Somalia: Geography

The World Factbook 1993: Somalia Geography

Location: Eastern Africa, bordering the northwestern Indian Ocean, south of the Arabian Peninsula

Area: total area: 637,660 km2 land area: 627,340 km2 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; possible claims to Djibouti and parts of Ethiopia and Kenya based on unification of ethnic Somalis

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 km2 (1989 est.)

Environment: recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

Note: strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal