Country Guide

Somalia Facts

Geography People and Society Government Economy Communications Transportation Military Transnational Issues

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 sq kmcountry comparison to the world: 44
land:627,337 sq km
water:10,320 sq km


Area - comparative:
Area comparison map: '>


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:1.73%
permanent crops:0.05%
other:98.23% (2011)


Irrigated land:
2,000 sq km (2003)


Total renewable water resources:
14.7 cu km (2011)


Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
14.7 cu km (2011)

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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified:none of the selected agreements


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

People and Society

Nationality:
noun: Somali(s)
adjective:Somali


Ethnic groups:
Somali 85%, Bantu and other non-Somali 15% (including 30,000 Arabs)


Languages:
Somali (official), Arabic (official, according to the Transitional Federal Charter), Italian, English


Religions:
Sunni Muslim (Islam) (official, according to the Transitional Federal Charter)


Population:
10,428,043country comparison to the world: 85
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 2014 est.)



Age structure:
0-14 years:44% (male 2,293,746/female 2,298,442)
15-24 years:18.9% (male 995,102/female 970,630)
25-54 years:31.2% (male 1,681,705/female 1,571,586)
55-64 years:3.6% (male 180,622/female 199,059)
65 years and over:2.3% (male 92,707/female 144,444) (2014 est.)


Dependency ratios:
total dependency ratio:99.1 %
youth dependency ratio:93.4 %
elderly dependency ratio:5.6 %
potential support ratio:17.8 (2014 est.)


Median age:
total:17.7 years
male:17.9 years
female:17.6 years (2014 est.)


Population growth rate:
1.75% (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 70


Birth rate:
40.87 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 8


Death rate:
13.91 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 9


Net migration rate:
-9.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 212


Urbanization:
urban population:37.7% of total population (2011)
rate of urbanization:3.79% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)


Major urban areas - population:
MOGADISHU (capital) 1.554 million (2011)


Sex ratio:
at birth:1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years:1 male(s)/female
15-24 years:1.03 male(s)/female
25-54 years:1.07 male(s)/female
55-64 years:1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over:0.66 male(s)/female
total population:1.01 male(s)/female (2014 est.)


    Maternal mortality rate:
1,000 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)


Infant mortality rate:
total:100.14 deaths/1,000 live birthscountry comparison to the world: 3
male:108.89 deaths/1,000 live births
female:91.12 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)


Life expectancy at birth:
total population:51.58 yearscountry comparison to the world: 217
male:49.58 years
female:53.65 years (2014 est.)


Total fertility rate:
6.08 children born/woman (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 4


Contraceptive prevalence rate:
14.6% (2006)


Physicians density:
0.04 physicians/1,000 population (2006)


Drinking water source:
improved:
urban: 69.6% of population
rural: 8.8% of population
total: 31.7% of population
unimproved:
urban: 30.4% of population
rural: 91.2% of population
total: 68.3% of population (2011 est.)


Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban: 52% of population
rural: 6.3% of population
total: 23.6% of population
unimproved:
urban: 48% of population
rural: 93.7% of population
total: 76.4% of population (2011 est.)


HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.5% (2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 69


HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
31,200 (2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 70


HIV/AIDS - deaths:
2,500 (2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 55


Major infectious diseases:


Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
4.8% (2008)country comparison to the world: 162


Children under the age of 5 years underweight:
32.8% (2006)country comparison to the world: 10


Education expenditures:
NA

Literacy:
definition:age 15 and over can read and write
total population:37.8%
male:49.7%
female:25.8% (2001 est.)


