At first glance, one would not expect to find similarities between the countries of Somalia and the United States. Although the differences outweigh the similarities, upon closer examination, Somalia and the United States share some similarities. These similarities include British rule, civil war and acts of domestic terrorism. Some differences may be governmental, climatic and military. At one point in history, Somalia and the United States were under British rule. Somalia's modern history began in the late 19th century. It was at this time that Britain was able to gain control of northern Somalia, concluding treaties with various Somali chiefs. Britain's main objective; ensure the supply of the Somali coal station in Aden, guarantee local sources of food and also guarantee the preservation of commercial links with the east. Somalia remained under British military administration until 1950, when it was declared independent and began its transition to self-government. Before the American Revolution, and before declaring independence on July 4, 1997, the American colonies (United States) were also under British rule. Civil war is another common similarity between Somalia and the United States. In 1991, after the overthrow of dictator Siad Barre, Somalia descended into anarchy. In the absence of a government presence to maintain some type of order, clan-based warlords began to compete with each other, thus triggering civil injustices. While the northern regions of Somalia, as well as the self-proclaimed "Republic of Somaliland", have remained relatively peaceful, infighting breaks out with little or no warning. Since 1991, an estimated 350,000 to 1,000,000 Somalis have died due to lack...... middle of paper ......w.whitehouse.gov/our-government/executive-branch. The White House, nd Web. February 26, 2011. Time Inc., “http://www.time.com.” http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1903763,00.html. Time, June 11, 2009. Web. February 25, 2011. Time Life Books, “http://www.phil.muni.cz.” http://www.phil.muni.cz/~vndrzl/amstudies/civilwar_stats.htm. Time Life Books: The Civil War series, nd Web. February 27, 2011. U.S. Department of State, “http://state.gov.” http://state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2863.htm. US Department of State, January 3, 2011. Web. February 27, 2011. U.S. Department of Defense, “http://www.militarynewsnetwork.com.” http://www.militarynewsnetwork.com/military-requirements.htm. Popular Military, nd Web. February 26, 2011. New World Encyclopedia, . "http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org." http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Somali_Civil_War. Encyclopedia of the New World, December 19, 2008. Web. March 11 2011.