# Why do Somalians look so distinct? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 30, 2014, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-somalians-look-so-distinct/702992 "2014-10-30T10:37:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BrightNShiny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@BrightNShiny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightNShiny)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-somalians-look-so-distinct/702992/23 "2014-11-02T21:30:59Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > But those are recent centuries, which occurred long after the millennia of isolation during which their characteristics settled. The only country next to Somalia is Ethiopia, and those two peoples resemble each other more than they resemble other Africans. Even in modern times, the Kenya/Somali border is one of the most difficult to cross, due to a vast inhospitable and unpopulated region along the frontier. Psst. There is an invention called the “boat.” Maybe you should look into it. There are also a number of overland trade and travel corridors which connect with East Africa. As usual, you are posting nonsense in GQ. I think I’ll revive your pit thread. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=17850967](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=17850967) ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-somalians-look-so-distinct/702992/24 "2014-11-02T21:40:47Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > I think a large part of this is just because you’ve seen a lot of Somalians, so you’ve learned how to distinguish the typical look. Most of us have also seen just a subset of Somalians–the ones who have migrated to the US. My sister went to Ethiopia a few years ago and was surprised at how diverse Ethiopians are in appearance. She said there were people who looked stereotypically Ethiopian, but there were also plenty of people she wouldn’t have ever guessed were Ethiopian based on their looks. ---
**Author:** ![Ramira](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ramira/32/344_2.png) [@Ramira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ramira)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-somalians-look-so-distinct/702992/25 "2014-11-02T23:15:31Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > My sister went to Ethiopia a few years ago and was surprised at how diverse Ethiopians are in appearance. She said there were people who looked stereotypically Ethiopian, but there were also plenty of people she wouldn’t have ever guessed were Ethiopian based on their looks. It is not surprising. The state of Ethiopia includes many peoples who are not of its dominant ethnicities, and mostly to the south west and into the south west and middle mountains. But the dominant ethnic groups are Amhar, Oroum, Somal, Tigre etc, who are of this similar origin. The history becomes complex because they were imperialists internally to the peripheral peoples, less materially advances than they were, from a long date. There is not easy nice history. But this imperial history touches on the transition genetic that is observed as between the Yemenites of Aden and close south Yemen and the people on the other side, anyone can see the fade in and back. The interesting point of the genetic article that is linked is that the exchanges are not new, but old, and it makes sense the transition one can see even in the region, as we can see in the Maghreb. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-somalians-look-so-distinct/702992/26 "2014-11-03T11:00:49Z")
Looking at your link, I would have guessed Ethiopian, not Somalian, if only because I have no clue what a Somalian typically looks like. So, like other posters, I don’t think this appearance is that specific. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-somalians-look-so-distinct/702992/27 "2014-11-03T11:25:46Z")
> [@Ramira](#): > > It is not surprising. It was for my sister, who did not know much about Ethiopian prior to her visit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-somalians-look-so-distinct/702992.md?page=1)