The State has common boundaries with Afar and the Republic of Djibouti in the north, Kenya in the south,
the State of Oromiya in the west, and Somalia in the east and in the South." The capital is Jijiga.
This means that Somali State includes the whole of Eastern Ethiopia, including partially or completely the
old provinces of Harerge, Bale, Sidamo and eventualy portions of neighboring provinces such as Welo,
Shewa or Arsi. Again, the new capital is a relatively small center (this seems to be a pattern), this time
quite off-centered. Jijiga is located in the north of the old state, half-way between the old capital of
Harerge and the somalian border (50-60 km from both).
Ethnically, this is another state with large homogeneity, being it's population of 3,439,860 (September
1997) constituted by Somalis in 95.6%. Other ethnies: "Oromo 2.25%, Amhara 0.69%, Somalians 0.63%
[what's the difference between these and the Somalis?], and Guragie 0.14%".
Jorge Candeias, 19 December 1999.
Historical notes
Concerning the Ethiopian regional state of Somali, it's worth mentioning (although no special flags were
used for it) that the Western Somalia was administered, following the defeat of Italian forces in East
Africa, as part of the British occupation of Somali territories, separate from Ethiopia.
Although the postal administration differentiated between the Somaliland Protectorate and the rest of
the region (Western Somalia and former Italian Somalia), the entire Somali region was under a single
administration until Somalia was handed back to Italian control.
In the 1960s, newly independent Somalia tried to take the Western Somalia, but was repulsed by
Ethiopian forces.
Mike Oettle, 2 January 2002.
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