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Micronations/List of already existing micronations/Republic of Somaliland

Somaliland, officially the Republic of Somaliland, is a self-declared state, internationally considered to be an autonomous region of Somalia.

The government of the de facto state of Somaliland regards itself as the successor state to the former British Somaliland protectorate, which, in the form of the briefly independent State of Somaliland, along with SSC Khatumo united as scheduled on 1 July 1960 with the Trust Territory of Somaliland (the former Italian Somaliland) to form the Somali Republic.

Somaliland lies in northwestern Somalia, on the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden. It is bordered by the remainder of Somalia (per international recognition) specifically SSC Khatumo to the east, Djibouti to the northwest, and Ethiopia to the south and west. Its claimed territory has an area of 176,120 km2, with approximately 4 million residents. The capital and the largest city is Hargeisa, with the population of around 1,500,000 residents.

In 1988, the Siad Barre government began a crackdown against the Hargeisa-based Somali National Movement (SNM) and other militant groups, which were among the events that led to the Somali Civil War. The conflict left the country's economic and military infrastructure severely damaged. Following the collapse of Barre's government in early 1991, local authorities, led by the SNM, unilaterally declared independence from Somalia on 18 May of the same year and reinstated the borders of the former short-lived independent State of Somaliland.

Since then, the territory has been governed by democratically elected governments that seek international recognition as the Government of the Republic of Somaliland ( Dawlat Jumhūrīyat Ṣūmālīlānd). The central government maintains informal ties with some foreign governments, who have sent delegations to Hargeisa. Ethiopia also maintains a trade office in the region. However, Somaliland's self-proclaimed independence remains unrecognised by any country or international organisation. It is a member of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization, an advocacy group whose members consist of indigenous peoples, minorities and unrecognised or occupied territories.

Prehistory
Somaliland has been inhabited since at least the Paleolithic. During the Stone Age, the Doian and Hargeisan cultures flourished here. The oldest evidence of burial customs in the Horn of Africa comes from cemeteries in Somalia dating back to the 4th millennium BCE. The stone implements from the Jalelo site in the north were also characterized in 1909 as important artefacts demonstrating the archaeological universality during the Paleolithic between the East and the West.

According to linguists, the first Afroasiatic-speaking populations arrived in the region during the ensuing Neolithic period from the family's proposed urheimat ("original homeland") in the Nile Valley, or the Near East.

The Laas Geel complex on the outskirts of Hargeisa in northwestern Somalia dates back around 5,000 years, and has rock art depicting both wild animals and decorated cows. Other cave paintings are found in the northern Dhambalin region, which feature one of the earliest known depictions of a hunter on horseback. The rock art is in the distinctive Ethiopian-Arabian style, dated to 1,000 to 3,000 BCE. Additionally, between the towns of Las Khorey and El Ayo in northern Somalia lies Karinhegane, the site of numerous cave paintings of real and mythical animals. Each painting has an inscription below it, which collectively have been estimated to be around 2,500 years old.

Antiquity and classical era
Ancient pyramidical structures, mausoleums, ruined cities and stone walls, such as the Wargaade Wall, are evidence of an old civilization that once thrived in the Somali peninsula. This civilization enjoyed a trading relationship with ancient Egypt and Mycenaean Greece since the second millennium BCE, supporting the hypothesis that Somalia or adjacent regions were the location of the ancient Land of Punt. The Puntites traded myrrh, spices, gold, ebony, short-horned cattle, ivory and frankincense with the Egyptians, Phoenicians, Babylonians, Indians, Chinese and Romans through their commercial ports. An Egyptian expedition sent to Punt by the 18th dynasty Queen Hatshepsut is recorded on the temple reliefs at Deir el-Bahari, during the reign of the Puntite King Parahu and Queen Ati. In 2015, isotopic analysis of ancient baboon mummies from Punt that had been brought to Egypt as gifts indicated that the specimens likely originated from an area encompassing eastern Somalia and the Eritrea-Ethiopia corridor.

The camel is believed to have been domesticated in the Horn region sometime between the 2nd and 3rd millennium BCE. From there, it spread to Egypt and the Maghreb. During the classical period, the northern Barbara city-states of Mosylon, Opone, Mundus, Isis, Malao, Avalites, Essina, Nikon, and Sarapion developed a lucrative trade network, connecting with merchants from Ptolemaic Egypt, Ancient Greece, Phoenicia, Parthian Persia, Saba, the Nabataean Kingdom, and the Roman Empire. They used the ancient Somali maritime vessel known as the beden to transport their cargo.

After the Roman conquest of the Nabataean Empire and the Roman naval presence at Aden to curb piracy, Arab and Somali merchants agreed with the Romans to bar Indian ships from trading in the free port cities of the Arabian peninsula to protect the interests of Somali and Arab merchants in the lucrative commerce between the Red and Mediterranean Seas. However, Indian merchants continued to trade in the port cities of the Somali peninsula, which was free from Roman interference.

For centuries, Indian merchants brought large quantities of cinnamon to Somalia and Arabia from Ceylon and the Spice Islands. The source of the cinnamon and other spices is said to have been the best-kept secret of Arab and Somali merchants in their trade with the Roman and Greek world; the Romans and Greeks believed the source to have been the Somali peninsula. The collusive agreement among Somali and Arab traders inflated the price of Indian and Chinese cinnamon in North Africa, the Near East, and Europe, and made the cinnamon trade a very profitable revenue generator, especially for the Somali merchants through whose hands large quantities were shipped across sea and land routes.

Birth of Islam and the Middle Ages
Various Somali Muslim kingdoms were established around this period in the area. In the 14th century, the Zeila-based Adal Sultanate battled the forces of the Ethiopian emperor Amda Seyon I. The Ottoman Empire later occupied Berbera and environs in the 1500s. Muhammad Ali, Pasha of Egypt, subsequently established a foothold in the area between 1821 and 1841.

Early modern sultanates
In the early modern period, successor states to the Adal Sultanate and Ajuran Sultanate began to flourish in Somalia. These included the Warsangali Sultanate.

The first engagement between Somalis of the region and the British was the 1827 "Articles of Friendship and Commerce between the Tribe of Habr Awal and England. This was followed by a British treaty with the Governor of Zeila in 1840. An engagement was then started between the British and elders of Habar Garhajis and Habar Toljaala clans of the Isaaq in 1855, followed a year later by the conclusion of the "Articles of Peace and Friendship" between the Habar Awal and East India Company. These engagements between the British and Somali clans culminated in the formal treaties the British signed with the henceforth 'British Somaliland' clans, which took place between 1884 and 1886 (treaties were signed with the Habar Awal, Gadabursi, Habar Toljaala, Habar Garhajis, Esa, and the Warsangali clans), this paved the way for the British to establish a protectorate in the region referred to as British Somaliland. The British garrisoned the protectorate from Aden and administered it as part of British India until 1898. British Somaliland was then administered by the Foreign Office until 1905, and afterwards by the Colonial Office.

British Somaliland
The Somaliland Campaign, also called the Anglo-Somali War or the Dervish War, was a series of military expeditions that took place between 1900 and 1920 in the Horn of Africa, pitting the Dervishes led by Mohammed Abdullah Hassan (nicknamed the "Mad Mullah") against the British. The British were assisted in their offensives by the Ethiopians and Italians. During the First World War (1914–1918), Hassan also received aid from the Ottomans, Germans and, for a time, from the Emperor Iyasu V of Ethiopia. The conflict ended when the British aerially bombed the Dervish capital of Taleh in February 1920.

The Fifth Expedition of the Somaliland campaign in 1920 was the final British expedition against the Dervish forces of Mohammed Abdullah Hassan (often called the "Mad Mullah" derogatorily by British ), the Somali religious leader. Although the majority of the combat took place in January of the year, British troops had begun preparations for the assault as early as November 1919. The British forces included elements of the Royal Air Force and the Somaliland Camel Corps. After three weeks of battle, Hassan's Dervishes were defeated, bringing an effective end to their 20-year resistance.

The Italian conquest of British Somaliland was a military campaign in East Africa, which took place in August 1940 between forces of Italy and those of several British and Commonwealth countries. The Italian expedition was part of the East African Campaign.

State of Somaliland
In May 1960, the British government stated that it would be prepared to grant independence to the then protectorate of British Somaliland, with the intention that the territory would unite with the Italian-administered Trust Territory of Somaliland under Italian Administration (the former Italian Somaliland). The Legislative Council of British Somaliland passed a resolution in April 1960 requesting independence and union with the Trust Territory of Somaliland, which was scheduled to gain independence on July 1 that year. The legislative councils of both territories agreed to this proposal following a joint conference in Mogadishu. On June 26, 1960, the former British Somaliland protectorate briefly obtained independence as the State of Somaliland, with the Trust Territory of Somaliland following suit five days later. During its brief period of independence, the State of Somaliland garnered recognition from thirty-five sovereign states. The following day, on June 27, 1960, the newly convened Somaliland Legislative Assembly approved a bill that would formally allow for the union of the State of Somaliland with the Trust Territory of Somaliland on July 1, 1960.

