorist organizations such as al-Qaeda and their opposition to any form or recognition or control by outside powers. The international community has largely failed to resolve the conflict in Somalia despite numerous attempts at intervention; peace talks have been held on multiple occasions since 2008 but have yet to produce any lasting results due to disagreements among Somali factions on issues such as power sharing arrangements or who should lead post-conflict governance structures. As a result, large parts of central and southern Somalia remain mired in violence while efforts towards establishing stability continue throughout much of eastern Africa. Check pharmacylib for Somalia in 1996.