Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia
Geographic coordinates
10 00 N, 49 00 E
Map references
Africa
Area
total
637,657 sq km
land
627,337 sq km
water
10,320 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries
total
2,340 km
border countries
Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,600 km, Kenya 682 km
Coastline
3,025 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 200 nm
Climate
principally desert; northeast monsoon (December to February), moderate temperatures in north and hot in south; southwest monsoon (May to October), 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
Elevation extremes
lowest point
Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point
Shimbiris 2,416 m
Natural resources
uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas, likely oil reserves
Land use
arable land
1.64%
permanent crops
0.04%
other
98.32% (2005)
Irrigated land
2,000 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards
recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer; floods during rainy season
Environment - current issues
famine; use of contaminated water contributes to human health problems; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
Geography - note
strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal
Population
9,118,773
note: this estimate was derived from an official census taken in 1975 by the Somali Government; population counting in Somalia is complicated by the large number of nomads and by refugee movements in response to famine and clan warfare (July 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
44.4% (male 2,031,682/female 2,019,629)
15-64 years
53% (male 2,423,602/female 2,410,126)
65 years and over
2.6% (male 97,932/female 135,802) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
17.6 years
male
17.5 years
female
17.7 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
2.832% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
44.6 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
16.28 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.006 male(s)/female
15-64 years
1.006 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.721 male(s)/female
total population
0.997 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
113.08 deaths/1,000 live births
male
122.29 deaths/1,000 live births
female
103.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
48.84 years
male
47.06 years
female
50.69 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
6.68 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
43,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA
Major infectious diseases
degree of risk
very high
food or waterborne diseases
bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases
malaria and dengue fever are high risks in some locations
water contact disease
schistosomiasis
animal contact disease
rabies (2007)
Nationality
noun
Somali(s)
adjective
Somali
Ethnic groups
Somali 85%, Bantu and other non-Somali 15% (including Arabs 30,000)
Religions
Sunni Muslim
Languages
Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English
Literacy
definition
age 15 and over can read and write
total population
37.8%
male
49.7%
female
25.8% (2001 est.)
Country name
conventional long form
none
conventional short form
Somalia
local long form
Jamhuuriyada Demuqraadiga Soomaaliyeed
local short form
Soomaaliya
former
Somali Republic; Somali Democratic Republic
Government type
no permanent national government; transitional, parliamentary federal government
Capital
name
Mogadishu
geographic coordinates
2 04 N, 45 22 E
time difference
UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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
Foundation of the Somali Republic, 1 July (1960); note - 26 June (1960) in Somaliland
Constitution
25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979
note: the formation of transitional governing institutions, known as the Transitional Federal Government, is currently ongoing
Legal system
no national system; a mixture of English common law, Italian law, Islamic Shari'a, and Somali customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state
Transitional Federal President Abdullahi YUSUF Ahmed (since 14 October 2004); note - a transitional governing entity with a five-year mandate, known as the Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs), was established in October 2004; the TFI relocated to Somalia in June 2004, but its members remain divided over clan and regional interests and the government continues to struggle to establish effective governance in the country
head of government
Prime Minister Ali Mohamed GEDI (since 24 December 2004)
cabinet
Cabinet appointed by the prime minister and approved by the Transitional Federal Assembly
election results
Abdullahi YUSUF Ahmed, the former leader of the semi-autonomous Puntland region of Somalia, was elected president by the Transitional Federal Assembly
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly
note: unicameral Transitional Federal Parliament (TFP) (275 seats; 244 members appointed by the four major clans (61 for each clan), 31 seats allocated to smaller clans and subclans); note - the TFP was created in January 2004 to last four years
Judicial branch
following the breakdown of the central government, most regions have reverted to local forms of conflict resolution, either secular, traditional Somali customary law, or Shari'a (Islamic) law with a provision for appeal of all sentences
Political parties and leaders
none
Political pressure groups and leaders
numerous clan and sub-clan factions are currently vying for power; Supreme Council of Islamic Courts (SCIC)
Somalia does not have an embassy in the US (ceased operations on 8 May 1991); note - the TFG and other factions have representatives in Washington and at the United Nations
Diplomatic representation from the US
the US does not have an embassy in Somalia; US interests are represented by the US Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya at United Nations Avenue, Nairobi; mailing address: Unit 64100, Nairobi; APO AE 09831; telephone: [254] (20) 363-6000; FAX [254] (20) 363-6157
Flag description
light blue with a large white five-pointed star in the center; blue field influenced by the flag of the UN
Government - note
although an interim government was created in 2004, other regional and local governing bodies continue to exist and control various cities and regions of the country, including the self-declared Republic of Somaliland in northwestern Somalia, the semi-autonomous State of Puntland in northeastern Somalia, and traditional clan and faction strongholds
Economy - overview
Somalia's economic fortunes are driven by its deep political divisions. The northwestern area has declared its independence as the "Republic of Somaliland"; the northeastern region of Puntland is a semi-autonomous state; and the remaining southern portion is riddled with the struggles of rival factions. Economic life continues, in part because much activity is local and relatively easily protected. Agriculture is the most important sector, with livestock normally accounting for about 40% of GDP and about 65% of export earnings, but Saudi Arabia's ban on Somali livestock, due to Rift Valley Fever concerns, has severely hampered the sector. Nomads and semi-nomads, who are dependent upon livestock for their livelihood, make up a large portion of the population. Livestock, hides, fish, charcoal, and bananas are Somalia's principal exports, while sugar, sorghum, corn, qat, and machined goods are the principal imports. Somalia's small industrial sector, based on the processing of agricultural products, has largely been looted and sold as scrap metal. Despite the seeming anarchy, Somalia's service sector has managed to survive and grow. Telecommunication firms provide wireless services in most major cities and offer the lowest international call rates on the continent. In the absence of a formal banking sector, money exchange services have sprouted throughout the country, handling between $500 million and $1 billion in remittances annually. Mogadishu's main market offers a variety of goods from food to the newest electronic gadgets. The Somali Council of Islamic Courts (SCIC) opened Mogadishu's main port and airport - closed for 15 years - as well as most of the ports and airfields in southern Somalia. Hotels continue to operate, and militias provide security. The ongoing civil disturbances and clan rivalries, however, have interfered with any broad-based economic development and international aid arrangements. Somalia's arrears to the IMF continued to grow in 2006. Statistics on Somalia's GDP, growth, per capita income, and inflation should be viewed skeptically. In late December 2004, a major tsunami caused an estimated 150 deaths and resulted in destruction of property in coastal areas.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$5.259 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$2.483 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
2.6% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$600 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
65%
industry
10%
services
25% (2000 est.)