Somali Republic
The State of Somaliland was a short-lived independent state in the territory of present-day northwestern Somalia. It was the name assumed by the former British Somaliland protectorate in the five days between independence from the United Kingdom on 26 June 1960.

On 1 July 1960, the protectorate and the Trust Territory of Somaliland (the former Italian Somaliland) united as planned to form the Somali Republic. Inspired by Somali nationalism, the northerners were initially enthusiastic about the union. A government was formed by Abdullahi Issa, with Aden Abdullah Osman Daar as President and Abdirashid Ali Shermarke as Prime Minister (later to become President, from 1967 to 1969). On 20 July 1961 and through a popular referendum, the Somali people ratified a new constitution, which was first drafted in 1960. The constitution had little support in the former Somaliland, and was believed to favour the south. Many northerners boycotted the referendum in protest, and over 60% of those who voted in the north were against the new constitution. Regardless, the referendum passed, and Somaliland became quickly dominated by southerners. As result, dissatisfaction became widespread in the north, and support for the union plummeted. British-trained Somaliland officers attempted a revolt to end the union in December 1961. Their uprising failed, and Somaliland continued to be marginalized by the south during the next decades.

In 1967, Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal became Prime Minister, a position to which he was appointed by Shermarke. Shermarke was assassinated two years later by one of his own bodyguards. His murder was quickly followed by a military coup d'état on 21 October 1969 (the day after his funeral), in which the Somalian Army seized power without encountering armed opposition. The putsch was spearheaded by Major General Mohamed Siad Barre, who at the time commanded the army. The new regime would go on to rule Somalia for the next 21 years.

Somali National Movement, Barre persecution
The moral authority of Barre's government was gradually eroded, as many Somalis became disillusioned with life under military rule. By the mid-1980s, resistance movements supported by Ethiopia's communist Derg administration had sprung up across the country. Barre responded by ordering punitive measures against those he perceived as locally supporting the guerrillas, especially in the northern regions. The clampdown included bombing of cities, with the northwestern administrative centre of Hargeisa, a Somali National Movement (SNM) stronghold, among the targeted areas in 1988. The bombardment was led by General Mohammed Said Hersi Morgan, Barre's son-in-law.

According to Abou Jeng and other scholars, the Barre regime rule was marked by a targeted brutal persecution of the Isaaq clan. Mohamed Haji Ingiriis and Chris Mullin state that the clampdown by the Barre regime against the Hargeisa-based Somali National Movement targeted the Isaaq clan, to which most members of the SNM belonged. They refer to the clampdown as the Isaaq genocide or Hargeisa holocaust. A United Nations investigation concluded that the crime of genocide was "conceived, planned and perpetrated by the Somali Government against the Isaaq people". The number of civilian casualties is estimated to be between 50,000-100,000 according to various sources, while some reports estimate the total civilian deaths to be upwards of 200,000 Isaaq civilians. Along with the deaths, Barre regime bombarded and razed the second and third largest cities in Somalia, Hargeisa and Burao respectively. This displaced an estimated 400,000 local residents to Hartasheikh in Ethiopia;  another 400,000 individuals were also internally displaced. The counterinsurgency by the Barre regime against the SNM targeted the rebel group's civilian base of support, escalating into a genocidal onslaught against the Isaaq clan. This led to anarchy and violent campaigns by fragmented militias, which then wrested power at a local level. The Barre regime's persecution was not limited to the Isaaq, as it targeted other clans such as the Hawiye. The Barre regime collapsed in January 1991. Thereafter, as the political situation in Somaliland stabilized, the displaced people returned to their homes, the militias were demobilized or incorporated into the army, and tens of thousands of houses and businesses were reconstructed from rubble.

Somali Civil War
Although the SNM at its inception had a unionist constitution, it eventually began to pursue independence, looking to secede from the rest of Somalia. Under the leadership of Abdirahman Ahmed Ali Tuur, the local administration declared the northwestern Somali territories independent at a conference held in Burao between 27 April 1991 and 15 May 1991. Tuur then became the newly established Somaliland polity's first President, but subsequently renounced the separatist platform in 1994 and began instead to publicly seek and advocate reconciliation with the rest of Somalia under a power-sharing federal system of governance. Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal was appointed as Tuur's successor in 1993 by the Grand Conference of National Reconciliation in Borama, which met for four months, leading to a gradual improvement in security, as well as a consolidation of the new territory. Egal was reappointed in 1997, and remained in power until his death on 3 May 2002. The vice-president, Dahir Riyale Kahin, who was during the 1980s the highest-ranking National Security Service (NSS) officer in Berbera in Siad Barre's government, was sworn in as president shortly afterwards. In 2003, Kahin became the first elected president of Somaliland.

The war in southern Somalia between Islamist insurgents on the one hand, and the Federal Government of Somalia and its African Union allies on the other, has for the most part not directly affected Somaliland, which, like neighbouring Puntland, has remained relatively stable.

Government
The guurti worked with rebel leaders to set up a new government, and was incorporated into the governance structure, becoming the Parliament's House of Elders. The government became in essence a "power-sharing coalition of Somaliland's main clans," with seats in the Upper and Lower houses proportionally allocated to clans according to a predetermined formula, although not all clans are satisfied with their representation. In 2002, after several extensions of this interim government, Somaliland transitioned to multi-party democracy. The election was limited to three parties, in an attempt to create ideology based elections rather than clan based elections. As of December 2014, Somaliland has three political parties: the Peace, Unity, and Development Party, the Justice and Development Party, and Wadani. Under the Somaliland Constitution, a maximum of three political parties is allowed.

The Executive is led by an elected president, whose government includes a vice-president and a Council of Ministers. The Council of Ministers, who are responsible for the normal running of government, are nominated by the President and approved by the Parliament's House of Representatives. The President must approve bills passed by the Parliament before they come into effect. Presidential elections are confirmed by the National Elections Commission. The President can serve a maximum of two five-year terms.

Legislative power is held by the bicameral Parliament. Its upper house is the House of Elders, and the lower house is the House of Representatives. The lower house is chaired by Bashe Mohamed Farah. Each house has 82 members. Members of the House of Elders are elected indirectly by local communities for six-year terms. The House of Elders shares power in passing laws with the House of Representatives, and also has the role of solving internal conflicts, and an exclusive power to extend the terms of the President and representatives under circumstances that make an election impossible. Members of the House of Representatives are directly elected by the people for five-year terms. The House of Representatives shares voting power with the House of Elders, though it can pass a law that the House of Elders rejects if it votes for the law by a 2/3's majority, and has absolute power in financial matters and confirmation of Presidential appointments (except for the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court). However, the Parliament provides weak oversight of the executive branch.

The judicial system is divided into district courts, (which deal with matters of family law and succession, lawsuits for amounts up to 3 million SL, criminal cases punishable by up to 3 years imprisonment or 3 million SL fines, and crimes committed by juveniles), regional courts (which deal with lawsuits and criminal cases not within the jurisdiction of district courts, labour and employment claims, and local government elections), regional appeals courts (which deal with all appeals from district and regional courts), and the Supreme Court (which deals with issues between courts and in government, and reviews its own decisions), which is the highest court and also functions as the Constitutional Court.

Somaliland nationality law defines who is a Somaliland citizen, as well as the procedures by which one may be naturalised into Somaliland citizenship or renounce it.

The Somaliland government continues to apply the 1962 penal code of the Somali Republic. As such, homosexual acts are illegal in the territory.

Freedom House ranks the Somaliland government as partly democratic. Seth Kaplan (2011) argues that in contrast to southern Somalia and adjacent territories, Somaliland, the secessionist northwestern portion of Somalia, has built a more democratic mode of governance from the bottom up, with virtually no foreign assistance. Specifically, Kaplan suggests that Somaliland has the most democratic political system in the Horn of Africa because it has been largely insulated from the extremist elements in the rest of Somalia and has viable electoral and legislative systems as well as a robust private sector-dominated economy, unlike neighbouring authoritarian governments. He largely attributes this to Somaliland's integration of customary laws and tradition with modern state structures, which he indicates most post-colonial states in Africa and the Middle East have not had the opportunity to do. Kaplan asserts that this has facilitated cohesiveness and conferred greater governmental legitimacy in Somaliland, as has the territory's comparatively homogeneous population, relatively equitable income distribution, common fear of the south, and absence of interference by outside forces, which has obliged local politicians to observe a degree of accountability.

