|
Background: |
Britain withdrew from British
Somaliland in 1960 to allow its protectorate to join with Italian
Somaliland and form the new nation of Somalia. In 1969, a coup headed by
Mohamed SIAD Barre ushered in an authoritarian socialist rule that managed
to impose a degree of stability in the country for a couple of decades.
After the regime's collapse early in 1991, Somalia descended into turmoil,
factional fighting, and anarchy. In May 1991, northern clans declared an
independent Republic of Somaliland that now includes the administrative
regions of Awdal, Woqooyi Galbeed, Togdheer, Sanaag, and Sool. Although
not recognized by any government, this entity has maintained a stable
existence and continues efforts to establish a constitutional democracy,
including holding municipal, parliamentary, and presidential elections.
The regions of Bari, Nugaal, and northern Mudug comprise a neighboring
self-declared autonomous state of Puntland, which has been self-governing
since 1998 but does not aim at independence; it has also made strides
toward reconstructing a legitimate, representative government but has
suffered some civil strife. Puntland disputes its border with Somaliland
as it also claims portions of eastern Sool and Sanaag. Beginning in 1993,
a two-year UN humanitarian effort (primarily in the south) was able to
alleviate famine conditions, but when the UN withdrew in 1995, having
suffered significant casualties, order still had not been restored. A
two-year peace process, led by the Government of Kenya under the auspices
of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), concluded in
October 2004 with the election of Abdullahi YUSUF Ahmed as President of
the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia and the formation of
an interim government, known as the Somalia Transitional Federal
Institutions (TFIs). The Somalia TFIs include a 275-member parliamentary
body, known as the Transitional Federal Assembly (TFA), a transitional
Prime Minister, Nur "Adde" Hassan HUSSEIN, and a 90-member cabinet. The
TFIs are based on the Transitional Federal Charter, which outlines a
five-year mandate leading to the establishment of a new Somali
constitution and a transition to a representative government following
national elections. While its institutions remain weak, the TFG continues
to reach out to Somali stakeholders and work with international donors to
help build the governance capacity of the TFIs and work towards national
elections in 2009. In June 2006, a loose coalition of clerics, business
leaders, and Islamic court militias known as the Council of Islamic Courts
(CIC) defeated powerful Mogadishu warlords and took control of the
capital. The Courts continued to expand militarily throughout much of
southern Somalia and threatened to overthrow the TFG in Baidoa. Ethiopian
and TFG forces, concerned over links between some CIC factions and the
al-Qaida East Africa network and the al-Qaida operatives responsible for
the bombings of the US embassies in Tanzania and Kenya in 1998, intervened
in late December 2006, resulting in the collapse of the CIC as an
organization. However, the TFG continues to face violent resistance from
extremist elements, such as the al-Shabaab militia previously affiliated
with the now-defunct CIC. |
|
Location: |
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) |
|
Total renewable water resources: |
15.7 cu km (1997) |
|
Freshwater withdrawal
(domestic/industrial/agricultural): |
Total: 3.29 cu km/yr
(0%/0%/100%)
Per capita: 400 cu m/yr (2000) |
|
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) |
|
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 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 TFIs relocated to Somalia in June 2004
head of
government: Prime Minister Nur "Adde" Hassan HUSSEIN (since 24
November 2007) State requested addition of "Adde" Feb '08
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 Assembly (TFA) (275
seats; 244 members appointed by the four major clans (61 for each clan),
31 seats allocated to smaller clans and subclans) |
|
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 exist both in support and in opposition to the transitional
government |
|
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), IPU, ITSO, ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO |
|
Diplomatic representation in the US: |
Somalia does not have an
embassy in the US (ceased operations on 8 May 1991); note - the TFG is
represented in the United States through its Permanent Mission to 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 regions of the country, including the
self-declared Republic of Somaliland in northwestern Somalia and the
semi-autonomous State of Puntland in northeastern Somalia |
|
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. 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 CIC reopened most of the
main ports and airports in 2006, after they had been closed for 15 years.
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 2006-07. 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): |
$5.575 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
GDP (official exchange rate): |
$2.483 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
GDP - real growth rate: |
2.6% (2007 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita (PPP): |
$600 (2007 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 65%
industry: 10%
services: 25% (2000 est.) |
|
Labor force: |
3.7 million (few skilled
laborers) (1975) |
|
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 |
|
Budget: |
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA |
|
Agriculture - products: |
bananas, sorghum, corn,
coconuts, rice, sugarcane, mangoes, sesame seeds, beans; cattle, sheep,
goats; fish |
|
Industries: |
a few light industries,
including sugar refining, textiles, wireless communication |
|
Industrial production growth rate: |
NA% |
|
Electricity - production: |
270 million kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - production by source: |
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
|
|
Electricity - consumption: |
251.1 million kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - imports: |
0 kWh (2005) |
|
Oil - production: |
0 bbl/day (2005 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption: |
5,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
|
|
Oil - exports: |
0 bbl/day (2004) |
|
Oil - imports: |
4,800 bbl/day (2004) |
|
Oil - proved reserves: |
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - production: |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
|
Natural gas - consumption: |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
|
Natural gas - exports: |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
|
Natural gas - imports: |
0 cu m (2005) |
|
Natural gas - proved reserves: |
5.432 billion cu m (1 January
2006 est.) |
|
Exports: |
$300 million f.o.b. (2006)
|
|
Exports - commodities: |
livestock, bananas, hides,
fish, charcoal, scrap metal |
|
Exports - partners: |
UAE 49.9%, Yemen 21.5%, Oman 6%
(2006) |
|
Imports: |
$798 million f.o.b. (2006)
|
|
Imports - commodities: |
manufactures, petroleum
products, foodstuffs, construction materials, qat |
|
Imports - partners: |
Djibouti 30.8%, Brazil 8.5%,
India 8.2%, Kenya 8.1%, Oman 5.5%, UAE 5.2%, Yemen 5% (2006) |
|
Economic aid - recipient: |
$236.4 million (2005 est.)
|
|
Debt - external: |
$3 billion (2001 est.) |
|
Currency (code): |
Somali shilling (SOS) |
|
Currency code: |
SOS |
|
Exchange rates: |
Somali shillings per US dollar
- NA (2007), 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: |
ngeneral assessment: the
public telecommunications system was almost completely destroyed or
dismantled during the civil war; 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: |
0 (2007) |
|
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
3 (one each in Boosaaso,
Hargeisa, and Mogadishu) (2000) |
|
Internet users: |
94,000 (2006) |
|
Airports: |
67 (2007) |
|
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 (2007) |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 60
over
3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m:
20
914 to 1,523 m: 29
under 914 m: 7 (2007) |
|
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) (2007) |
|
Ports and terminals: |
Berbera, Kismaayo
|
|
Military branches: |
no national-level armed 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) |
This page was last updated on 12 February, 2008
|