Other people may be experiencing
war or difficulties in their home country
and are looking for a new place to live.
Somalia
What do you know about Somalia? Where
is it? Somalia is located on the east coast of
Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean.
It is a very beautiful country, with a
strong history and rich traditions. Despite the
recent wars there, there are many beautiful
sites, and things are improving. Traveling to
Somalia, however, might not be possible due
to the distance, cost, and safety concerns.
You can experience Somali culture firsthand
by visiting Somali communities living outside
of Somalia.
Somali Immigrants
Due to the conflict in Somalia, many
Somali have migrated to other countries.
Somalia’s neighboring countries have the
most Somali immigrants. However, both
the United States and Canada have large
Somali communities.
Outside of downtown Toronto, there
are several suburbs with many recent
immigrants, including Etobicoke North,
Scarborough, North York, York, and East
York. You can visit restaurants and shops
and learn something about the country.
In Toronto, most Somali immigrants live in
central Etobicoke. My sister and I decided
to visit part of Etobicoke to try Somali
food.Etobicoke North
We visited the Etobicoke area of Toronto,
which includes the Rexdale, Weston, and
Westday neighborhoods. We visited the
Istar Restaurant Somali Cuisine, where we
had lunch, the Hamdi Restaurant Somali
Cuisine, where we ordered tea, and
Xawaash where we ordered date cake.
We particularly enjoyed the Somali tea
and date cake.Somalis, forced to settle in the Dakamur camp in the Bay province of Somalia, live a difficult life in makeshift tents.