Foreign relations

Somaliland has political contacts with its neighbours Ethiopia and Djibouti, as well as with South Africa, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the micro-nation of Liberland. On 17 January 2007, the European Union (EU) sent a delegation for foreign affairs to discuss future co-operation. The African Union (AU) has also sent a foreign minister to discuss the future of international acknowledgment, and on 29 and 30 January 2007, the ministers stated that they would discuss acknowledgement with the organisation's member states. In early 2006, the National Assembly of Wales extended an official invitation to the Somaliland government to attend the royal opening of the Senedd in Cardiff. The move was seen as an act of recognition by the Welsh Assembly of the breakaway government's legitimacy. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office made no comment on the invitation. Wales is home to a significant Somali expatriate community from Somaliland.

In 2007, a delegation led by President Kahin was present at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kampala, Uganda. Although Somaliland has applied to join the Commonwealth under observer status, its application is still pending.

On 24 September 2010, Johnnie Carson, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, stated that the United States would be modifying its strategy in Somalia and would seek deeper engagement with the governments of Somaliland and Puntland while continuing to support the Somali Transitional Government. Carson said the US would send aid workers and diplomats to Puntland and Somaliland and alluded to the possibility of future development projects. However, Carson emphasised that the US would not extend formal recognition to either region. The then UK Minister for Africa, Henry Bellingham MP, met President Silanyo of Somaliland in November 2010 to discuss ways in which to increase the UK's engagement with Somaliland. President Silanyo said during his visit to London: "We have been working with the international community and the international community has been engaging with us, giving us assistance and working with us in our democratisation and development programmes. And we are very happy with the way the international community has been dealing with us, particularly the UK, the US, other European nations and our neighbours who continue to seek recognition." Recognition of Somaliland by the UK has also been supported by the UK Independence Party, which came 3rd in the popular vote at the 2015 General Election. The leader of UKIP, Nigel Farage, met with Ali Aden Awale, Head of the Somaliland UK Mission on Somaliland's national day, 18 May, in 2015, to express UKIP's support for Somaliland. Nigel Farage said that "Somaliland has been a beacon of peace, democracy and the Rule of Law, in the Horn of Africa for the past 24 years. It is about time the UK and the rest of the international community recognised Somaliland's case for recognition. It's about time peace was rewarded. For the UK to turn its back on their legitimate demands for sovereignty, is wrong. It is extraordinary that we have not been lobbying for their admittance to the Commonwealth. In recent years we have supported the admission of countries such as Mozambique which have no historic links to Britain, but Somaliland, a former protectorate is left in the cold. This must change".

In 2011, Somaliland and the neighbouring Puntland region each entered a security-related memorandum of understanding with the Seychelles. Following the framework of an earlier agreement signed between the Transitional Federal Government and the Seychelles, the memorandum is "for the transfer of convicted persons to prisons in 'Puntland' and 'Somaliland'".

Border disputes
Somaliland continues to claim the entire area of the former British Somaliland. It is currently in control of the western half of the former British Somaliland, with northeastern Maakhir having declared itself a separate, unrecognised autonomous state within Somalia in July 2007, and the disputed southeastern Sool state had been under the control of neighbouring Puntland. A coalition of Gadabuursi intellectuals hailing from the westernmost Awdal province have threatened to secede if Somaliland's independence is recognised.

Tensions between Puntland and Somaliland escalated into violence several times between 2002 and 2009. In October 2004, and again in April and October 2007, armed forces of Somaliland and Puntland clashed near the town of Las Anod, the capital of Sool region. In October 2007, Somaliland troops took control of the town. While celebrating Puntland's 11th anniversary on 2 August 2009, Puntland officials vowed to recapture Las Anod. While Somaliland claims independent statehood and therefore "split up" the "old" Somalia, Puntland works for the re-establishment of a united but federal Somali state.

Somaliland forces took control of the town of Las Qorey in eastern Sanaag on 10 July 2008, along with positions 5 km east of the town. The defence forces completed their operations on 9 July 2008 after the Maakhir and Puntland militia in the area left their positions, but control of the territory was later assumed by Puntland as Maakhir was incorporated into the autonomous region in January 2009.

In the late 2000s, HBM-SSC (Hoggaanka Badbaadada iyo Mideynta SSC), a local unionist group based in Sanaag was formed with the goal to establish its own regional administration (Sool, Sanaag and Cayn, or SSC). This later evolved into Khatumo State, which was established in 2012. The local administration and its constituents does not recognise the Somaliland government's claim to sovereignty or to its territory.

In 2010, the formation of a new autonomous region within a federal Somalia was also declared in the Awdal province. Referred to as Awdalland or the Awdal State, the local administration and the region's residents do not recognise the Somaliland government's claim to sovereignty or to their territory.

Military
The Somaliland Armed Forces are the main military command in Somaliland. Along with the Police Force and all other internal security forces, they are overseen by Somaliland's Ministry of Defence. The current head of Somaliland's Armed Forces is the Minister of Defence, Mudane Ahmed Haj Adami.

The Somaliland Army consists of twelve divisions equipped primarily with light weaponry, though it is equipped with some howitzers and mobile rocket launchers. Its armoured vehicles and tanks are mostly of Soviet design, though there are some ageing Western vehicles and tanks in its arsenal. The Somaliland Navy (often referred to as a Coast Guard by the Associated Press), despite a crippling lack of equipment and formal training, has apparently had some success at curbing both piracy and illegal fishing within Somaliland waters.

Administrative divisions
[[File:Administrative Regions of Somaliland.png|thumb|Administrative Regions of Somaliland:

{{legend|#EEF48D|1. Awdal}} {{legend|#E59110|2. Saahil}} {{legend|#E43838|3. Maroodi-Jeeh }} {{legend|#47432E|4. Toghdheer}} {{legend|#817C63|5. Sanaag}} {{legend|#557C83|6. Sool}} ]]

Regions
The following regions are taken from Michael Walls: State Formation in Somaliland: Bringing Deliberation to Institutionalism from 2011, Somaliland: The Strains of Success from 2015 and ActionAID, a humanitarian organization currently active in Somaliland.

Location

Somaliland is situated in northwestern Somalia. It lies between the 08°00' – 11°30' parallel north of the equator and between 42°30' – 49°00' meridian east of Greenwich. It is bordered by Djibouti to the west, Ethiopia to the south, and the Puntland region of Somalia to the east. Somaliland has a 740 km coastline with the majority lying along the Gulf of Aden. In terms of landmass, Somaliland's territory is comparable to that of Uruguay, with an area of 176,120 km2. Somaliland's climate is a mixture of wet and dry conditions. The northern part of the region is hilly, and in many places the altitude ranges between 900 and 2100 m above sea level. The Awdal, Sahil and Maroodi Jeex (Woqooyi Galbeed) regions are fertile and mountainous, while Togdheer is mostly semi-desert with little fertile greenery around. The Awdal region is also known for its offshore islands, coral reefs and mangroves. A scrub-covered, semi-desert plain referred as the Guban lies parallel to the Gulf of Aden littoral. With a width of 12 km in the west to as little as 2 km in the east, the plain is bisected by watercourses that are essentially beds of dry sand except during the rainy seasons. When the rains arrive, the Guban's low bushes and grass clumps transform into lush vegetation. This coastal strip is part of the Ethiopian xeric grasslands and shrublands ecoregion.

Cal Madow is a mountain range in the northern part of the country. Extending from the northwest of Erigavo to several kilometres west of the city of Bosaso, it features Somalia's highest peak, Shimbiris, which sits at an elevation of about 2416 m. The rugged east-west ranges of the Karkaar Mountains also lie to the interior of the Gulf of Aden littoral. In the central regions, the northern mountain ranges give way to shallow plateaus and typically dry watercourses that are referred to locally as the Ogo. The Ogo's western plateau, in turn, gradually merges into the Haud, an important grazing area for livestock.

Climate
Somaliland is located north of the Equator. It is semi-arid. The average daily temperatures range from 25 to 35 C. The sun passes vertically overhead twice a year, on 22 March and 23 September. Somaliland consists of three main topographic zones: (1). A Coastal Plain (Guban) (2) The Coastal Range (Oogo) (3) A Plateau (Hawd) The Coastal Plain (Guban) is a zone with high temperatures and low rainfall. Summer temperatures in the region easily average over 100 F. However, temperatures come down during the winter, and both human and livestock populations increase dramatically in the region.

The Coastal Range (Ogo) is a high plateau to the immediate south of Guban. Its elevation ranges from 6000 ft above sea level in the West to 7000 ft in the East. Rainfall is heavier there than in Guban, although it varies considerably within the zone. The Plateau (Hawd) region lies to the south of Ogo range. It is generally more heavily populated during the wet season, when surface water is available. It is also an important area for grazing. Somalilanders recognize four seasons in the year; GU and Hagaa comprise spring and summer in that order, and Dayr and Jiilaal correspond to autumn and winter respectively.

