Somalia

Airports

total: 76 usable: 59 with permanent-surface runways: 8 with runways over 3,659 m: 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 6 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 24

Highways

total: 22,500 km paved: 2,700 km unpaved: gravel 3,000 km; improved, stabilized earth 16,800 km (1992)

Merchant marine

2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,554 GRT/6,892 DWT, cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 1

Pipelines

crude oil 15 km

Ports

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

Telecommunications

the public telecommunications system was completely destroyed or dismantled by the civil war factions; all relief organizations depend on their own private systems (1993)

Branches

NA

Defense expenditures

$NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 1,630,864; fit for military service 915,368

Agriculture

dominant sector, led by livestock raising (cattle, sheep, goats); crops - bananas, sorghum, corn, mangoes, sugarcane; not self-sufficient in food; distribution of food disrupted by civil strife; 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: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $639 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $3.8 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $1.1 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $336 million

Electricity

capacity: former 75,000 kW is almost completely shut down by the destruction of the civil war; UN, relief organizations, and foreign military units in Somalia use their own portable power systems production: NA consumption per capita: NA

Exchange rates

Somali shillings (So. Sh.) per US$1 - 2,616 (1 July 1993), 4,200 (December 1992), 3,800.00 (December 1990), 490.7 (1989)

Exports

$58 million (1990 est.) commodities: bananas, live animals, fish, hides partners: Saudi Arabia, Italy, FRG (1986)

External debt

$1.9 billion (1989)

Fiscal year

calendar year

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 0% (1990); accounts for 4% of GDP

Industries

a few small industries, including sugar refining, textiles, petroleum refining; probably shut down by the widespread destruction during the civil war

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

210% (1989)

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $3.4 billion (1993 est.)

National product per capita

$500 (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate

NA%

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 livelihoods make up more than half 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. Greatly increased political turmoil in 1991-93 has resulted in a substantial drop in output, with widespread famine.

Unemployment rate

NA%

Area

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

Climate

desert; northeast monsoon (December to February), cooler southwest monsoon (May to October); irregular rainfall; hot, humid periods (tangambili) between monsoons

Coastline

3,025 km

Environment

current issues: use of contaminated water contributes to 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

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, 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 northwestern Indian Ocean, south of the Arabian Peninsula

Map references

Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 200 nm

Natural resources

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

Note

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

Terrain

mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north

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

Digraph

SO

Diplomatic representation in US

Somalian Embassy ceased operations on 8 May 1991

Executive branch

Somalia has no functioning government; presidential elections last held 23 December 1986 (next to be held NA); results - President SIAD was reelected without opposition

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)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (non-functioning)

Legal system

NA

Legislative branch

unicameral People's Assembly

Member of

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

Names

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

People's Assembly (Golaha Shacbiga)

elections last held 31 December 1984 (next to be held NA); results - SRSP was the only party; seats - (177 total, 171 elected) SRSP 171; note - the United Somali Congress (USC) ousted the regime of Maj. Gen. Mohamed SIAD Barre on 27 January 1991; the provisional government has promised that a democratically elected government will be established

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 Maj. Gen. Mohamed SIAD Barre

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type

none

US diplomatic representation

the US Embassy in Mogadishu was evacuated and closed indefinitely in January 1991; United States Liaison Office (USLO) opened in December 1992

Birth rate

45.97 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate

13.53 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Somali 85%, Bantu, Arabs 30,000, Europeans 3,000, Asians 800

Infant mortality rate

125.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Labor force

2.2 million (very few are skilled laborers) by occupation: pastoral nomad 70%, agriculture, government, trading, fishing, handicrafts, and other 30% note: 53% of population of working age (1985)

Languages

Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 54.75 years male: 54.49 years female: 55.01 years (1994 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 (1994 est.)

Population

6,666,873 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

3.24% (1994 est.)

Religions

Sunni Muslim

Total fertility rate

7.25 children born/woman (1994 est.)