ABSTRACT
Somalia has been selected as a case study of pastoral nomadism because pastoral nomads still account for a large proportion of her population and exert a considerable impact on the economy. The nature of economic activity is closely related to the climatic characteristics and most of the problems that will be dealt with in this chapter are closely linked to the present stage of development achieved by that country. Somalia provides a typical example of a sub-Saharan country situated in the rain-deficient area, where human behaviour and attitudes are primarily determined by ecological conditions. Unlike some of the semi-arid or arid territories in the Sahel, or in Southern Africa, her economy did not develop sectors such as mining or irrigated agriculture to such an extent that they overshadowed the importance of pastoralism.