The average annual rainfall is 446 mm in some parts of country according to availability of rain gauge, and most of it comes during Gu and Dayr. GU, which is the first, or major, rainy season (late March, April, May, and early June), experiences the heaviest rainfall in Ogo range and Hawd. This constitutes the period of fresh grazing and abundant surface water. It is also the breeding season for livestock. Hagaa (from late June through August) is usually dry although there are often some scattered showers in the Ogo range, these are known as Karan rains. Hagaa tends to be hot and windy in most parts of the country. Deyr (September, October, and early November), which roughly corresponds to autumn, is the second, or minor, wet season; as the word “minor” suggests, the amount of precipitation is generally less than that of Gu. Jilaal, or winter, falls in the coolest and driest months of the year (from late November to early March). It is a season of thirst. Hawd receive virtually no rainfall in winter. The rainfall in the Guban zone, known as “Hays”, comes from December to February. The humidity of the country varies from 63% in the dry season to 82% in the wet season.

Summary

The Somaliland shilling, which cannot easily be exchanged outside Somaliland on account of the nation's lack of recognition, is regulated by the Bank of Somaliland, the central bank, which was established constitutionally in 1994. It may not be considered valid tender in disputed areas such as Ayn or the district of Badhan, which are not administered as part of Somaliland and continue to use the Somali shilling despite being claimed by the Somaliland government.

Since Somaliland is unrecognised, international donors have found it difficult to provide aid. As a result, the government relies mainly upon tax receipts and remittances from the large Somali diaspora, which contribute immensely to Somaliland's economy. Remittances come to Somaliland through money transfer companies, the largest of which is Dahabshiil, one of the few Somali money transfer companies that conform to modern money-transfer regulations. The World Bank estimates that remittances worth approximately US$1 billion reach Somalia annually from émigrés working in the Gulf states, Europe and the United States. Analysts say that Dahabshiil may handle around two-thirds of that figure and as much as half of it reaches Somaliland alone. Since the late 1990s, service provisions have significantly improved through limited government provisions and contributions from non-governmental organisations, religious groups, the international community (especially the diaspora), and the growing private sector. Local and municipal governments have been developing key public service provisions such as water in Hargeisa and education, electricity, and security in Berbera. In 2009, the Banque pour le Commerce et l'Industrie – Mer Rouge (BCIMR), based in Djibouti, opened a branch in Hargeisa and became the first bank in the country since the 1990 collapse of the Commercial and Savings Bank of Somalia. In 2014, Dahabshil Bank International became the region's first commercial bank. In 2017 Premier Bank from Mogadishu opened a branch in Hargeisa.

Various telecommunications firms also have branches in Somaliland. Among these companies is Telesom, one of the largest operators in Somaliland. Founded in 2002 with the objective of supplying the local market with telecommunications services such as GSM, fixed line, and Internet access, it has an extensive network that covers all of Somaliland's major cities and more than 40 districts in both Somalia and Somaliland. Telesom also offers among the cheapest international calling rates at US$0.2 less than its nearest competitor. Other telecommunication firms serving the region include Somtel, Telcom and NationLink.

Livestock is the backbone of Somaliland's economy. Sheep, camels, and cattle are shipped from the Berbera port and sent to Gulf Arab countries, such as Saudi Arabia.

Agriculture is generally considered to be a potentially successful industry, especially in the production of cereals and horticulture. Mining also has potential, though simple quarrying represents the extent of current operations, despite the presence of diverse quantities of mineral deposits.

Tourism
The rock art and caves at Laas Geel, situated on the outskirts of Hargeisa, are a popular local tourist attraction. Totaling ten caves, they were discovered by a French archaeological team in 2002 and are believed to date back around 5,000 years. The government and locals keep the cave paintings safe and only a restricted number of tourists are allowed entry. Other notable sights include the Freedom Arch in Hargeisa and the War Memorial in the city centre. Natural attractions are very common around the region. The Naasa Hablood are twin hills located on the outskirts of Hargeisa that Somalis in the region consider to be a majestic natural landmark.

The Ministry of Tourism has also encouraged travellers to visit historic towns and cities in Somaliland. The historic town of Sheekh is located near Berbera and is home to old British colonial buildings that have remained untouched for over forty years. Berbera also houses historic and impressive Ottoman architectural buildings. Another equally famous historic city is Zeila. Zeila was once part of the Ottoman Empire, a dependency of Yemen and Egypt and a major trade city during the 19th century. The city has been visited for its old colonial landmarks, offshore mangroves and coral reefs, towering cliffs, and beach. The nomadic culture of Somaliland has also attracted tourists. Most nomads live in the countryside.

Transport

Bus services operate in Hargeisa, Burao, Gabiley, Berbera and Borama. There are also road transportation services between the major towns and adjacent villages, which are operated by different types of vehicles. Among these are taxis, four-wheel drives, minibuses and light goods vehicles (LGV).

The most prominent airlines serving Somaliland is Daallo Airlines, a Somali-owned private carrier with regular international flights that emerged after Somali Airlines ceased operations. African Express Airways and Ethiopian Airlines also fly from airports in Somaliland to Djibouti City, Addis Ababa, Dubai and Jeddah, and offer flights for the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages via the Egal International Airport in Hargeisa. Other major airports in the region include the Berbera Airport.

Ports
In June 2016, the Somaliland government signed an agreement with DP World to manage the strategic port of Berbera with the aim of enhancing productive capacity and acting as an alternative port for landlocked Ethiopia.

Oil explorations

In August 2012, the Somaliland government awarded Genel Energy license to explore oil within its territory. Results of a surface seep study completed early in 2015 confirmed the outstanding potential offered in SL-10B and SL-13 block and Oodweyne block with estimated oil reserves of 1 billion barrel each. Genel Energy is set to drill exploration well for SL-10B and SL-13 block in Buur-Dhaab 20 kilometers northwest of Aynabo by the end of 2018.

Ethnic groups
The Habar Awal subclan of the Isaaq form the majority of the population living in both the northern and western portions of the Woqooyi Galbeed region, including the cities and towns of Northern Hargeisa, Berbera, Gabiley, Wajaale, Arabsiyo and Kalabaydh. The Habar Awal also have a strong presence in Northern Togdheer region as well, principally around the town of Sheikh and they also partially inhabit the city of Burao as well.

The Habar Yoonis and Ciidagale subclans of the Isaaq have a sizable presence among the population inhabiting the southern and eastern portions of Woqooyi Galbeed region including Southern Hargeisa and Salahlay. The Habar Yoonis are also represented well in western Togdheer region, mainly in the towns of Oodweyne and Western Burao. The Habar Yoonis also form a majority of the population inhabiting the western and central areas of Sanaag region as well, including the regional capital Erigavo as well as Maydh.

The Habar Jeclo subclan of Isaaq have a large presence in the western and northern parts of Sool, eastern Togdheer region and southwestern Sanaag as well, The Habar Jeclo form a majority of the population living in Eastern Burao as well as in Aynabo district and in the towns of Garadag and Ceel Afweyn.

Eastern Sool region's residents mainly hail from the Dhulbahante, a subdivision of the Harti confederation of Darod sub-clans, and are concentrated at Las Anod. The Dhulbahante clans also settle in the Buuhoodle District in the Togdheer region, and the southern and eastern parts of Erigavo District in Sanaag.

The Warsangali, another Harti Darod sub-clan, constitute a large number of residents in the eastern Sanaag, and their population is mainly concentrated around Las Qorey.

The Gadabuursi and Issa primarily live in the Awdal region, with the Gadabuursi centered at Borama, and the Issa concentrated around the Djibouti border at Zeila.

Languages
Many people in Somaliland speak two of the three official languages: Somali, Arabic and English, although the rate of bilingualism is lower in rural areas. Article 6 of the Constitution of 2001 designates the official language of Somaliland to be Somali, though Arabic is a mandatory subject in school and is used in mosques around the region and English is spoken and taught in schools. English was proclaimed an official language later, outside the constitution.

The Somali language belongs to the Cushitic branch of the Afroasiatic family. Its nearest relatives are the Afar and Oromo languages. Somali is the best documented of the Cushitic languages, with academic studies of it dating from before 1900.

Somali dialects are divided into three main groups: Northern, Benaadir and Maay. Northern Somali (or Northern-Central Somali) forms the basis for Standard Somali. Benaadir (also known as Coastal Somali) is spoken on the Benadir coast from Cadaley to south of Merca, including Mogadishu, as well as in the immediate hinterland. The coastal dialects have additional phonemes which do not exist in Standard Somali. Maay is principally spoken by the Digil and Mirifle (Rahanweyn) clans in the southern areas of Somalia.

Since Somali had long lost its ancient script, a number of writing systems have been used over the years for transcribing the language. Of these, the Somali alphabet is the most widely used, and has been the official writing script in Somalia since the government of former President of Somalia Siad Barre formally introduced it in October 1972.

The script was developed by the Somali linguist Shire Jama Ahmed specifically for the Somali language, and uses all letters of the English Latin alphabet except p, v and z. Besides Ahmed's Latin script, other orthographies that have been used for centuries for writing Somali include the long-established Arabic script and Wadaad's writing, in addition to various indigenous writing systems developed in the twentieth century.

