Examines the history of Somalia from pre-colonial times to the present. Through the author's analysis of statehood and society, she provides a foundation for examining the Somali conflict and the emergence of Somaliland, Puntland, and the Riverine State following the fall of the Siad Barre regime from a societal rather than a state-based perspective. Includes maps, a diagram of Somali clan structure, bibliography, and index. ( )