Somalia

republic

Somalia as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 67 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalMogadishu

Area637,660 km2

Populationas each edition published it

6.71 million July 1991 · 8.42m in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 1.35% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 17.6 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 32.91 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

7.2 children per woman 1991 · 7.3 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

116 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 125 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $500 in 1994

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 2% in 1996

Geography

11 fields

Total area

637,660km2

land area: 627,340 km2Comparative area: slightly smaller than Texas

Land boundaries

2,340km total

Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,600 km, Kenya 682 km

Disputes

southern half of boundary with Ethiopia is a Provisional Administrative Line;
territorial dispute with Ethiopia over the Ogaden;
possible claims to Djibouti and parts of Ethiopia and Kenya based on unification of ethnic Somalis

Climate

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

Terrain

mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north

Natural resources

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

Land use

arable land 2%;
permanent crops NEGL%;
meadows and pastures 46%;
forest and woodland 14%;
other 38%;
includes irrigated 3%

Environment

recurring droughts;
frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer;
deforestation;
overgrazing;
soil erosion;
desertification

Note

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

People

14 fields

Population

6,709,161

(July 1991), growth rate 3.3% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth

46Death

13Net migration

Literacy

24%

(male 36%, female 14%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Ethnic divisions

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

Language

Somali (official); Arabic, Italian, English

Labor force

2,200,000;
very few are skilled laborers;
pastoral nomad 70%, agriculture, government, trading, fishing, handicrafts, and other 30%;
53% of population of working age (1985)

Organized labor

General Federation of Somali Trade Unions is controlled by the government

Government

Republic

16 fields

People's Assembly, 171 seats, elected 31 December 1984one dot, one seat

(177 total, 171 elected) SRSP 171

Administrative divisions

16 regions (plural--NA, singular--gobolka);
Bakool, Banaadir, Bari, Bay, Galguduud, Gedo, Hiiraan, Jubbada Dhexe, Jubbada Hoose, Mudug, Nugaal, Sanaag, Shabeellaha Dhexe, Shabeellaha Hoose, Togdheer, Woqooyi Galbeed

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)

Constitution

25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979

National holiday

Anniversary of the Revolution, 21 October (1969)

Executive branch

president, two vice presidents, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch

unicameral People's Assembly (Golaha Shacbiga)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court Chief of State--Interim President ALI Mahdi Mohamed (since 27 January 1991);
Head of Government--Prime Minister OMAR Arteh Ghalib (since 27 January 1991);
Deputy Prime Minister MOHAMED Abshir Mussa (since 27 January 1991)

Political parties and leaders

the United Somali Congress (USC) ousted the former regime on 27 January 1991; note--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

universal at age 18 President--last held 23 December 1986 (next to be held NA); results--President Siad was reelected without opposition; People's Assembly--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

Communists

probably some Communist sympathizers in the government hierarchy

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

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador ABDIKARIM Ali Omar;
Chancery at Suite 710, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20037;
telephone (202) 342-1575;
there is a Somali Consulate General in New York;
US--Ambassador James K. BISHOP;
Embassy at K-7, AFGOI Road, Mogadishu (mailing address is P. O. Box 574, Mogadishu);
telephone [252] (01) 39971;
note--US Embassy evacuated and closed indefinitely in January 1991

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)

Economy

One of the world's poorest and least developed countries, Somalia has few resources.

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$1.7billion

per capita $210; real growth rate - 1.4% (1988)

Inflation, consumer prices

81.7%

(1988 est.)

External debt

$1.9billion

(1989)

Budget

Revenues

$190 millionExpenditures

$195 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $111 million (1989 est.)

Overview

One of the world's poorest and least developed countries, Somalia has few resources. Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy, with the livestock sector 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. Serious economic problems facing the nation are the external debt of $1.9 billion and double-digit inflation.

Unemployment rate

NA%

Exports

$58.0 million (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities--livestock, hides, skins, bananas, fish;
partners--US 0.5%, Saudi Arabia, Italy, FRG (1986)

Imports

$354.0 million (c.i.f., 1988);
commodities--textiles, petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials;
partners--US 13%, Italy, FRG, Kenya, UK, Saudi Arabia (1986)

Industrial production

growth rate - 5.0% (1988); accounts for 5% of GDP

Electricity

72,000 kW capacity; 60 million kWh produced, 7 kWh per capita (1990)

Industries

a few small industries, including sugar refining, textiles, petroleum refining

Agriculture

dominant sector, led by livestock raising (cattle, sheep, goats);
crops--bananas, sorghum, corn, mangoes, sugarcane;
not self-sufficient in food;
fishing potential largely unexploited

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $639 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $3.2 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $1.1 billion;
Communist countries (1970-89), $336 million