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Somalia - General Country Information

Introduction
Geography
People
Government
Economy
Communications
Military
Transnational Issues

Introduction

General Information: Somalia

The capital of Somalia is Mogadishu.

Major cities of Somalia are:
Berbera, Bossaro, Burao, Mogadishu.

Geography

Location:	Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia
Coordinates:	10 00 N, 49 00 E
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; 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
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: 1.67% permanent crops: 0.04% other: 98.29% (2001)
Irrigated Land:	2,000 sq km (1998 est.)
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: Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
Note:	strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal

People

Population:	8,304,601 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 2004 est.)
Age Structure:	total: 17.6 years male: 17.5 years female: 17.6 years (2004 est.)
Population Growth Rate:	3.41% (2004 est.)
Birth Rate:	46.04 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death Rate:	17.3 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Migration Rate:	5.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Sex Ratio:	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate:	total: 118.52 deaths/1,000 live births male: 127.95 deaths/1,000 live births female: 108.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Expectancy Birth:	total population: 47.71 years male: 46.02 years female: 49.46 years (2004 est.)
Fertility Rate:	6.91 children born/woman (2004 est.)
HIV Adult Prevalence Rate:	1% (2001 est.)
People Living HIV:	43,000 (2001 est.)
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.)

Gouvernment

Country Name:	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Somalia former: Somali Republic, Somali Democratic Republic
Government Type:	no permanent national government; transitional, parliamentary national government
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:	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 Transitional National Government formed in August 2000 had a three-year mandate to create a new constitution and hold elections, this goal was not achieved but the process is ongoing
Legal System:	no national system; Shari'a and secular courts are in some localities
Suffrage:	18 years of age; universal
Executive Branch:	chief of state: Abdullahi YUSUF Ahmed (since 14 October 2004); note - a new Transitional Federal Government consisting of a 275-member parliament was established in October 2004 replacing the Transitional National Government created in 2000 head of government: Prime Minister Ali Muhammad GHEDI (since 3 November 2004) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister election results: Abdullahi YUSUF Ahmed, the leader of the Puntland region of Somalia, was elected president by the Transitional Federal Government
Legislative Branch:	unicameral National Assembly note: fledgling parliament; a 275-member Transitional Federal Government replaced the Transitional National Government created in 2000; the new parliament consists of 61 seats assigned to each of four large clan groups (Darod, Digil-Mirifle, Dir, and Hawiye) with the remaining 31 seats divided between minority clans
Judicial Branch:	following the breakdown of national government, most regions have reverted to either Islamic (Shari'a) law with a provision for appeal of all sentences, or traditional clan-based arbitration
Political Parties Leaders:	none
Political Pressure Groups Leaders:	numerous clan and subclan factions are currently vying for power
International Organization Participation:	ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic in US:	Somalia does not have an embassy in the US (ceased operations on 8 May 1991); note - the TNG and other factions have representatives in Washington and at the United Nations
Diplomatic from US:	the US does not have an embassy in Somalia; US interests are represented by the US Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya at Mombasa Road; mailing address: P. O. Box 30137, Unit 64100, Nairobi; APO AE 09831; telephone: [254] (2) 537800; FAX [254] (2) 537810
Flag Description:	light blue with a large white five-pointed star in the center; blue field influenced by the flag of the UN

Economy

Economy Overview:	Somalia's economic fortunes are being driven by its deep political divisions. The northern area has declared its independence as ''Somaliland''; the central area, Puntland, is a self-declared 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 recent ban on Somali livestock, because of 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 $200 million and $500 million in remittances annually. Mogadishu's main market offers a variety of goods from food to the newest electronic gadgets. 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. In 2002 Somalia's overdue financial obligations to the IMF continued to grow. Statistics on Somalia's GDP, growth, per capita income, and inflation should be viewed skeptically.
GDP:	purchasing power parity - $4.361 billion (2003 est.)
GDP Growth Rate:	2.1% (2003 est.)
GDP Capital:	purchasing power parity - $500 (2003 est.)
GDP Composition:	agriculture: 65% industry: 10% services: 25% (2000 est.)
Household Income:	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA
Inflation Rate:	note - businesses print their own money, so inflation rates cannot be sensibly determined (2003 est.)
Labor Force:	3.7 million (very few are skilled laborers)
Labor Force Occupation:	agriculture (mostly pastoral nomadism) 71%, industry and services 29%
Budget:	revenues: NA expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA
Agriculture Products:	cattle, sheep, goats; bananas, sorghum, corn, coconuts, rice, sugarcane, mangoes, sesame seeds, beans; fish
Industries:	a few light industries, including sugar refining, textiles, petroleum refining (mostly shut down), wireless communication
Electricity Production:	245.1 million kWh (2001)
Electricity Consumption:	227.9 million kWh (2001)
Electricity Exports:	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity Imports:	0 kWh (2001)
Oil Production:	0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil Consumption:	4,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil Exports:	NA (2001)
Oil Imports:	NA (2001)
Oil Proved Reserves:	0 bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural Gas Proved Reserves:	2.832 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
Exports:	$79 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports Commodities:	livestock, bananas, hides, fish, charcoal, scrap metal
Exports Partners:	UAE 37.2%, Yemen 22.3%, Oman 10.1%, China 6%, Kuwait 4.4%, Nigeria 4% (2003)
Imports:	$344 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports Commodities:	manufactures, petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials, qat
Imports Partners:	Djibouti 33.9%, Kenya 15.5%, Brazil 6.6%, UAE 5.1%, Thailand 4.2% (2003)
Debt External:	$2.6 billion (2000 est.)
Currency:	Somali shilling (SOS)
Currency Code:	SOS
Exchange Rates:	Somali shillings per US dollar - 11,000 (November 2000), 2,620 (January 1999), 7,500 (November 1997 est.), 7,000 (January 1996 est.), 5,000 (1 January 1995) note: the Republic of Somaliland, a self-declared independent country not recognized by any foreign government, issues its own currency, the Somaliland shilling

Communications

Telephones Lines Use:	100,000 est (2002)
Mobile Cellular:	35,000 (2002)
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
Radio Stations:	AM 0, FM 11, shortwave 1 in Mogadishu; 1 FM in Puntland, 1 FM in Somaliland (2001)
Television Stations:	4 note: two in Mogadishu; two in Hargeisa (2001)
Internet Code:	.so
Internet Hosts:	4 (2004)
Internet Users:	89,000 (2002)

Military

Military Branches:	A Somali National Army was attempted under the interim government; numerous factions and clans maintain independent militias, and the Somaliland and Puntland regional governments maintain their own security and police forces
Military Age Obligation:	18 years of age (est.) (2001)
Military Availability:	males age 15-49: 2,010,152 (2004 est.)
Fit Military Service:	males age 15-49: 1,109,405 (2004 est.)
Military Expenditures Dollar Figure:	$18.9 million (2003)
Military Expenditures Percent GDP:	0.9% (2003)

Transnational Issues

Disputes International: Somalia

''Somaliland'' secessionists provide port facilities to land-locked Ethiopia and establish commercial ties with regional states; ''Puntland'' secessionists clash with ''Somaliland'' secessionists to establish territorial limits and clan loyalties, each seeking support from neighboring states; Ethiopia maintains only an administrative line with the Oromo region of southern Somalia and maintains alliances with local Somali clans opposed to the unrecognized Transitional National Government in Mogadishu