Labor force
3.7 million (few skilled laborers) (1975 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
71%
industry and services
29% (1975)
Unemployment rate
NA%
Population below poverty line
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
NA%
highest 10%
NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
NA%; note - businesses print their own money, so inflation rates cannot be easily determined
a few light industries, including sugar refining, textiles, wireless communication
Industrial production growth rate
NA%
Electricity - production
269 million kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel
100%
hydro
0%
nuclear
0%
other
0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption
250.2 million kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (2004)
Oil - production
0 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption
5,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports
NA bbl/day
Oil - imports
NA bbl/day
Oil - proved reserves
0 bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - production
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves
5.663 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
Exports
$241 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities
livestock, bananas, hides, fish, charcoal, scrap metal
Exports - partners
UAE 49.8%, Yemen 21.5%, Oman 6% (2006)
Imports
$576 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities
manufactures, petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials, qat
Imports - partners
Djibouti 31%, India 8.2%, Kenya 8.1%, Brazil 7.7%, Oman 5.5%, UAE 5.2%, Yemen 5% (2006)
Debt - external
$3 billion (2001 est.)
Economic aid - recipient
$60 million (1999 est.)
Currency (code)
Somali shilling (SOS)
Currency code
SOS
Exchange rates
Somali shillings per US dollar - 1,438.3 (2006) official rate; the unofficial black market rate was about 23,000 shillings per dollar as of February 2007
note: the Republic of Somaliland, a self-declared independent country not recognized by any foreign government, issues its own currency, the Somaliland shilling
Fiscal year
NA
Telephones - main lines in use
100,000 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular
500,000 (2005)
Telephone system
general assessment
the public telecommunications system was almost completely destroyed or dismantled by the civil war factions; private wireless companies offer service in most major cities and charge the lowest international rates on the continent
domestic
local cellular telephone systems have been established in Mogadishu and in several other population centers
international
country code - 252; international connections are available from Mogadishu by satellite (2001)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 0, FM 11 (also 1 station each in Puntland and Somaliland), shortwave 1 (in Mogadishu) (2001)
Radios
470,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations
4 (2 in Mogadishu and 2 in Hargeisa) (2001)
Televisions
135,000 (1997)
Internet country code
.so
Internet hosts
3 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
3 (one each in Boosaaso, Hargeisa, and Mogadishu) (2000)
Internet users
90,000 (2005)
Airports
65 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways
total
7
over 3,047 m
4
2,438 to 3,047 m
2
1,524 to 2,437 m
1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total
58
over 3,047 m
1
2,438 to 3,047 m
3
1,524 to 2,437 m
19
914 to 1,523 m
29
under 914 m
6 (2006)
Roadways
total
22,100 km
paved
2,608 km
unpaved
19,492 km (1999)
Merchant marine
total
1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 2,659 GRT/2,540 DWT
by type
cargo 1
foreign-owned
1 (UAE 1) (2006)
Ports and terminals
Boosaaso, Berbera, Kismaayo, Merca, Mogadishu
Military branches
there are no national-level armed forces; numerous factions and clans maintain independent militias, and the Somaliland and Puntland regional governments maintain their own security and police forces (2007)
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age (est.) (2001)
Manpower available for military service
males age 18-49
1,787,727
females age 18-49
1,714,792 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 18-49
1,022,360
females age 18-49
1,038,697 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
0.9% (2005 est.)
Disputes - international
Ethiopian forces invaded southern Somalia and routed Islamist Courts from Mogadishu in January 2007; "Somaliland" secessionists provide port facilities in Berbera to landlocked Ethiopia and have established commercial ties with other regional states; "Puntland" and "Somaliland" "governments" seek international support in their secessionist aspirations and overlapping border claims; the undemarcated former British administrative line has little meaning as a political separation to rival clans within Ethiopia's Ogaden and southern Somalia's Oromo region; Kenya works hard to prevent the clan and militia fighting in Somalia from spreading south across the border, which has long been open to nomadic pastoralists
Refugees and internally displaced persons
IDPs: 400,000 (civil war since 1988, clan-based competition for resources) (2006)