Religion
With few exceptions, Somalis in Somaliland and elsewhere are Muslims, the majority belonging to the Sunni branch of Islam and the Shafi'i school of Islamic jurisprudence. As with southern Somali coastal towns such as Mogadishu and Merca, there is also a presence of Sufism, Islamic mysticism; particularly the Arab Rifa'iya tariiqa. Through the influence of the diaspora from Yemen and the Gulf states, stricter Wahhabism also has a noticeable presence. Though traces of pre-Islamic traditional religion exist in Somaliland, Islam is dominant to the Somali sense of national identity. Many of the Somali social norms come from their religion. For example, most Somali women wear a hijab when they are in public. In addition, religious Somalis abstain from pork and alcohol, and also try to avoid receiving or paying any form of interest (usury). Muslims generally congregate on Friday afternoons for a sermon and group prayer.

Under the Constitution of Somaliland, Islam is the state religion of Somaliland, and no laws may violate the principles of Sharia. The promotion of any religion other than Islam is illegal, and the state promotes Islamic tenets and discourages behaviour contrary to "Islamic morals".

Somaliland has very few Christians. In 1913, during the early part of the colonial era, there were virtually no Christians in the Somali territories, with about 100–200 followers coming from the schools and orphanages of the handful of Catholic missions in the British Somaliland protectorate. The small number of Christians in the region today mostly come from similar Catholic institutions in Aden, Djibouti, and Berbera.

Somaliland falls within the Episcopal Area of the Horn of Africa as part of Somalia, under the Anglican Diocese of Egypt. However, there are no current congregations in the territory. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Mogadiscio is designated to serve the area as part of Somalia. However, since 1990 there has been no Bishop of Mogadishu, and the Bishop of Djibouti acts as Apostolic Administrator. The Adventist Mission also indicates that there are no Adventist members.

Summary
Somaliland has a population of about 3.5 million people. , the largest clan family in Somaliland is the Isaaq, making up 80% of the total population. The populations of five major cities in Somaliland – Hargeisa, Burao, Berbera, Erigavo and Gabiley – are predominantly Isaaq. Of the minority clans, the Gadabuursi of the Dir clan comes second by population, and thirdly the Harti of the Darod clan.

The clan groupings of the Somali people are important social units, and have a central role in Somali culture and politics. Clans are patrilineal and are often divided into sub-clans, sometimes with many sub-divisions.

Somali society is traditionally ethnically endogamous. To extend ties of alliance, marriage is often to another ethnic Somali from a different clan. Thus, for example, a recent study observed that in 89 marriages contracted by men of the Dhulbahante clan, 55 (62%) were with women of Dhulbahante sub-clans other than those of their husbands; 30 (33.7%) were with women of surrounding clans of other clan families (Isaaq, 28; Hawiye, 3); and 3 (4.3%) were with women of other clans of the Darod clan family (Majerteen 2, Ogaden 1).

Cuisine

It is considered polite for one to leave a little bit of food on one's plate after finishing a meal at another's home. This tells the host that one has been given enough food. If one were to clean their plate that would indicate that one is still hungry. Most Somalis do not take this rule so seriously, but it is certainly not impolite to leave a few bits of food on one's plate. Somali breakfast typically includes a flatbread called lahoh (injera), as well as liver, toast, harakoo, cereal, and porridge made of millet or cornmeal. Lunch can be a mixture of rice or pasta with meat and sauce.

Also consumed during lunchtime is a traditional soup referred to as maraq, which is also part of Yemeni cuisine. Maraq is made of vegetables, meat and beans and is usually eaten with flatbread or pita bread. Later in the day, a lighter meal is served that includes beans, ful medames, muffo (patties made of oats or corn), or a salad with more lahoh/injera.

Arts
Islam and poetry have been described as the twin pillars of Somali culture. Somali poetry is mainly oral, with both male and female poets. They use things that are common in the Somali language as metaphors. Almost all Somalis are Sunni Muslims and Islam is vitally important to the Somali sense of national identity. Most Somalis do not belong to a specific mosque or sect and can pray in any mosque they find.

Celebrations come in the form of religious festivities. Two of the most important are Eid ul-Adha and Eid ul-Fitr, which marks the end of the fasting month. Families get dressed up to visit one another, and money is donated to the poor. Other holidays include 26 June and 18 May, which celebrate British Somaliland's independence and the Somaliland region's establishment, respectively; the latter, however, is not recognised by the international community.

In the nomadic culture, where one's possessions are frequently moved, there is little reason for the plastic arts to be highly developed. Somalis embellish and decorate their woven and wooden milk jugs (haamo; the most decorative jugs are made in Ceerigaabo) as well as wooden headrests. Traditional dance is also important, though mainly as a form of courtship among young people. One such dance known as Ciyaar Soomaali is a local favourite.

An important form of art in Somali culture is henna art. The custom of applying henna dates back to antiquity. During special occasions, a Somali woman's hands and feet are expected to be covered in decorative mendhi. Girls and women usually apply or decorate their hands and feet in henna on festive celebrations like Eid or weddings. The henna designs vary from very simple to highly intricate. Somali designs vary, with some more modern and simple while others are traditional and intricate. Traditionally, only women apply it as body art, as it is considered a feminine custom. Henna is not only applied on the hands and feet but is also used as a dye. Somali men and women alike use henna as a dye to change their hair colour. Women are free to apply henna on their hair as most of the time they are wearing a hijab.

Sources and references

 * Wales Strikes Out On Its Own In Its Recognition of Somaliland
 * Hoehne, Markus V. 2009: Mimesis and mimicry in dynamics of state and identity formation in northern Somalia, Africa 79/2, pp. 252–281.
 * Hoehne, Markus V. 2007: Puntland and Somaliland clashing in northern Somalia: Who cuts the Gordian knot?, published online on 7 November 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20090703051338/http://hornofafrica.ssrc.org/Hoehne/
 * "As Somalia Struggles, Can Neighboring Somaliland Become East Africa's Next Big Commercial Hub?". International Business Times. 18 September 2013. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
 * "As Somalia Struggles, Can Neighboring Somaliland Become East Africa's Next Big Commercial Hub?". International Business Times. 18 September 2013. Retrieved 23 April 2019.


text:
Wikijunior:Transport/About

Wikijunior Transport book is suitable for 8-12 year-olds. The book is a focus on as diverse forms of transport as possible. The intended audience cannot drive cars. The book focuses on passenger transport rather than freight or military transport although these can be mentioned in passing. The book illustrates the wide variety of passenger transport especially in history. The book is not a technical manual or based on any qualification. Illustrations will show transport in use not images of transport static (and unused for transporting) or in a museum where possible.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Wikijunior:Transport/About


text: Category:Book:History of wireless telegraphy and broadcasting in Australia


text:
Baroque Macedonia and the Macedonian Revolts/Author

Author
This wikibook was written by Tome Egumenoski. He is a writer and author of non-fiction and fiction. The illustrations as displayed in this wikibook were uploaded by Sutton Publishing. The historical accounts for Chapter 5 are a work of fiction, however the Battle of Kriva Palanka did occur.


text:
Micronations/Starting your own micronation/Designing a flag and a coat of arms

Designing your flag
Making a flag is probably one of the most important part in creating a micronation. Your flag is the face of your country, it must be simple, tidy, and meaningful. According to the North American Vexillological Association, the following are the 5 principles for making a good flag: Please remember that several micronations do not follow those rules. For example, the Principality of Seborga and Liberland both use seals on their flags. Nova Roma uses lettering on its flag. The flag of Akhivland is definitely not simple enough for a child to draw from memory. Just keep your flag meaningful, and make sure you are glad with your results.
 * 1) Keep It Simple.  The flag should be so simple that a child can draw it from memory.
 * 2) Use Meaningful Symbolism.  The flag’s images, colors, or patterns should relate to what it symbolizes.
 * 3) Use 2 or 3 Basic Colors.  Limit the number of colors on the flag to three which contrast well and come from the standard color set.
 * 4) No Lettering or Seals.  Never use writing of any kind or an organization’s seal.
 * 5) Be Distinctive or Be Related.  Avoid duplicating other flags, but use similarities to show connections


text:
User talk:TheBookWikiBookWikiBOOBOOK

--Pi zero (discuss • contribs) 20:38, 26 December 2019 (UTC)

title: User talk:TheBookWikiBookWikiBOOBOOK


text: Field Theory/Definition, elementaries

title: Field Theory/Definition, elementaries


text:
User:TruthDiver

= TruthDiver - My Personal Page =

Purpose of My Involvement with WikiMedia
I have loved using Wikipedia for many, many years. In fact, I often tell people that Wikipedia is the best thing on the internet. Today, after exploring other corners of the WikiMedia universe, I came across WikiBooks and realized that there is a whole new world sitting right there for me.

