The Republic of Somalia is a sovereign state in Africa, and the capital city is Mogadishu. The country has the longest coastline in Africa’s mainland, and a population of over 14 million inhabitants.  Approximately 85% of inhabitants are ethnic Somalis, who occupy the northern portion of the country. Muslim is the leading religion and most residents in Somalia are Sunni Muslims.

Early in the 19th century, the country was conquered by British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland. The country officially became the Somali Republic and gained independence in 1960. Between April to May of 2000, the Transitional National Government was established in Somalia, and Abdiqasim Salad Hassan was elected as President of the new group. In 2004, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed was elected the first President of the  Transitional Federal Government. This was the second interim administration that aimed to restore national institutions in Somalia. The group was internationally recognized until it ended in 2012.  The first permanent central government in Somalia,  Federal Government of Somalia, was established in August 2012. This was the first organized government since the Somali Civil War.

Today Somalia is considered a  parliamentary representative democratic republic, with the President serving as head of state and commander in chief. The President also selects the Prime Minister who serves as head of government. A bicameral house makes up the upper and lower legislature. Members serve a total of four-year terms.

Legal System of Somalia

The Judiciary of Somalia is defined under the Federal Republic of Somalia provisional constitution. The country’s court system is divided into three tiers. These are Constitutional Court, Federal Government level courts and State level courts. The three main sources of law which Somalia draws its laws from are civil law, Islamic law and customary law.

Somalia is a member of the United Nations, Arab League, African Union,  International Civil Aviation Organization, Non-Aligned Movement, World Federation of Trade Unions and other international, foreign relations groups. It maintains diplomatic relations with several world governments/countries as well. These include Yemen, South Korea, Republic of China, the Russian Federation, and other countries around the world.

The National Law Review covers the latest news stories about Somalia and other international stories around the world. Some content visitors will find regarding the African nation includes immigration stories, travel bans, terror attacks and threats, international work and visa requirements, and stories about political risks, are some of the latest topics visitors can read about online.