Child labor - children ages 5-14:

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Federal Republic of Somalia
conventional short form:Somalia
local long form:Jamhuuriyadda Federaalkaa Soomaaliya
local short form:Soomaaliya
former:Somali Republic, Somali Democratic Republic


Government type:
in the process of building a federal parliamentary republic


Capital:
name:Mogadishu
geographic coordinates:2 04 N, 45 20 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:
previous 1961, 1979; latest drafted 12 June 2012, approved 1 August 2012 (provisional) (2012)


Legal system:
mixed legal system of civil law, Islamic law, and customary law (referred to as Xeer)


International law organization participation:
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt


Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal


Executive branch:
chief of state:resident HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud (since 10 September 2012)
head of government:Prime Minister ABDIWELLI Sheikh Ahmed (since 21 December 2013); Deputy Prime Minister Ridwan HIRSI Mohamed (since 17 January 2014)
cabinet:Cabinet appointed by the prime minister, approved by the National Parliament; note - new cabinet sworn in 22 January 2014
elections:president elected by the National Parliament; election last held 10 September 2012 (next to be held NA)
election results:HASSAN SHEIKH Mahamud elected president; National Parliament vote - HASSAN SHEIKH Mahamud 190, Sheikh SHARIF Sheikh Ahmed 79; the prime minister is chosen by the president and confirmed by the National Parliament


    Legislative branch:
bicameral National Parliament consisting of the House of the People of the Federal Parliament (275 seats, elected by Somali citizens) and the Upper House of the Federal Parliament (54 seats, elected by people of the federal member states)
note:the inaugural House of the People in September 2012 was appointed by clan elders; as of December 2013, the Upper House has not been formed


Judicial branch:
highest court(s):the provisional constitution stipulates the establishment of the Constitutional Court (consists of 5 judges including the chief judge and deputy chief judge)
note - under the terms of the 2004 Transitional National Charter (TNC), a Supreme Court based in Mogadishu and an Appeal Court were established; yet most regions have reverted to local forms of conflict resolution, either secular, traditional Somali customary law, or sharia Islamic law
judge selection and term of office:judges appointed by the president upon proposal of the Judicial Service Commission, a 9-member judicial and administrative body; judge tenure NA
subordinate courts:federal- and federal member state-level courts; military courts; sharia (Islamic) courts


Political parties and leaders:
none

Political pressure groups and leaders:
none


International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, CAEU (candidate), 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 (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO


Diplomatic representation in the US:
name:'Qolobaa Calankeed' (Every Nation Has its own Flag)
lyrics/music:lyrics/music: Abdullahi QARSHE
note:adopted 2012; written in 1959


Government - note:
regional and local governing bodies continue to exist and control various areas of the country, including the self-declared Republic of Somaliland in northwestern Somalia and the semi-autonomous state of Puntland in northeastern Somalia

Economy

Economy - overview:
Despite the lack of effective national governance, Somalia maintains an 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. Telecommunication firms provide wireless services in most major cities and offer the lowest international call rates on the continent. Mogadishu's main market offers a variety of goods from food to electronic gadgets. Hotels continue to operate and are supported with private-security militias. Somalia's government lacks the ability to collect domestic revenue, and arrears to the IMF have continued to grow. Somalia's capital city - Mogadishu - has witnessed the development of the city's first gas stations, supermarkets, and flights between Europe (Istanbul-Mogadishu) since the collapse of central authority in 1991. This economic growth has yet to expand outside of Mogadishu, and within the city, security concerns dominate business. 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, although international concerns over the money transfers into Somalia currently threatens these services.


GDP (purchasing power parity):
$5.896 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166
$5.75 billion (2009 est.)
$5.607 billion (2008 est.)
note:data are in 2010 US dollars


GDP (official exchange rate):
$2.372 billion (2010 est.)


GDP - real growth rate:
2.6% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 127
2.6% (2012 est.)
2.6% (2008 est.)


GDP - per capita (PPP):
$600 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 226
$600 (2009 est.)
$600 (2008 est.)


GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption:72.6%
government consumption:8.7%
investment in fixed capital:20%
investment in inventories:0.1%
exports of goods and services:0.3%
imports of goods and services:-1.7%
(2009 est.)


GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture:59.3%
industry:7.2%
services:33.5% (2012 est.)


    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%


Labor force:
3.447 million (2007)
country comparison to the world: 98


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%


Budget:
revenues:$NA
expenditures:$NA


Fiscal year:
NA


Inflation rate (consumer prices):
NA%
note:businesses print their own money, so inflation rates cannot be easily determined


Central bank discount rate:
NA%


Commercial bank prime lending rate:
NA%


Exports:
$515.8 million (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173
$594.3 million (2011 est.)