It was then that I made up my mind that I would now be a creative contributor to the project rather than my previous role as strictly a financial contributor. So, starting now, I am now trying to figure out how to navigate my starship through this wonderful new playground of information, truth, and ideas.

My Background
Retired, 45 years in business, American expat living in Philippines, 4 year B.S. in Management from a U.S. university.

More to come later...

title: User:TruthDiver


text:
The Story of Rhodesia/Rhodesian Security Forces

The Rhodesian Security Forces were the military forces of the Rhodesian government. The Rhodesian Security Forces consisted of a ground force (the Rhodesian Army), the Rhodesian Air Force, the British South Africa Police and various personnel affiliated to the Rhodesian Ministry of Internal Affairs (INTAF). Despite the impact of economic and diplomatic sanctions, Rhodesia was able to develop and maintain a potent and professional military capability.

The Rhodesian Security Forces of 1964–80 traced their history back to the British South Africa Company armed forces, originally created during company rule in the 1890s. These became the armed forces of the British self-governing colony of Southern Rhodesia on its formation in 1923, then part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland military in 1953. After the break-up of the Federation at the end of 1963, the security forces assumed the form they would keep until 1980.

As the armed forces of Rhodesia (as Southern Rhodesia called itself from 1964), the Rhodesian Security Forces remained loyal to the Salisbury government after it unilaterally declared independence from Britain on 11 November 1965. Britain and the United Nations refused to recognise this, and regarded the breakaway state as a rebellious British colony throughout its existence.

The security forces fought on behalf of the unrecognised government against the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) and the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA)—the military wings of the Marxist–Leninist black nationalist Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) and Zimbabwe African People's Union respectively—during the Rhodesian Bush War of the 1960s and 1970s.

The Lancaster House Agreement and the return of Rhodesia to de facto British control on 12 December 1979 changed the security forces' role altogether; during the five-month interim period, they helped the British governor and Commonwealth Monitoring Force to keep order in Rhodesia while the 1980 general election was organised and held. After the internationally recognised independence of Zimbabwe in April 1980, the Rhodesian security forces, ZANLA and ZIPRA were integrated to form the new Zimbabwe Defence Forces.


text:
User talk:Blatantprivacyviolations

Welcome
Welcome to Wikibooks, Blatantprivacyviolations!

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--Pi zero (discuss • contribs) 20:06, 27 December 2019 (UTC)

title: User talk:Blatantprivacyviolations


text:
English-Hanzi/With some types of dementia, the person may see things that are not really there

With some types of dementia, the person may see things that are not really there (visual hallucinations) or strongly believe things that are not true (delusions).

对于某些类型的痴呆症，患者可能会看到不真正存在的事物（视觉幻觉）或强烈相信不正确的事物（妄想）.


title: User:RH9/sandbox


text: User talk:RH9

title: User talk:RH9


text:
Accountancy/Cash flow statement

In financial accounting, a cash flow statement, also known as statement of cash flows, is a financial statement that shows how changes in balance sheet accounts and income affect cash and cash equivalents, and breaks the analysis down to operating, investing, and financing activities. Essentially, the cash flow statement is concerned with the flow of cash in and out of the business. As an analytical tool, the statement of cash flows is useful in determining the short-term viability of a company,

title: Accountancy/Cash flow statement


text: User talk:42.109.250.29

title: User talk:42.109.250.29


text:
Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing

Author:Tinashe

We are living in a digital world. A world where people are becoming more trustworthy to technology. But then the truth is that the more we are able to improve our technology, the more the new technology becomes vulnerable. Pretty much everyone has access to a smartphone or personal computer(PC). The question on everyone's mind should be "Am I safe". We tend to use a smartphones without even thinking whether someone is lurking through the phones camera or something. We are living in a world where hacking has become part of our open lives

Types of Hackers
Believe it or not but hackers are actually divided into groups but specifically now we will look into the basic ones. Hackers as shown below have different things that they do depending on their motives

Teams used in hacking
In Ethical hacking we have different types of teaming. This would specifically describe the two sides in which hacking is performed, which is either as a threat or as a defence. Below are the two teaming used in Ethical hacking.

Information Gathering
Information Gathering refers to the collection of raw data on a certain target individual or system. This is done by collecting public information and scanning the system thus far receiving data and information about the target. For example if an information gathering scan technique was to be performed on the Microsoft web domain, it would reply back with information like the operating system that the domain runs on.

Types of methods used in information gathering
In information gathering many methods are used, but each method used will result in different type of information being retrieved. Below are some examples of them

Whois
In particular WHOIS is a type of GET script used to retrieve information on specific target domain. WHOIS can be done to retrieve information like, finding the owner of a specific domain and probably more

Nmap and Zenmap scanning
Nmap scanning is one great example of information gathering, it's known to be the most commonly used. Nmap is an application that was built for information gathering and footprinting. Nmap was created to be a CLI application ( command line application)

Nmap comes with a GUI (Graphic users interface) called zenmap which is specifically created for those who find it a bit intense using the CLI end of the app.

title: Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing


text:
Hacking by Venom Academy/Introduction

Hackers will forever be part of our lives as they will forever try to find certain methods to break into things for their own gain

title: Hacking by Venom Academy/Introduction


text:
Venom Academy

Table of Contents

 * 1) /Ethical Hacking/

title: Venom Academy


text:
Venom Academy/Ethical Hacking

Author: Tinashe Matanda

In society hackers are seen as criminals and malicious people who would tend to cause more harm than good. In reality people should not mistake the good people from the bad. As the world goes into digital minds, people become open to more and more potential cyber threats. Imagine a bank that has workers that have absolutely no knowledge in cyber security, this could cause the owner of the bank to lose money. A hacker can get into the bank with a USB rubber ducky and mount it to one of the computers in the bank, thus far the rubber ducky will run malicious payloads on the computer leaving the bank severely damaged, If the workers themselves had been educated about the rubber duck then this could have been avoided. That's why Venom Academy has thought of writing this book to help teach the world out there about the secrets behind hackers. Before embarking on this journey please keep in mind that a number of lab exercises are given in this book and they require you to have a Kali Linux operating system. Please download it and install it in your computer or in a virtual box. The links are below.

Please like our Facebook Page:

Gladiator Academy

Kali homepage

VirtualBox website

 * 1) Introduction to Internet security and ethical hacking.
 * 2) Footprinting
 * 3) Scanning and Enumeration
 * 4) Password Attacks
 * 5) Denial of Service attacks and stress testing
 * 6) Sniffing
 * 7) Vulnerability Scanning
 * 8) Vulnerability Assessment

title: Venom Academy/Ethical Hacking


title: User:RH9


text:
Venom Academy/Ethical Hacking/What are hackers?

Explanation and Methodology
Hackers are people who perform the act of hijacking a process thread or security system to gain control over something. For example in a nutshell a hacker could use his/her skills to hack a victims social media pages, thus far we can notice that the hacker has hijacked the credentials of the victim. Hackers can either be hacking in order to find a vulnerability and report the vulnerability or they could be hacking to gain total control over the system.

Types of hackers
In Hacking it is believed that hackers can be divided into three types. Each hacker may have similar activities to perform, but what makes them differ is their motives and reasons to why they hack. The types of hackers are divided below

 * White Hat hackers - These are the types of hackers that perform hacking to find vulnerabilities, find criminals and all sorts of other positive motives. Examples may include penetration testers, digital forensics investigator and e.t.c
 * Black Hat Hackers - These are the types of hackers who perform hacking for their own malicious gain without the thought of other people in mind.
 * Grey Hat Hackers - These type of hackers are somehow in between the above two. They are usually referred as hackers that make their own decisions.

Commonly used words
Below are some of the commonly used words

 * Hacking - The activity done in order to hijack something from a victim e.g Authentication
 * Authentication - This is the process whereby the information that was given is being validated, for example if a password is entered an authentication process will be done by the system to check if it's correct
 * Vulnerability - A point or section in a computing system that can be exploited
 * Privilege escalation - This is also known as cracking, this is the point whereby a hacker tries to gain elevated privilege of a certain system.
 * Information Gathering - This is an activity performed by a hacker to allow him/her to collect information on a certain system such as the name of the system, the ports that are open and e.t.c

Types of teaming in hacking
Hacking has certain activities that are performed, it's either they are good or bad. In this way hacking has groups in which hackers motives are divided. These teamings have totally different motives from one another

 * The Red Team - These are known as the group that attacks the security systems and exploit vulnerabilities
 * The Blue Team - These are known as the group that defends the security systems. They may be the ones that patchup vulnerabilities in computer networks.

CIA triads
The CIA triads describe the main things or targets that hackers need, these also include what hackers also use within the long run. The main CIA triads are:

 * Confidentiality - Objects that are accessed by limited people.
 * Integrity - Data that is valid and not been altered.
 * Availability - The information that is freely available when needed.

