Somalia




                                 Geography


Location:
     Eastern Africa, bordering the northwestern Indian Ocean, south of the
     Arabian Peninsula
Map references:
     Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
     637,660 sq km
land area:
     627,340 sq km
comparative area:
     slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries:
     total 2,366 km, Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,626 km, Kenya 682 km
Coastline:
     3,025 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea:
     200 nm
International disputes:
     southern half of boundary with Ethiopia is a Provisional
     Administrative Line; territorial dispute with Ethiopia over the Ogaden
Climate:
     desert; northeast monsoon (December to February), cooler southwest
     monsoon (May to October); irregular rainfall; hot, humid periods
     (tangambili) between monsoons
Terrain:
     mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north
Natural resources:
     uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum,
     bauxite, copper, salt
Land use:
arable land:
     2%
permanent crops:
     0%
meadows and pastures:
     46%
forest and woodland:
     14%
other:
     38%
Irrigated land:
     1,600 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
     use of contaminated water contributes to health problems;
     deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
natural hazards:
     recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer




international agreements:
     party to - Endangered Species, Law of the Sea; signed, but not
     ratified - Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban
Note:
     strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab
     el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal


                                  People


Population:
     6,666,873 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     3.24% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     45.97 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     13.53 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     125.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
     54.75 years
male:
     54.49 years
female:
     55.01 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
     7.25 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
     Somali(s)
adjective:
     Somali
Ethnic divisions:
     Somali 85%, Bantu, Arabs 30,000, Europeans 3,000, Asians 800
Religions:
     Sunni Muslim
Languages:
     Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English
Literacy:
     age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
     24%
male:
     36%
female:
     14%
Labor force:
     2.2 million (very few are skilled laborers)
by occupation:
     pastoral nomad 70%, agriculture, government, trading, fishing,
     handicrafts, and other 30%




note:
     53% of population of working age (1985)


                                Government


Names:
conventional long form:
     none
conventional short form:
former:
     Somali Republic
Digraph:
     SO
Type:
     none
Capital:
     Mogadishu
Administrative divisions:
     18 regions (plural - NA, singular - gobolka); Awdal, Bakool, Banaadir,
     Bari, Bay, Galguduud, Gedo, Hiiraan, Jubbada Dhexe, Jubbada Hoose,
     Mudug, Nugaal, Sanaag, Shabeellaha Dhexe, Shabeellaha Hoose, Sool,
     Togdheer, Woqooyi Galbeed
Independence:
     1 July 1960 (from a merger of British Somaliland, which became
     independent from the UK on 26 June 1960, and Italian Somaliland, which
     became independent from the Italian-administered UN trusteeship on 1
     July 1960, to form the Somali Republic)
National holiday:
     NA
Constitution:
     25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979
Legal system:
     NA
Suffrage:
     18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
     Somalia has no functioning government; presidential elections last
     held 23 December 1986 (next to be held NA); results - President SIAD
     was reelected without opposition
Legislative branch:
     unicameral People's Assembly
People's Assembly (Golaha Shacbiga):
     elections last held 31 December 1984 (next to be held NA); results -
     SRSP was the only party; seats - (177 total, 171 elected) SRSP 171;
     note - the United Somali Congress (USC) ousted the regime of Maj. Gen.
     Mohamed SIAD Barre on 27 January 1991; the provisional government has
     promised that a democratically elected government will be established
Judicial branch:
     Supreme Court (non-functioning)
Political parties and leaders:
     the United Somali Congress (USC) ousted the former regime on 27
     January 1991; formerly the only party was the Somali Revolutionary
     Socialist Party (SRSP), headed by former President and Commander in
     Chief of the Army Maj. Gen. Mohamed SIAD Barre




Other political or pressure groups:
     numerous clan and subclan factions are currently vying for power
Member of:
     ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB,
     IFAD, IFC, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM
     (observer), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
     UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
     Somalian Embassy ceased operations on 8 May 1991
US diplomatic representation:
     the US Embassy in Mogadishu was evacuated and closed indefinitely in
     January 1991; United States Liaison Office (USLO) opened in December
     1992
Flag:
     light blue with a large white five-pointed star in the center; design
     based on the flag of the UN (Italian Somaliland was a UN trust
     territory)


                                  Economy


Overview:
     One of the world's poorest and least developed countries, Somalia has
     few resources. Moreover, much of the economy has been devastated by
     the civil war. Agriculture is the most important sector, with
     livestock accounting for about 40% of GDP and about 65% of export
     earnings. Nomads and seminomads who are dependent upon livestock for
     their livelihoods make up more than half of the population. Crop
     production generates only 10% of GDP and employs about 20% of the work
     force. The main export crop is bananas; sugar, sorghum, and corn are
     grown for the domestic market. The small industrial sector is based on
     the processing of agricultural products and accounts for less than 10%
     of GDP. Greatly increased political turmoil in 1991-93 has resulted in
     a substantial drop in output, with widespread famine.
National product:
     GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $3.4 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
     NA%
National product per capita:
     $500 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     210% (1989)
Unemployment rate:
     NA%
Budget:
revenues:
     $NA
expenditures:
     $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports:
     $58 million (1990 est.)
commodities:
     bananas, live animals, fish, hides
partners:
     Saudi Arabia, Italy, FRG (1986)




Imports:
     $249 million (1990 est.)
commodities:
     petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials
partners:
     US 13%, Italy, FRG, Kenya, UK, Saudi Arabia (1986)
External debt:
     $1.9 billion (1989)
Industrial production:
     growth rate 0% (1990); accounts for 4% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
     former 75,000 kW is almost completely shut down by the destruction of
     the civil war; UN, relief organizations, and foreign military units in
     Somalia use their own portable power systems
production:
     NA
consumption per capita:
     NA
Industries:
     a few small industries, including sugar refining, textiles, petroleum
     refining; probably shut down by the widespread destruction during the
     civil war
Agriculture:
     dominant sector, led by livestock raising (cattle, sheep, goats);
     crops - bananas, sorghum, corn, mangoes, sugarcane; not
     self-sufficient in food; distribution of food disrupted by civil
     strife; fishing potential largely unexploited
Economic aid:
recipient:
     US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $639 million; Western
     (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $3.8
     billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $1.1 billion; Communist
     countries (1970-89), $336 million
Currency:
     1 Somali shilling (So. Sh.) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
     Somali shillings (So. Sh.) per US$1 - 2,616 (1 July 1993), 4,200
     (December 1992), 3,800.00 (December 1990), 490.7 (1989)
Fiscal year:
     calendar year


                              Communications


Highways:
total:
     22,500 km
paved:
     2,700 km
unpaved:
     gravel 3,000 km; improved, stabilized earth 16,800 km (1992)
Pipelines:
     crude oil 15 km
Ports:
     Mogadishu, Berbera, Chisimayu (Kismaayo), Bender Cassim (Boosaaso)




Merchant marine:
     2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,554 GRT/6,892 DWT, cargo 1,
     refrigerated cargo 1
Airports:
total:
     76
usable:
     59
with permanent-surface runways:
     8
with runways over 3,659 m:
     2
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
     6
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
     24
Telecommunications:
     the public telecommunications system was completely destroyed or
     dismantled by the civil war factions; all relief organizations depend
     on their own private systems (1993)


                              Defense Forces


Branches:
     NA
Manpower availability:
     males age 15-49 1,630,864; fit for military service 915,368
Defense expenditures:
     $NA, NA% of GDP