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


Exports - partners:
UAE 51.7%, Yemen 18.1%, Oman 13% (2012)


Imports:
$1.263 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 176
$798 million (2006 est.)


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


Imports - partners:
Djibouti 27.3%, India 13.2%, Kenya 7.1%, China 6.7%, Pakistan 6.4%, Oman 5.1%, UAE 5%, Yemen 4.4% (2012)


Debt - external:
$3.05 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 136
$2.942 billion (31 December 2010 est.)


Exchange rates:
Somali shillings (SOS) per US dollar -
1,600 (2012 est.)
31,900 (2011 est.)

Energy

Electricity - production:
310 million kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 170


Electricity - consumption:
288.3 million kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 177


Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 196


Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 200


Electricity - installed generating capacity:
80,000 kW (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178


Electricity - from fossil fuels:
100% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 34


Electricity - from nuclear fuels:
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 179


Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 200


Electricity - from other renewable sources:
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 123


Crude oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 133


Crude oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 183


Crude oil - imports:
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 121


    Crude oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 189


Refined petroleum products - production:
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 195


Refined petroleum products - consumption:
5,659 bbl/day (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 164


Refined petroleum products - exports:
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 131


Refined petroleum products - imports:
5,399 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147


Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 191


Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 194


Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 183


Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 129


Natural gas - proved reserves:
5.663 billion cu m (1 January 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91


Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:
753,400 Mt (2011 est.)

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
100,000 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 146


Telephones - mobile cellular:
658,000 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 162


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 with one company beginning to provide 3G services in late 2012
international:country code - 252; Mogadishu is a landing point for the EASSy fiber-optic submarine cable system linking East Africa with Europe and North America (2010)



    Broadcast media:
2 private TV stations rebroadcast Al-Jazeera and CNN; Somaliland has 1 government-operated TV station and Puntland has 1 private TV station; the transitional government operates Radio Mogadishu; 1 SW and roughly 10 private FM radio stations broadcast in Mogadishu; several radio stations operate in central and southern regions; Somaliland has 1 government-operated radio station; Puntland has roughly a half dozen private radio stations; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are available (2007)


Internet country code:
.so


Internet hosts:
186 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 202


Internet users:
106,000 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 159

Transportation

Airports
61 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 80


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 (2013)


Airports - with unpaved runways
total:55
over 3,047 m:1
2,438 to 3,047 m:5
1,524 to 2,437 m:20
914 to 1,523 m:23
under 914 m:
6 (2013)


Roadways
total:22,100 kmcountry comparison to the world: 105
paved:2,608 km
unpaved:19,492 km (2000)


    Merchant marine
total:1country comparison to the world: 148
by type:cargo 1 (2008)



Ports and terminals
major seaport(s):Berbera, Kismaayo

Transportation - note
despite a dramatic drop in the number of attacks in 2012, the International Maritime Bureau continues to report the territorial and offshore waters in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean as a region of significant risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships accounting for 25% of all attacks in 2012; 75 vessels, including commercial shipping and pleasure craft, were attacked or hijacked both at anchor and while underway compared with 237 in 2011; the number of hijackings off the coast of Somalia was reduced to 14 in 2012, down from 28 in 2011; as of April 2013, 77 vessels and 7 hostages were being held for ransom by Somali pirates; the presence of several naval task forces in the Gulf of Aden and additional anti-piracy measures on the part of ship operators, including the use of on-board armed security teams, have reduced piracy incidents in that body of water; in response Somali-based pirates, using hijacked fishing trawlers as 'mother ships' to extend their range, shifted operations as far south as the Mozambique Channel, eastward to the vicinity of the Maldives, and northeastward to the Strait of Hormuz

Military

Military branches
National Security Force (NSF): Somali Army (2011)


Military service age and obligation
18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory and voluntary military service (2012)


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.)


    Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually
male:101,634
female:101,072 (2010 est.)

Transnational Issues

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:1.1 million (civil war since 1988, clan-based competition for resources; 2011 famine; insecurity because of fighting between al-Shabaab and TFG allied forces) (2014) (2012)

 Information/ Data by CIA - The World Factbook