Laws in Ethical Hacking
In ethical hacking there are laws that are put into place in order to protect both users and the hackers themselves. These laws are also put into place to prevent cyber terrorism. These main laws are:

 * HIPPA - The law that protects medial information
 * PCI-DSS - Process and storing card data, usually known to be great for securing industries
 * SOX - Law that protects investors
 * DMCA - Law that protects copyright acts
 * FISMA - Requires information security programs in the federal systems
 * IOC/IEC 27001:2013 - Protects data implementation and risk mitigation


text: Category:IOS users

title: Category:IOS users


text:
User:Thobaniw

Lona Gexa

title: User:Thobaniw


text:
Venom Academy/Ethical Hacking/Footprinting

is under information gathering. Footprinting is the method used to gather information on a host or system through lookups and scanning. Footprinting can be divided into different manners, we shall be looking into all of those in this chapter.

Types
Footprinting is mainly divided into two:

 * Active Footprinting - Involves interaction with the target system, this involves direct scans and other types of scans
 * Passive Footprinting - Involves the use of OSINT -

Advantages of Footprinting
A hacker would Footprinting a host for certain reasons, below are some ways that Footprinting could be an advantage in penetration testing.

Footprinting is performed to find:

 * Information about the security posture of a host
 * Its also used as a method of reducing the focus area
 * Footprinting can be used to identify vulnerabilities
 * Its also done on networks, to discover deeper information on the target network.

Lab Exercise
Now we shall be looking into a few examples of Footprinting

Google hacking
is a method of using the Google search engine to narrow down searches. Below is the Google hacking cheat sheet

https://shodan.io is also called "The search engine for hackers". It is similar to a regular search engine but it only searches specific data on specified hosts. To use Shodan all that is required is for you to create an account. Shodan can show usernames and even passwords of certain systems and hosts

The Harvester
One of the most important vulnerabilities in a organization is it's employees. Gathering information about e-mails of employees Ina certain organization can give us a broad range of attacking vectors. This method is classified under passive information gathering. We use a special program called which is written in python. The Harvester works by spidering public pages of a given domain while gathering e-mail addresses simultaneously. You can download the Harvester from GitHub for or your computer. Now let's see how we can use The Harvester. The Harvester comes with a couple of commands. To see the help index type the command below. root@venom [$]~ theHarvester -h The above will show you the list of commands that can be executed with The Harvester. The commands are below

 * -l is used to limit the the results that you receive
 * -d is used to specify the target domain that we want to footprint on
 * -b is used to specify the place that you want to extract information from

If the help index is hard to understand let's look at an example. root@venom [$]~ theHarvester -d microsoft.com -l 500 -b google In the example above we can see that:

We have set the target domain to "microsoft.com
 * We have limited the results to 500

We chose to perform our search on Google

When a command like the example above is used, the Harvester will respond with a list of e-mails. In this case the response below was shown. [+]Emails found: - devnom@microsoft.com Fleming@microsoft.com newsp@microsoft.com playXBLA@microsoft.com webcamps@microsoft.com tharris@microsoft.com

WHOIS is a large database that contains formation on technically all the websites on the web. The information that are shown includes, the owner of the website and contact details of the owner. Who is can be installed on android termux and linux using the following command apt-get install whois Inn order to perform a whois search on a website, you first need to invoke whois then specify the target website whois www.venomacademy.tk


text:
Agrodatabase/42 - Pathogens - Taxonomy

 * 1) / Insecta-Coleoptera /
 * 2) / Insecta-Diptera /
 * 3) / Insecta-Hemiptera /
 * 4) / Insecta-Hymenoptera /
 * 5) / Insecta-Isoptera /
 * 6) / Insecta-Lepidoptera /
 * 7) / Insecta-Orthoptera /
 * 8) / Insecta-Thysanoptera /

title: Agrodatabase/42 - Pathogens - Taxonomy


text: Agrodatabase/42 - Pathogens - Taxonomy/Insecta-Coleoptera


text: Agrodatabase/42 - Pathogens - Taxonomy/Insecta-Diptera


text: Agrodatabase/42 - Pathogens - Taxonomy/Insecta-Hemiptera


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Venom Academy/Ethical Hacking/Scanning and Enumeration

In this chapter we will be discussing scanning and enumeration. Enumeration is done to collect as much information as possible on live systems. This is done to identify alive targets and probably find ports, etc.

Host discovery
Thee most important and first step of a pen tester to know is how to identify which target is alive and which one is not. We can use a variaty of methods and programs to discovery live targets. One of the most commonly used is ping, which works by sending ICMP echoes to a system and checks whether it responds or not. Lets run a ping scan on google Ping www.google.com

Pinging [74.125.232.145] with 32 bytes of data: Reply from 74.125.232.145 time=253ms TTL=51 Reply from 74.125.232.145 time=192ms TTL=51 Reply from 74.125.232.145 time=165ms TTL=51

Nmap
A great program called nmap(Network mapper) can prove our work in enumeration easier by allowing us to scan ranges of systems. Here is how we could use this. nmap -sP "ip address" In the example above we used the -sP command to enable nmap to identify live systems only. Here is an example below:

root@venom [$]~ nmap -sP 192.168.15.1/24 Starting nmap 7.1 ( https://nmap.org ) at 2019-12-27 18:9 CAT Nmap scan report for WinMaxCPE (192.168.15.1) Host is up (0.0021s latency). Mac Address: 20:21:7B:65:12:2A (Intel Corporate) Nmap scan report for root (192.168.15.23) Host is up.

Port Scanning
Port scanning is primarily divided into two categories, TCP scanning and UDP scanning. Port scanning can be performed as a way of identifying services that run Ona port or whether a port is open or not. Nmap supports a wide variation of scanning methods such as TCP connection scans and TCP syn scans

Nmap uses the following syntax nmap For a beginner the following syntax would be applicable. nmap The example above should be able to return us details about the open ports on a target host. We can also scan ports using the * sign. The syntax is shown below in an example root@venom [$]~ 192.168.15.* Starting nmap 7.1 ( https://nmap.org ) at 2019-12-27 18:9 CAT Nmap scan report for WinMaxCPE (192.168.15.1) Host is up (0.0021s latency). PORT                   STATE     SERVICE 53/TCP                 Open       domain 80/TCP                 Open       http 21/TCP                 Open       ftp This nmap scan would scan the whole IP range 192.168.15-255 and then reply back with the detailed open ports. The results will only be based on the systems that are alive.

Port status types
Nmap can scan hosts as we already know, but it then returns with port states/status in which the scanned port is in at that present time. The port states for Nmap are listed below:

 * Open - Which means that the port can be accessed and an application on the target host is listening through it
 * Closed - Means that the port the port can't be accessed and there is no application on the target host that is listening through the port
 * Filtered - Means that nmap was not able to figure out whether the port is open or closed, this could mean that the target is behind a firewall
 * Unfiltered - The ports are accessible but they can't be distinguished whether they are open or closed

Vulnerability scanning
Lets now look into scanning for vulnerable hosts. For this phase we use . This tool was mainly used to test firewalls, until it was then introduced to IDLE scanning. The main syntax of hping3 is shown below hping3 -S -r As shown above the -S specification is used to send SYN flags, -R is used to enable checking for relative ID

Now let's perform an example on the host 192.168.15.211 root@venom [$]~ hping3 -S -r 192.167.15.211 HPING 192.168.15.211 (eth0 192.168.15.211): S set, 40 headers + 0 data bytes len=46 IP=192.168.15.211 ttl=128 id=+1 sport=0 flags=RA seq=1 win=0 rtt=0.8 ms As you can see the ID is remaining incremented by 1. This shows that the target is vulnerable enough to become our zombie and we can use it for our IDLE scan. Alternatively we will the metasploit auxiliary module to check if the host could be used to become a zombie. So let's launch metasploit by invoking the command below msfconsole From there you will wait for metasploit console to open then you will see a text similar to this one msd > Now you have to select the module you want to use in this case we are using the ipidseq module now type this msf > use auxiliary/scanner/ip/ipidseq Now you need to specify the target host using this, in my example the target host is 192.168.15.1 msf auxiliary(ipidseq) > set rhost 192.168.15.211 To launch the exploit we use the run command msf auxiliary (ipidseq) > run

TCP SYN Scan
The TCP SYN Scan is the default scan type that runs against the specified target machine. This is the fastest scan to perform. The scan works as follows

 * The Main machine sends a SYN packet to port 80 on the target host
 * If the target machine responds with a SYN/ACK packet then nmap would know that the particular port is open in the target host
 * If there is no response from the target machine after sending the packet then nmap would know that the port is filtered.

