The World Health Organisation has today declared that Somalia has eradicated polio. The last reported case was on 25th March 2007. WHO described the news as an "historic achievement", and paid tribute to 10,000 Somali volunteers and health workers in "one of the most dangerous places on earth". In the latest of our regular features, here are ten things you didn't know about Somalia.
- Somalia gained its independence in 1960, following a merger between British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland.
- The country has been caught up in a violent civil war since 1991.
- Somali was made the country's official language in 1973.
- At this time, it was also decreed that the language should be written in the Roman alphabet, rather than Osmanian (which contained elements of Arabic and Ethiopic scripts).
- There are Somali-speaking communities in Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti.
- Somalia is more than 2½ times the size of the UK.
- The highest point is Mount Shimbiris; at 2,416 metres, this is just under twice the height of Ben Nevis.
- The country's population is estimated to be around 9 million (slightly bigger than the population of London).
- According to Home Office statistics, Somalia is one of the top ten nationalities for asylum applications in the UK.
- Somalia's flag (pictured at the top of this post) is light blue with a white star in the center. The light blue colour is based on the flag of the United Nations.