Somalia

§1. Somalia Introduction

Background:
  The regime of Mohamed SIAD Barre was ousted in January 1991; turmoil,
  factional fighting, and anarchy have followed in the years since. In May of
  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, aided by the overwhelming
  dominance of a ruling clan and economic infrastructure left behind by
  British, Russian, and American military assistance programs. 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. The mandate of
  the Transitional National Government (TNG), created in August 2000 in Arta,
  Djibouti, expired in August 2003. 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 Transitional Federal President of Somalia and the
  formation of a transitional 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, Ali Mohamed GHEDI, and a 90-member cabinet.
  The TFIs are currently divided between Mogadishu and Jowhar, but
  discussions to co- locate the TFIs in one city are ongoing. Suspicion of
  Somali links with global terrorism further complicates the picture.

§2. Somalia Geography

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 km²
  land: 627,337 km²
  water: 10,320 km²

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 very 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 km² (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

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

§3. Somalia People

Population:
  8,863,338
  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 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 44.4% (male 1,973,294/female 1,961,083)
  15-64 years: 53% (male 2,355,861/female 2,342,988)
  65 years and over: 2.6% (male 97,307/female 132,805) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 17.6 years
  male: 17.5 years
  female: 17.7 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  2.85% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  45.13 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  16.63 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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: 0.73 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 114.89 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 124.18 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 105.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 48.47 years
  male: 46.71 years
  female: 50.28 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  6.76 children born/woman (2006 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 (2005)

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.)

§4. Somalia Government

Country name:
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Somalia
  former: Somali Republic; Somali Democratic Republic

Government type:
  no permanent national government; transitional, parliamentary federal
  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 formation of transitional governing institutions, known as the
    Transitional Federal Government, is currently ongoing

Legal system:
  no national system; Shari'a (Islamic) and secular courts based on Somali
  customary law (xeer) are present in some localities; 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 between Mogadishu and Jowhar inside
    Somalia, and the government continues to struggle to establish effective
    governance in the country
  head of government: Prime Minister Ali Mohamed GHEDI (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: fledgling parliament; a 275-member Transitional Federal Assembly; 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 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

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 representation in the US:
  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, Gigiri, 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

§5. Somalia Economy

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. 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 2005. 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):
  $4.835 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  NA

GDP - real growth rate:
  2.4% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $600 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 65%
  industry: 10%
  services: 25% (2000 est.)

Labor force:
  3.7 million (very few skilled laborers)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture (mostly pastoral nomadism) 71%, industry and services 29%

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:
  235.6 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
  219.1 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  5,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves:
  0 bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
  5.663 billion m³ (1 January 2002)

Exports:
  $241 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  livestock, bananas, hides, fish, charcoal, scrap metal

Exports - partners:
  UAE 50.3%, Yemen 15.6%, Oman 6% (2004)

Imports:
  $576 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  manufactures, petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials, qat

Imports - partners:
  Djibouti 30.1%, Kenya 13.7%, India 8.6%, Brazil 8.5%, Oman 4.4%, UAE 4.2%
  (2004)

Debt - external:
  $3 billion (2001 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $60 million (1999 est.)

Currency (code):
  Somali shilling (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

Fiscal year:
  NA

§6. Somalia Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  200,000 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  500,000 (2004)

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 broadcast stations:
  AM 0, FM 11, shortwave 1 in Mogadishu; 1 FM in Puntland, 1 FM in Somaliland
  (2001)

Television broadcast stations:
  4; note - two in Mogadishu; two in Hargeisa (2001)

Internet country code:
  .so

Internet hosts:
  2 (2005)

Internet users:
  89,000 (2002)

§7. Somalia Transportation

Airports:
  64 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 6
  over 3,047 m: 4
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 58
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 19
  914 to 1,523 m: 29
  under 914 m: 6 (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 22,100 km
  paved: 2,608 km
  unpaved: 19,492 km (1999)

Ports and terminals:
  Boosaaso, Berbera, Chisimayu (Kismaayo), Merca, Mogadishu

§8. Somalia 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 service age and obligation:
  18 years of age (est.) (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
  males age 18-49: 1,787,727 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 18-49: 1,022,360 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $22.34 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  0.9% (2005 est.)

§9. Somalia Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  "Somaliland" secessionists provide port facilities to landlocked Ethiopia
  and establish commercial ties with regional states; "Puntland" and
  "Somaliland" "governments" seek support from neighboring states in their
  secessionist aspirations and in conflicts with each other; Ethiopia has
  only an administrative line with the Oromo region of southern Somalia and
  maintains alliances with local Somali clans opposed to the unrecognized
  Somali Interim Government, which plans eventual relocation from Kenya to
  Mogadishu; rival militia and clan fighting in southern Somalia periodically
  spills over into Kenya

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  IDPs: 400,000 (civil war since 1988, clan-based competition for resources)
    5,000 (26 December 2004 tsunami) (2005)


<Factbook 2006>