TCP scans are performed using the command below nmap -sS

Null Scan
A null Scan is performed by sending a no flag bit inside a TCP header. If no response is returned then that means the port is open. The receipt of a RST packet indicates the port is closed. A null scan is performed using the following syntax nmap -sN

FIN Scan
By default a FIN flag is used to close a currently open connection. In a FIN scan the sender sends a FIN flag to the target host. If no response returns then the port is open. If the target machine responds with a RST then the port is closed. The syntax command for a FIN scan is nmap -sF

Stealth Scan

 * paranoid (0) - No parallel scanning. 5 minutes between sending packets.
 * sneaky (1) - No parallel scanning. 15 seconds between sending packets.
 * polite (2) - No parallel scanning. 0.4 seconds between sending packets.
 * normal (3) - Default scanning. Tries to be very fast without overloading the network.
 * aggressive (4) - Faster than normal, but loads the network.
 * insane (5) - Parallel scans, times out hosts in 15 minutes, won't wait more than 0.3 seconds for an individual probe. Loses a lot of information.

nmap also provides options to control scan time-outs. Combining these with the above provides more fine-tuned scans, for example a scan doing 100 packets per minute. Try the scan below yourself. root@venom [$]~ nmap -T sneaky --scan_delay 600


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Venom Academy/Ethical Hacking/Denial of Service

Denial of service is one of the most exciting topics in ethical hacking. A denial of service attack is a special attack that is done on a target host to stop it from offering the services and connections that it intends to give. Imagine a store or supermarket that sells goods, when the entrance door gets packed by people who are not even buying anything this will block out the legitimate customers and this will cause the business to lose a lot of money.

Denial of Service attacks case studies
Denial of services happen almost everyday, you might have one day visited a website and found that the website is offline, it might have shown you a text like "website is too busy" this may have been the case of a DoS attack (Denial of service attack). DoS attacks can cause businesses to lose a lot of money since they can no longer be able to interact with legitimate customers. Throughout this module we will perform a few attacks.

Distributive Denial of Service attacks
Mostly in penetration testing we perform regular DoS tests and we perform these to flood a normal server using its domain or IP address. What if we can attack the whole network and every computer that is connected inside the network. This type of attack is known as the distributive Denial of service attack whereby the attack just propagated to all the machines in the target network. DDoS attacks are extremely hard to trace because it becomes difficult to determine where the attack comes from.

Lab exercise
Now that we understand that a denial of service attack happens when multiple unnecessary connections happen to a server now let's try to conduct a few attacks.

hulk
Hulk is a DoS tool that was developed in python so that it could be used for stress testing. Hulk is now being used by hackers all around the world to test machines and also terrorize them. Hulk is extremely easy to use. You can download hulk from the GitHub repository and clone it. Hulk has a very simple syntax, the syntax is shown below root@venom [$]~ hulk As we can see above, first we invoke hulk then specify the target host, then specify the port let's perform an example. root@venom [$]~ hulk localhost 80 Handshake 1.......... Handshake 2.......... Handshake 3.......... Handshake 4.......... Handshake 5.......... Handshake 6.......... Handshake 7.......... Handshake 8.......... As it is illustrated in the example above Hulk then started to open handshakes to a web server running on localhost, which caused a flood on the domain.


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User talk:Tinashelorenzi

Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing
This recently created page does not appear to be a book - Wikibooks is all about creating books; encyclopaedic articles belong on Wikipedia. Please reformat your page to a book design or it may be deleted soon.--ЗAНИA talk 03:06, 2 January 2020 (UTC)

My apologies, I recently transformed the book to something else with a different name, I will delete it soon Tinashelorenzi (discuss • contribs) 03:16, 2 January 2020 (UTC)

title: User talk:Tinashelorenzi


text:
User talk:50.4.137.143

A page you recently created, Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum - List of Episodes, has been deleted. This is Wikibooks, a site for creating educational and informative books, and your page seemed more like an encyclopaedic article which is more suitable for Wikipedia.

Another page you created, Lottie Dottie Chicken, may be deleted soon for the same reason.

Please see Using Wikibooks for further information about what Wikibooks is all about. --ЗAНИA talk 06:08, 30 December 2019 (UTC)

title: User talk:50.4.137.143


text:
User talk:Andrus Kallastu

A page you have been working on, Music Composition has been flagged as being a possible copyright violation as well as mostly not being in English. It has been several months since you last edited this page. This page may be deleted in the next few days if you do not clear up the issues with copyright and translate text into English. --ЗAНИA talk 06:20, 30 December 2019 (UTC)
 * Hello, there is no copyright violation on this page. The note should be deleted.--Andrus Kallastu (discuss • contribs) 09:44, 1 January 2020 (UTC)

title: User talk:Andrus Kallastu


text:
Wikibooks:Requests for import/Archives/2019/November

A request for import
Could you please import Sultanate of M'Simbati to Micronations/List of past micronations/Sultanate of M’Simbatti Thanks in advance, Dino Bronto Rex (discuss • contribs) 16:37, 28 November 2019 (UTC)
 * Done. --Pi zero (discuss • contribs) 16:41, 28 November 2019 (UTC)
 * Er. Sorry for any confusion.  It's at Micronations/List of past micronations/Sultanate of M'Simbati.  Not sure whether the apostrophe should be ascii or not; I left it as Wikipedia had it. --Pi zero (discuss • contribs) 16:44, 28 November 2019 (UTC)

Thank you very much! Dino Bronto Rex (discuss • contribs) 19:22, 28 November 2019 (UTC)

Another request for import
Could you please import the following pages from Wikipedia to Wikibooks:

 * 1) Akhzivland to Micronations/List of already existing micronations/Akhzivland
 * 2) Grand Duchy of the Lagoan Isles to Micronations/List of past micronations/Grand Duchy of the Lagoan Isles
 * 3) Nova Roma to Micronations/List of already existing micronations/Nova Roma

Best Regards, Dino Bronto Rex (discuss • contribs) 13:26, 29 November 2019 (UTC)

 * Done. --Pi zero (discuss • contribs) 19:26, 29 November 2019 (UTC)

Thank you very much! Dino Bronto Rex (discuss • contribs) 13:39, 30 November 2019 (UTC)


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Venom Academy/Ethical Hacking/Password attacking

We have went through a couple of things. Now we will be looking at privilege escalation also known as password attacking. This is the activity that is done by the attacker in order to gain or hijack the authenticity or privileges of a certain user. This is done to bypass the security procedures that are put into place by default. There are many ways that passwords can be attacked or cracked and we shall be looking into them in this module

Password Cracking methods
Theree are a couple of different methods that are used to attack passwords. Let's look at them in detail

Dictionary Attack
This is a password attack method that uses a text file called a dictionary file or word list file. The file contains a list of words. All the words will be tested against the password procedure until the correct password has been found. Word lists files can be downloaded online or then can be created. Dictionary Attack is really fast to execute because there is no algorithm that needs to be used.

Rainbow attack
A rainbow attack is one of the best attack but it always proves to be resource consuming. In rainbow attack a file called a rainbow table is used, inside the rainbow table are hashes arranged in columns, when the table is being used to crack for passwords the software being used will check all columns and mix-match all the hashes it finds. This kind of attack requires a hacker to have really fast and efficient hardware.

Brute Force attack
This is the attack whereby the cracking software trys all possible passwords in ascending order. Brute force attacks are very time consuming because the require a lot of time.

Hybrid attack
This attack is commonly used to attack passwords that are combined of different characters. For example a password like password123.

Lab exercise
Lets perform a few password attacks

Hydra is a great tool we could use to crack remote password with. Hydra comes with preloaded username/password list. Alternatively you could download dictionary files online at https://packetstormsecurity.com. Hydra's syntax is pretty simple to understand, here is the syntax below: Hydra -L -P As shown above we can see that the -L argument is used to specify the username, the argument -P is used to specify the dictionary file. Hydra will also require the service that you want to attack, to find a list of services running on a target machine, you can use nmap to scan it. If you don't know how to scan using nmap then please relate to Chapter 3 of this book. Now let's perform an example using hydra here is the command and output root@venom [$]~ hydra -l admin -P worlist1.lst 192.168.75.140 ftp Hydra (https://www.thc.org/thc-hydra) starting at 2019-12-30 03:14:12 [DATA] 16 tasks, 1 servers, 170765 login tries (l:1/p:170765), 106728 tries per task [DATA] attacking service FTP on port 21 [21][ftp] host: 192.168.75.140 login: admin  password: password12 [STATUS] attack finished for 192.168.75.140 (waiting for children) Hydra (https://www.thc.org/thc-hydra) finished at 2019-12-30 03:17:9 As we can see above hydra managed to launch a dictionary attack and then returned with the password "password123"

There are a couple of other tool that could be used for privilege Escalation try exploring Kali Linux and having fun with it.


text: Agrodatabase/42 - Pathogens - Taxonomy/Insecta-Hymenoptera


text: Agrodatabase/42 - Pathogens - Taxonomy/Insecta-Isoptera


text: Agrodatabase/42 - Pathogens - Taxonomy/Insecta-Lepidoptera


text: Agrodatabase/42 - Pathogens - Taxonomy/Insecta-Orthoptera