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- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Somalia
- Geography
-
-
- Location:
- Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of
- Ethiopia
- Map references:
- Africa
- 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:
- principally desert; December to February - northeast monsoon, moderate
- temperatures in north and very hot in south; May to October - southwest
- monsoon, torrid in the north and hot in the south, irregular rainfall, hot
- and 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:
- famine; use of contaminated water contributes to human 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
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Somalia
- People
-
-
- Population:
- 7,347,554 (July 1995 est.)
- Age structure:
- 0-14 years:
- 45% (female 1,653,175; male 1,650,377)
- 15-64 years:
- 51% (female 1,845,886; male 1,932,012)
- 65 years and over:
- 4% (female 138,264; male 127,840) (July 1995 est.)
- Population growth rate:
- 15.58% (1995 est.)
- Birth rate:
- 45.53 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
- Death rate:
- 13.3 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
- Net migration rate:
- 123.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
- Infant mortality rate:
- 119.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
- Life expectancy at birth:
- total population:
- 55.74 years
- male:
- 55.48 years
- female:
- 56 years (1995 est.)
- Total fertility rate:
- 7.13 children born/woman (1995 est.)
- Nationality:
- noun:
- Somali(s)
- adjective:
- Somali
- Ethnic divisions:
- Somali 85%, Bantu, Arabs 30,000
- 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%
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Somalia
- Government
-
-
- Names:
- conventional long form:
- none
- conventional short form:
- Somalia
- 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; the United Somali Congress (USC)
- ousted the regime of Maj. Gen. Mohamed SIAD Barre on 27 January 1991; the
- present political situation is one of anarchy, marked by inter-clan fighting
- and random banditry
- Legislative branch:
- unicameral People's Assembly
- People's Assembly (Golaha Shacbiga):
- not functioning
- Judicial branch:
- Supreme Court (not 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, ICRM, IDA, IDB,
- IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM
- (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU,
- WHO, WIPO, WMO
- Diplomatic representation in US:
- Somalian Embassy ceased operations on 8 May 1991
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Somalia
- Government
- US diplomatic representation:
- note:
- the US Embassy in Mogadishu was evacuated and closed indefinitely in January
- 1991; Ambassador Daniel SIMPSON, ambassador to Kenya, represents US
- interests in Somalia
- liaison office:
- US Embassy, Nairobi, Kenya
- address:
- corner of Moi Avenue and Haile Selassie Avenue, Nairobi
- mailing address:
- P.O. Box 30137, Unit 64100, Nairobi or APO AE 09831
- telephone:
- [254] (2) 334141
- FAX:
- [254] (2) 340838
- 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)
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Somalia
- 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 livelihood make up about 70% 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; most facilities have been shut down because of the civil strife. The
- greatly increased political turmoil of 1991-93 has resulted in a substantial
- drop in agricultural output, with widespread famine. In 1994 economic
- conditions stabilized in the countryside but may turn worse in 1995 if civil
- strife intensifies after the UN withdrawal.
- National product:
- GDP - purchasing power parity - $3.3 billion (1994 est.)
- National product real growth rate:
- NA%
- National product per capita:
- $500 (1994 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices):
- NA% (1994)
- 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 NA%
- Electricity:
- capacity:
- prior to the civil war, 75,000 kW, but now almost completely shut down due
- to war damage; note - UN and relief organizations use their own portable
- power systems
- production:
- NA kWh
- consumption per capita:
- NA kWh
- Industries:
- a few small industries, including sugar refining, textiles, petroleum
- refining (mostly shut down) (1994)
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Somalia
- Economy
- 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 - approximately 5,000 (1 January 1995),
- 2,616 (1 July 1993), 4,200 (December 1992), 3,800.00 (December 1990), 490.7
- (1989),
- Fiscal year:
- calendar year
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Somalia
- Transportation
-
-
- Railroads:
- 0 km
- 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:
- Bender Cassim (Boosaaso), Berbera, Chisimayu (Kismaayo), Merca, Mogadishu
- Merchant marine:
- total:
- 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,529 GRT/6,892 DWT
- ships by type:
- cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 1
- Airports:
- total:
- 76
- with paved runways over 3,047 m:
- 3
- with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m:
- 1
- with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m:
- 3
- with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m:
- 1
- with paved runways under 914 m:
- 14
- with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m:
- 5
- with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m:
- 16
- with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m:
- 33
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Somalia
- Communications
-
-
- Telephone system:
- NA telephones; the public telecommunications system was completely destroyed
- or dismantled by the civil war factions; all relief organizations depend on
- their own private systems (1993)
- local:
- NA
- intercity:
- NA
- international:
- NA
- Radio:
- broadcast stations:
- AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA
- radios:
- NA
- Television:
- broadcast stations:
- NA
- televisions:
- NA
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Somalia
- Defense Forces
-
-
- Branches:
- no functioning central government military forces; clan militias continue to
- battle for control of key economic or political prizes
- Manpower availability:
- males age 15-49 1,736,673; males fit for military service 972,203 (1995 est.
- Defense expenditures:
- $NA, NA% of GDP
-