The fragmentation of the former Somali Democratic Republic into three distinctive entities, together with the events that have ensued since then, make for a complex political puzzle that raises a plethora of questions. M.J. Fox explores some of the most fundamental of those questions: Have the "three Somalias" of today always been as disparate as they are now? How deeply rooted are those differences? Why has southern Somalia remained steeped in violence while Somaliland and Puntland are relatively peaceful and stable? And does political culture have any role to play in contemporary Somali politics? As she traces the compelling influences of political culture over time, Fox provides a unique comparative analysis of Somaliland, Puntland, and Somalia in the twenty-first century.