Introduction
Mogadishu is the capital and largest city of Somalia, a country on the northeastern coast of Africa. Mogadishu is a major port on the Indian Ocean. An ancient city that enjoyed wealth and power long ago, Mogadishu was largely destroyed by fighting during a civil war that began in the early 1990s and continued into the 21st century.
Places of interest
Before the war, Mogadishu was a blend of old and new. The old city had many mosques where Muslims worshiped, as well as a gold and silver market. The modern sector had a Christian cathedral. The city was home to the Somali National University and to other specialized schools of higher learning. Also located in town was the Somali National Museum, where exhibits illustrated the Egyptian, Persian, and Italian influences on Somali culture.
Economy
Mogadishu's large port, which was extended in the 1960s, made the city a busy shipping center in the years before warfare interfered with trade. Many of Somalia's main exports flowed through the city on their way to other countries. These exports included live animals, other animal products, and bananas. A number of industries also thrived in Mogadishu. These industries included food processing, soft-drink bottling, cotton textile processing, and even petroleum refining. With the onset of war, however, the city's manufacturing and shipping activities greatly declined. Just outside the city is an international airport.
History
Mogadishu was founded in the 10th century by settlers from the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East. As a port on the Indian Ocean, Mogadishu handled the goods of Africa, the Arab world, and eastern lands such as India. Starting with Vasco da Gama in 1499, Portuguese attackers interfered with the activities of the port. In the centuries that followed, a weakened Mogadishu was ruled by sultans from Oman and then Zanzibar.
As part of the European rush to make colonies in Africa late in the 19th century, Italy pushed the former rulers out. After World War II (1939–45), the country was ruled under the supervision of the United Nations. In 1960, Somalia won its independence, and Mogadishu became the capital of the new nation.
Independence did not bring peace. After a period of rule by a strict dictator, Somalis became involved in civil war. In the 1990s, fighting forces based on family groups called clans fought in the streets of Mogadishu. United States troops brought in by the United Nations became involved in the conflict. The brutal fighting left thousands of city residents either dead or injured and numerous buildings destroyed. As the 21st century began, Mogadishu's future—and that of Somalia—remained uncertain. Population (1999 estimate), 1,162,000.
