Somalia

Branches

NA; note - no functioning central government military forces; clan militias continue to battle for control of key economic or political prizes

Defense expenditures

$NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability

males age 15-49: 2,333,994 males fit for military service: 1,301,954 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA (there are at least five radio broadcast stations of NA type)

Radios

350,000 (1992 est.)

Telephone system

the public telecommunications system was completely destroyed or dismantled by the civil war factions; all relief organizations depend on their own private systems domestic: recently, local cellular telephone systems have been established in Mogadishu and in several other population centers international: international connections are available from Mogadishu by satellite

Telephones

9,000 (1991 est.)

Television broadcast stations

0 (Somalia's only TV station was demolished during the civil strife, sometime in 1991)

Televisions

113,000 (1992 est.) Defense

Agriculture

bananas, sorghum, corn, mangoes, sugarcane; cattle, sheep, goats; fishing potential largely unexploited

Budget

revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Currency

1 Somali shilling (So. Sh.) = 100 cents

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economic overview

One of the world's poorest and least developed countries, Somalia has few resources. Moreover, much of the economy has been devastated by the civil war. Agriculture is the most important sector, with livestock accounting for about 40% of GDP and about 65% of export earnings. Nomads and seminomads, who are dependent upon livestock for their livelihood, make up a large portion of the population. Crop production generates only 10% of GDP and employs about 20% of the work force. The main export crop is bananas; sugar, sorghum, and corn are grown for the domestic market. The small industrial sector is based on the processing of agricultural products and accounts for less than 10% of GDP; most facilities have been shut down because of the civil strife. The greatly increased political turmoil of 1991-93 resulted in a substantial drop in agricultural output, with widespread famine. In 1994 economic conditions stabilized in the countryside, followed in 1995 by slight improvements. However, ongoing civil strife in Mogadishu and outlying areas is interfering with any substantial recovery.

Electricity

capacity: 75,000 kW prior to the civil war, but now largely shut down due to war damage; some localities operate their own generating plants, providing limited municipal power; note - UN and relief organizations use their own portable power systems production: NA kWh consumption per capita: NA kWh

Exchange rates

Somali shillings (So. Sh.) per US$1 - approximately 7,000 (January 1996), 5,000 (1 January 1995), 2,616 (1 July 1993), 4,200 (December 1992), 3,800.00 (December 1990), 490.7 (1989),

Exports

$100 million (1995 est.) commodities: bananas, live animals, fish, hides partners: Saudi Arabia, other Gulf states, Italy, US (bananas)

External debt

$1.9 billion (1989)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $3.6 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

GDP per capita

$500 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

2% (1995 est.)

Imports

$249 million (1990 est.) commodities: petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials partners: US 13%, Italy, FRG, Kenya, UK, Saudi Arabia (1986)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

a few small industries, including sugar refining, textiles, petroleum refining (mostly shut down)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

NA

Labor force

3.7 million (very few are skilled laborers)(1993 est.) by occupation: agriculture (mostly pastoral nomadism) 71%, industry and services 29%

Unemployment rate

NA%

Area

total area: 637,660 sq km land area: 627,340 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Texas

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

Coastline

3,025 km

Environment

current issues: famine; use of contaminated water contributes to human health problems; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification natural hazards: recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Law of the Sea; signed, but not ratified - Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban

Geographic coordinates

10 00 N, 49 00 E

Geographic note

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

International disputes

southern half of boundary with Ethiopia is a Provisional Administrative Line; territorial dispute with Ethiopia over the Ogaden

Irrigated land

1,600 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 2,366 km border countries: Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,626 km, Kenya 682 km

Land use

arable land: 2% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 46% forest and woodland: 14% other: 38%

Location

Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 200 nm

Natural resources

uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt

Terrain

mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Shimbiris 2,450 m

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

Capital

Mogadishu

Constitution

25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979

Data code

SO

Diplomatic representation in US

Somalia does not have an embassy in the US (ceased operations on 8 May 1991)

Executive branch

Somalia has no functioning government; the United Somali Congress (USC) ousted the regime of Major General Mohamed SIAD Barre on 27 January 1991; the present political situation is one of anarchy, marked by interclan fighting and random banditry

Flag

light blue with a large white five-pointed star in the center; design based on the flag of the UN (Italian Somaliland was a UN trust territory)

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)

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (not functioning)

Legal system

NA

Legislative branch

unicameral People's Assembly People's Assembly (Golaha Shacbiga): not functioning

Name of country

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Somalia former: Somali Republic

National holiday

NA

Other political or pressure groups

numerous clan and subclan factions are currently vying for power

Political parties and leaders

the United Somali Congress (USC) ousted the former regime on 27 January 1991; formerly the only party was the Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party (SRSP), headed by former President and Commander in Chief of the Army Major General Mohamed SIAD Barre

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type of government

none

US diplomatic representation

the US does not have an embassy in Somalia; US interests are represented by the US Embassy in Nairobi at Moi Avenue and Haile Selassie Avenue; mail address: P. O. Box 30137, Unit 64100, Nairobi; APO AE 09831; telephone: [254] (2) 334141; FAX [254] (2) 340838

Age structure

0-14 years: 44% (male 2,143,775; female 2,139,104) 15-64 years: 52% (male 2,609,911; female 2,387,620) 65 years and over: 4% (male 182,991; female 175,750) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

44.17 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

13.22 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Somali 85%, Bantu, Arabs 30,000

Infant mortality rate

121.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 55.49 years male: 55.18 years female: 55.8 years (1996 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 24% male: 36% female: 14%

Nationality

noun: Somali(s) adjective: Somali

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

9,639,151 (July 1996 est.) note: this estimate was derived from an official census taken in 1987 by the Somali Government with the cooperation of the UN and the US Bureau of the Census; population estimates are updated year by year between census years by factoring growth rates into them, and by taking account of refugee movements, and of losses due to famine; lower estimates of Somalia's population in mid-1996 (on the order of 6.0 to 6.5 million) have been made by aid and relief agencies, based on the number of persons being fed; population counting in Somalia is complicated by the large numbers of nomads and by refugee movements in response to famine and clan warfare

Population growth rate

3.1% (1996 est.)

Religions

Sunni Muslim

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.04 male(s)/female all ages: 1.05 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate

7.01 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Airports

total: 52 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 3 with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 1 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 2 with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 6 with unpaved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 4 with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 15 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 20 (1995 est.)

Highways

total: 22,500 km paved: 2,700 km unpaved: 19,800 km (1992 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,529 GRT/6,892 DWT ships by type: cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 1 (1995 est.)

Pipelines

crude oil 15 km

Ports

Bender Cassim (Boosaaso), Berbera, Chisimayu (Kismaayo), Merca, Mogadishu

Railways

0 km