Somalia
none
Somalia as the 2000 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 107 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Intermittent civil war has been a fact of life in Somalia since 1977. In 1991, the northern portion of the country declared its independence as Somaliland; although de facto independent and relatively stable compared to the tumultuous south, it has not been recognized by any foreign government. 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.
Geography
Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia
18 fieldsLand useshare of 637,657 sq km
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
Natural resources
uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt
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:
- Endangered Species, Law of the Sea
- signed, but not ratified:
- Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban
Geography - note
strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal
People
15 fieldsNote
Per 1,000 population(2000 est.)
Male · female
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 44% (male 1,610,945; female 1,608,209)
- 15-64 years:
- 53% (male 1,938,263; female 1,892,752)
- 65 years and over:
- 3% (male 90,717; female 112,251) (2000 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 1.02 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.81 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 1.01 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Government
None
20 fieldsCountry name
- conventional long form:
- none
- conventional short form:
- Somalia
- former:
- Somali Republic, Somali Democratic Republic
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
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)
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
Judicial branch
(not functioning); note - following the breakdown of national government, most regions have reverted to Islamic law with a provision for appeal of all sentences
Political pressure groups and leaders
numerous clan and subclan factions are currently vying for power
International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US
Somalia does not have an embassy in the US (ceased operations on 8 May 1991)
Diplomatic representation from the US
- 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: ;
- APO AE 09831;
- telephone: [254] (2) 334141;
- FAX [254] (2) 340838
Flag description
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)
Government - note
While chaos and clan fighting continue in most of Somalia, some orderly government has been established in the northern part. In May 1991, the elders of clans in former British Somaliland established the independent Republic of Somaliland, which, although not recognized by any government, maintains a stable existence, aided by the overwhelming dominance of the ruling clan and the economic infrastructure left behind by British, Russian, and American military assistance programs.
Neighboring Puntland has also made strides towards reconstructing legitimate, representative government. In February 1996, the EU agreed to finance the reconstruction of the port of Berbera; since then, other aid projects have been assumed by the EU and by a non-governmental Italian organization.
Economy
One of the world's poorest and least developed countries, Somalia has few resources.
31 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(1995 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
Economy - 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 semi-nomads, who are dependent upon livestock for their livelihood, make up a large portion of the population.
After livestock, bananas are the principal export; sugar, sorghum, corn, and fish are products for the domestic market. The small industrial sector, based on the processing of agricultural products, accounts for 10% of GDP; most facilities have been shut down because of the civil strife.
Moreover, in 1999, ongoing civil disturbances in Mogadishu and outlying areas interfered with any substantial economic advance and with international aid arrangements.
Industries
a few small industries, including sugar refining, textiles, petroleum refining (mostly shut down)
Agriculture - products
- bananas, sorghum, corn, sugarcane, mangoes, sesame seeds, beans;
- cattle, sheep, goats;
- fish
Exchange rates
Somali shillings (So. Sh.) per US$1 - 2,620 (January 1999), 7,500 (November 1997 est.), 7,000 (January 1996 est.), 5,000 (1 January 1995), 2,616 (1 July 1993), 4,200 (December 1992) note: the Republic of Somaliland, a self-declared independent country not recognized by any foreign government, issues its own currency, the Somaliland shilling (So. Sh.)
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone 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
Transportation
8 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right
Networkskm
Military
No functioning central government military forces; clan militias continue to battle for control of key economic or political prizes
5 fieldsMilitary branches
no functioning central government military forces; clan militias continue to battle for control of key economic or political prizes
Transnational Issues
1 fieldDisputes - international
- most of the southern half of the boundary with Ethiopia is a Provisional Administrative Line;
- territorial dispute with Ethiopia over the Ogaden [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Somalia.” The World Factbook 2000. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/somalia/2000.