Somalia at Expo 2015 Milano

Theme: Plentiful life from a Little Water:  Somalia - its Animals, its Fragrances

Zone aride pavilion

 

Concept
Somalia is a unique Country, where Nature has taught how life can prosper with little water. Inspired by the magnificent boswellia carterii tree, Somali herders have learned how to breed their animals in arid areas. The boswellia, whose roots are able to capture water and minerals from the rocks on which it grows, produces the most precious resin, the frankincense. Somalis have always loved the smell of their incense: they use it to welcome guests, to embellish their houses and to fumigate water containers. For Millennia, populations from every corner of the World have traded with Somalia to purchase this resin, whose scent has always been thought to please the gods.

Herders have learned how to raise their precious livestock, constantly moving throughout Somalia looking for water and range. Thanks to their traditional knowledge, at present Somalia is home to 50 million animals and every year it exports more than 5 million head, making Somalia the heart of animal trade between the Horn of Africa and the Gulf States. This makes livestock account for 40% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP); taking into account the whole agricultural sector, the figure grows to 65%. Consequently, agriculture represents about three quarters of the labour force, mainly in the form of pastoral nomadism. These experiences and these precious products are the core part of the Somali pavilion, which also presents the richness and diversity of Somali agricultural products, such as bananas, mangos and grapefruits, and the immense opportunities in the fish industry, as Somalia has an almost unexploited 3,000 miles of coastline. The national exposition is aimed at promoting a different perception of Somalia, a country rich of opportunities that needs the help of the World to recover from its past sufferings and to start its own path to peace and prosperity.

Source : http://www.expo2015.org/en/participants/countries/somalia