![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/42/Greater_Somalia_%2528orthographic_projection%2529.svg/640px-Greater_Somalia_%2528orthographic_projection%2529.svg.png&w=640&q=50)
Somali people
Cushitic ethnic group native to the Horn of Africa / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Somali people (Somali: Soomaalida, Osmanya: ππππππππ, Wadaad: Ψ³ΩΩΩ ΩΨ§ΩΩΨ―ΩΨ§Ωβ) are a Cushitic ethnic group native to the Horn of Africa[43][44] who share a common ancestry, culture and history. The East Cushitic Somali language is the shared mother tongue of ethnic Somalis, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afroasiatic language family, and they are predominantly Sunni Muslim.[45][46] Forming one of the largest ethnic groups on the continent, they cover one of the most expansive landmasses by a single ethnic group in Africa.[47]
Soomaalida ππππππππ Ψ³ΩΩΩ ΩΨ§ΩΩΨ―ΩΨ§Ω | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() Traditional area inhabited by the Somali ethnic group | |||||||||||||||||||||
Total population | |||||||||||||||||||||
25.8 million[1]
![]() | |||||||||||||||||||||
Regions with significant populations | |||||||||||||||||||||
Horn of Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | 18,143,378 (2023)[2][3] | ||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | 4,581,793 (2007)[4] | ||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | 2,780,502 (2019)[5] | ||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | 560,000 (2024)[6] | ||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | 500,000 (2014)[7] | ||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | 176,645 (2021)[8] | ||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | 164,723 (2022)[9]β221,000 (2020)[10] | ||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | 112,000 (2020)[11] | ||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | 101,000[12] | ||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | 68,290[13][14] | ||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | 65,550[15] | ||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | 64,500[16] | ||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | 60,295[17] | ||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | 51,536[18] | ||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | 43,196[19] | ||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | 39,737[20] | ||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | 27,000β40,000[21] | ||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | 34,000β67,500[22][23] | ||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | 24,647[24] | ||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | 21,000[11]β200,000[25] | ||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | 21,210[26] | ||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | 18,401[27] | ||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | 9,349[28] | ||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | 7,101[29] | ||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | 7,025[30] | ||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | 5,518[31] | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Languages | |||||||||||||||||||||
Somali | |||||||||||||||||||||
Religion | |||||||||||||||||||||
Islam (Sunni) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Related ethnic groups | |||||||||||||||||||||
Afar β’ Saho β’ Oromo β’ Rendille β’ Cushites[42] |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/93/A_Somali_man.jpeg/320px-A_Somali_man.jpeg)
According to most scholars, the ancient Land of Punt and its native inhabitants formed part of the ethnogenesis of the Somali people. This ancient historical kingdom is where a great portion of their cultural traditions and ancestry are said to derive from.[48][49][50][51] Somalis share many historical and cultural traits with other Cushitic peoples, especially with Lowland East Cushitic people, specifically the Afar and the Saho.[52]
Ethnic Somalis are principally concentrated in Somalia (around 17.6 million),[53] Somaliland (5.7 million),[54] Ethiopia (4.6 million),[4] Kenya (2.8 million),[5] and Djibouti (534,000).[55] Somali diasporas are also found in parts of the Middle East, North America, Western Europe, African Great Lakes region, Southern Africa and Oceania.