1987 Edition

Boundary disputes

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

Climate

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

Coastline

3,025 km

Comparative area

slightly smaller than Texas

Environment

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

Land boundaries

2,263 km total

Land use

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

Special notes

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

Territorial sea

200 nm

Total area

300 km - Bender Gerbera Caasim * Hergeyse Garoa * Boundary representation is Not necessarily authoritative Chisimayu See regiona! map Vil

637,660 km?; land area: 627,340 km?

Ethnic divisions

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

Infant mortality rate

150/1,000 (1984)

Labor force

about 2.2 million; very few are skilled laborers; 70% pastoral nomad, 30% agriculturists, government employees, traders, fishermen, handicraftsmen, other

Language

Somali (official); Arabic, Italian, English

Life expectancy

43.9

Literacy

60%

Nationality

noun—Somali(s); adjective— Somali

Organized labor

General Federation of Somali Trade Unions, a governmentcontrolled organization, established in 1977

Population

7,741,859 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 3.01%

Religion

almost entirely Sunni Muslim

Administrative divisions

18 regions, 60 districts

Branches

President dominates political system; Cabinet carries out day-to-day government functions; unicameral legislature (National People’s Assembly) exists but has little power

Capital

Mogadishu

Communists

probably some Communist sympathizers in the government hierarchy

Elections

parliamentary elections held 31 December 1984; Presidential election held December 1986 and President Siad won 99.92% of the votes in yes/no style election for another seven-year term

Government leader

Maj. Gen. Mohamed SIAD Barre, President and Commander in Chief of the Army (since October 1969) Political party and leader: the Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party (SRSP), created on 1 July 1976, is the sole legal party; Maj. Gen. Mohamed Siad Barre is general secretary of the SRSP

Member of

AfDB, Arab League, EAMA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB— Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO

National holiday

21 October

Official name

Somali Democratic Repub-

Type

republic

Agriculture

mainly a pastoral country, raising livestock; crops—bananas, sugarcane, cotton, cereals

Budget

(1985 est. in percent of GDP) revenues and grants, 10.2%; current expenditures, 8.5%; investment expenditures, 6.8%

Electric power

63,000 kW capacity; 137 million kWh produced, 17 kWh per capita (1986)

Exports

$108 million (f.0.b., 1986 est.); livestock, hides, skins, bananas

External debt

$1.6 billion (1985 est.); external debt service 78% of exports of goods and services

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

$1.4 billion, about $200 per capita (1982 est.)

Imports

$407 million (c.i-f., 1986 est.); textiles, cereals, transport equipment, machinery, construction materials and equipment, petroleum products; also military materiel] in 1977

Major industries

a few small industries, including sugar refining, tuna, beef canning, textiles, iron rod plant, and petroleum refining

Major trade partners

exports—Saudi Arabia 34.6%, Italy 19.6%; imports—Italy 26%, Saudi Arabia 12%, US 17% (1985)

Monetary conversion rate

official rate— 86.5 Somali shillings=US$1; legal free market—140 Somali shiJlings=US$1 (November 1986)

Natural resources

uranium, iron, tin, gypsum, bauxite

Airfields

65 total, 53 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m, 6 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 21 with runways ],220-2,489 m

Civil air

8 major transport aircraft

Highways

21,300 km total; including 2,335 km bituminous surface, 2,880 km gravel, and 12,000 km improved earth or stabilized soil

Pipelines

15 km crude oil

Ports

3 major (Mogadishu, Berbera, Chisimayu)

Railroads

none

Telecommunications

poor telephone and telegraph service; radio-relay system centered on Mogadishu connects a few towns; 6,000 telephones (0.1 per 100 popl.); 1 Indian Ocean satellite station; 2 AM, no FM stations; 1 TV station

Branches

Somali National Army (including Navy, Air Force, and Air Defense Force), National Police Force

Military manpower

males 15-49, 1,710,000; 958,000 fit for military service; no conscription