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| Geography |
| Strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal |
| Location: | Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia |
| Geographic coordinates: | 10 00 N, 49 00 E |
| Area: | total: 637,657 sq km land: 627,337 sq km water: 10,320 sq km
Size comparison: 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 (2008) |
| Natural hazards: | recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer; floods during rainy season |
| Current Environment Issues: | famine; use of contaminated water contributes to human health problems; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification |
| International Environment Agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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| People |
| Population: | 9,925,640 (July 2011 est.) 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 |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 44.7% (male 2,217,890/female 2,217,063) 15-64 years: 52.9% (male 2,663,729/female 2,588,716) 65 years and over: 2.4% (male 95,859/female 142,383) (2011 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 17.8 years male: 17.8 years female: 17.7 years (2011 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 1.603% (2011 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 42.71 births/1,000 population (2011 est.) |
| Death rate: | 14.87 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | -11.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2011 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 105.56 deaths/1,000 live births male: 114.53 deaths/1,000 live births female: 96.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 50.4 years male: 48.49 years female: 52.37 years (2011 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 6.35 children born/woman (2011 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 0.7% (2009 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 34,000 (2009 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 1,600 (2009 est.) |
| Nationality: | noun: Somali(s) adjective: Somali |
| Ethnic groups: | Somali 85%, Bantu and other non-Somali 15% (including 30,000 Arabs) |
| 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.) |
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| Government |
| 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 (Middle Jubba), Jubbada Hoose (Lower Jubba), Mudug, Nugaal, Sanaag, Shabeellaha Dhexe (Middle Shabeelle), Shabeellaha Hoose (Lower Shabeelle), Sool, Togdheer, Woqooyi Galbeed |
| Independence: | 1 July 1960 (from a merger of British Somaliland that became independent from the UK on 26 June 1960 and Italian Somaliland that 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: | mixed legal system of civil law, Islamic law, and customary law (referred to as Xeer) |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: Transitional Federal President Sheikh SHARIF Sheikh Ahmed (since 31 January 2009); 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; in 2009, the TFIs were given a two-year extension to October 2011 head of government: Prime Minister ABDIWELI Mohamed Ali (since 28 June 2011) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister and approved by the Transitional Federal Assembly (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) election results: Sheikh SHARIF Sheikh Ahmed elected president by the expanded Transitional Federal Assembly in Djibouti |
| Legislative branch: | unicameral National Assembly note: unicameral Transitional Federal Assembly (TFA) (550 seats; 475 members appointed according to the 4.5 clan formula, with the remaining 75 seats reserved for civil society and business persons) |
| 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 sharia (Islamic) law with a provision for appeal of all sentences |
| Political parties and leaders: | none |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | other: 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, 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 Transitional Federal Government 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 |
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| Economy |
| Despite the lack of effective national governance, Somalia has maintained a healthy informal economy, largely based on livestock, remittance/money transfer companies, and telecommunications. Agriculture is the most important sector with livestock normally accounting for about 40% of GDP and more than 50% of export earnings. Nomads and semi-pastoralists, 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 the machinery sold as scrap metal. Somalia's service sector also has grown. 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 transfer/remittance services have sprouted throughout the country, handling up to $1.6 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 are supported with private-security militias. Due to armed attacks on and threats to humanitarian aid workers, the World Food Programme partially suspended its operations in southern Somalia in early January 2010 pending improvement in the security situation. Somalia's arrears to the IMF have continued to grow.
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| GDP (purchasing power parity): | GDP (purchasing power parity): $5.896 billion (2010 est.) $5.75 billion (2009 est.) $5.607 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | GDP (official exchange rate): $2.372 billion (2010 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | 2.6% (2010 est.) 2.6% (2009 est.) 2.6% (2008 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | GDP - per capita (PPP): $600 (2010 est.) $600 (2009 est.) $600 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars |
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 60.2% industry: 7.4% services: 32.5% (2009 est.) |
| Labor force: | 3.447 million (few skilled laborers) (2007) |
| 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): | 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: | 315 million kWh (2008 est.) |
| Electricity - consumption: | 293 million kWh (2008 est.) |
| Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2009 est.) |
| Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2009 est.) |
| Oil - production: | 110 bbl/day (2010 est.) |
| Oil - consumption: | 5,000 bbl/day (2010 est.) |
| Oil - exports: | 1,109 bbl/day (2009 est.) |
| Oil - imports: | 3,827 bbl/day (2009 est.) |
| Oil - proved reserves: | 0 bbl (1 January 2011 est.) |
| Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves: | 5.663 billion cu m (1 January 2011 est.) |
| Exports: | $300 million (2006) |
| Exports - commodities: | livestock, bananas, hides, fish, charcoal, scrap metal |
| Exports - partners: | UAE 51.3%, Yemen 19.8%, Oman 13% (2010) |
| Imports: | $798 million (2006) |
| Imports - commodities: | manufactures, petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials, qat |
| Imports - partners: | Djibouti 31.5%, Kenya 8.2%, Pakistan 7.4%, China 6.5%, Brazil 5.7%, Yemen 5.1%, Oman 5%, UAE 4.9% (2010) |
| Debt - external: | $3 billion (2001 est.) |
| Exchange rates: | Somali shillings (SOS) per US dollar - NA (2007-10) 1,438.3 (2006) official rate; the unofficial black market rate was about 23,000 shillings per dollar as of February 2007, the Republic of Somaliland, a self-declared independent country not recognized by any foreign government, issues its own currency, the Somaliland shilling |
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| Communications |
| Telephones in use: | 100,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 145 |
| Cellular Phones in use: | 641,000 (2009) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: the public telecommunications system was almost completely destroyed or dismantled during the civil war; private companies offer limited local fixed-line service and private wireless companies offer service in most major cities while charging 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: | |
| Television broadcast stations: | |
| Internet country code: | .so |
| Internet hosts: | 3 (2010) |
| Internet users: | 106,000 (2009) |
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| Transportation |
| Airports: | 59 (2010) country comparison to the world: 80 |
| Airports (paved runways): | total: 7 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2010) |
| Airports (unpaved runways): | total: 52 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 19 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 6 (2010) |
| Roadways: | total: 22,100 km paved: 2,608 km unpaved: 19,492 km (2000) |
| Merchant marine: | total: 1 by type: cargo 1 foreign-owned: 1 (UAE 1) (2008) |
| Ports and terminals: | Berbera, Kismaayo |
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| Military |
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| Military branches: | National Security Force (NSF): Somali Army (2011) |
| Military service age and obligation: | note: since 2005, the UN has listed the Transitional Federal Government and its allied militias as persistent violators in recruiting children (2010) |
| Manpower available for military service: | males age 16-49: 2,260,175 females age 16-49: 2,159,293 (2010 est.) |
| Manpower fit for military service: | males age 16-49: 1,331,894 females age 16-49: 1,357,051 (2010 est.) |
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