There are 6 main clan-families in Somalia. A clan-family is a group of clans who believe themselves to be linked by descent from a common ancestor. Within each clan-family there is a multitude of clans. A clan is a group of people believed to be descendants through males of a common ancestor. Each clan then further sub-divided into lineages.

The clan system:

In addition to the clans of the Somaal (somali) , there are also ethnic minorities in Somalia. These minorities account for approximately 15% of the population and have traditionally been discriminated against by the Somaal clans. Groups of people that have ancestors predating the Somaal or who have no clear link to the genealogy of the Somaal, are mainly found in the coastal areas. They are believed to be from unmixed Arab and Persian descent(these are the light skin somalis which was shown above). In addition to these groups there are also the habash/adoon which is an important group of pre-Somaal cultivators and hunters that are found in the interriverine valleys of the Shabeelle and Jubba rivers. In addition to this, certain occupational distinctions are also made whereby certain groupings such as hunters, leatherdresses and smiths are known as saab (ignoble). Until the 1920s, small groups of slaves taken from Malawi and Tanzania were also linked to local Somali communities(these are the somali bantus the very dark skin somalis). The regional dynamics have also caused mass population flows between Ethiopia, Somalia and Djibouti and thus the infiltration of other minority groups into Somali territory.