Britain withdrew from British
Somaliland in 1960 to allow its protectorate to join with Italian
Somaliland and form the new nation of Somalia. In 1969, a coup headed by
Mohamed SIAD Barre ushered in an authoritarian socialist rule that
managed to impose a degree of stability in the country for more than two
decades. After the regime's collapse early in 1991, Somalia descended
into turmoil, factional fighting, and anarchy. In May 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 and continues efforts to establish a
constitutional democracy, including holding municipal, parliamentary,
and presidential elections. The regions of Bari, Nugaal, and northern
Mudug comprise a neighboring semi-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. 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 President of the Transitional Federal
Government (TFG) of Somalia and the formation of an interim government,
known as the Somalia Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs). The TFIs
included a 275-member parliamentary body, known as the Transitional
Federal Assembly (TFA). President YUSUF resigned late in 2008 while
United Nations-sponsored talks between the TFG and the opposition
Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia (ARS) were underway in
Djibouti. In January 2009, following the creation of a TFG-ARS unity
government, Ethiopian military forces, which had entered Somalia in
December 2006 to support the TFG in the face of advances by the
opposition Islamic Courts Union (ICU), withdrew from the country. The
TFA was increased to 550 seats with the addition of 200 ARS and 75 civil
society members of parliament. The expanded parliament elected Sheikh
SHARIF Sheikh Ahmed, the former CIC and ARS chairman as president on 31
January 2009, in Djibouti. Subsequently, President SHARIF appointed Omar
Abdirashid ali SHARMARKE, son of a former president of Somalia, as
prime minister on 13 February 2009. The TFIs are based on the
Transitional Federal Charter (TFC), which outlines a five-year mandate
leading to the establishment of a new Somali constitution and a
transition to a representative government following national elections.
However, in January 2009 the TFA amended the TFC to extend TFG's mandate
until 2011. While its institutions remain weak, the TFG continues to
reach out to Somali stakeholders and to work with international donors
to help build the governance capacity of the TFIs and to work toward
national elections in 2011.
Geography ::Somalia
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 km
country comparison to the world: 43
land:
627,337 sq km
water:
10,320 sq km
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:
Current Weather
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
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 ::Somalia
Population:
10,112,453
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 2010 est.)
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:
no national system; a
mixture of English common law, Italian law, Islamic sharia, and Somali
customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
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
TFI's were given a two-year extension to October 2011
head of government:
Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali SHARMARKE (since 13 February 2009)
cabinet:
Cabinet appointed by the prime minister and approved by the Transitional Federal Assembly
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
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
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 regions of the country,
including the self-declared Republic of Somaliland in northwestern
Somalia and the semi-autonomous State of Puntland in northeastern
Somalia
Economy ::Somalia
Economy - overview:
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.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$5.731 billion (2009 est.)
55
$5.589 billion (2008 est.)
$5.45 billion (2007 est.)
note:data are in 2009 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$2.763 billion (2009 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.6% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 71
2.6% (2008 est.)
2.6% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$600 (2009 est.)
24
$600 (2008 est.)
$600 (2007 est.)
note:data are in 2009 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 65%
industry:
10%
services:
25% (2005 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%
Budget:
revenues: $NA
expenditures:
$NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
NA%
note:businesses print their own money, so inflation rates cannot be easily determined
a few light industries, including sugar refining, textiles, wireless communication
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
280 million kWh (2007 est.)
0
Electricity - consumption:
260.4 million kWh (2007 est.)
2
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
28
Oil - consumption:
5,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
68
Oil - exports:
1,475 bbl/day (2007 est.)
21
Oil - imports:
6,387 bbl/day (2007 est.)
50
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
19
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
27
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
32
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
22
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
21
Natural gas - proved reserves:
5.663 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
Exports:
$300 million (2006)
3
Exports - commodities:
livestock, bananas, hides, fish, charcoal, scrap metal
Exports - partners:
UAE 56.8%, Yemen 21.2%, Saudi Arabia 3.7% (2008)
Imports:
$798 million (2006)
7
Imports - commodities:
manufactures, petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials, qat
Imports - partners:
Djibouti 30.3%, Kenya 7.9%, India 7.7%, US 6.2%, Oman 5.8%, UAE 5.7%, Yemen 4.9% (2008)
Debt - external:
$3 billion (2001 est.)
23
Exchange rates:
Somali shillings (SOS)
per US dollar - NA (2007-08), 1,438.3 (2006) official rate; the
unofficial black market rate was about 23,000 shillings per dollar as of
February 2007
note:the
Republic of Somaliland, a self-declared independent country not
recognized by any foreign government, issues its own currency, the
Somaliland shilling
Communications ::Somalia
Telephones - main lines in use:
100,000 (2008)
44
Telephones - mobile cellular:
627,000 (2008)
50
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 (2001)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 0, FM 11 (also 1 station each in Puntland and Somaliland), shortwave 1 (in Mogadishu) (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
4 (2 in Mogadishu and 2 in Hargeisa) (2001)
Internet country code:
.so
Internet hosts:
0 (2009)
31
Internet users:
102,000 (2008)
54
Transportation ::Somalia
Airports:
59 (2009)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 7
over 3,047 m:
4
2,438 to 3,047 m:
2
1,524 to 2,437 m:
1 (2009)
Airports - with 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 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 22,100 km
06
paved:
2,608 km
unpaved:
19,492 km (2000)
Merchant marine:
total: 1
55
by type:
cargo 1
foreign-owned:
1 (UAE 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Berbera, Kismaayo
Transportation - note:
the International
Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the Gulf
of Aden and Indian Ocean are high risk for piracy and armed robbery
against ships; numerous vessels, including commercial shipping and
pleasure craft, have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while
underway; crew, passengers, and cargo are held for ransom; the presence
of several naval task forces in the Gulf of Aden and additional
anti-piracy measures on the part of ship operators have reduced the
piracy incidents; in response local pirates shifted operations farther
south along the east coast of Somalia and eastward along the coast of
Oman
Military ::Somalia
Military branches:
National Security Force: Somali Army (2010)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,261,704
females age 16-49:
2,217,584 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,328,567
females age 16-49:
1,386,971 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 99,919
female:
99,771 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.9% of GDP (2005 est.)
42
Transnational Issues ::Somalia
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) (2007)
