1991 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1991 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
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
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
Environment
recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Land boundaries
2,340 km total; Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,600 km, Kenya 682 km
Land use
arable land 2%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 46%; forest and woodland 14%; other 38%; includes irrigated 3%
Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 200 nm
Natural resources
uranium, and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt
Note
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
Total area
637,660 km2; land area: 627,340 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
46 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate
13 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Ethnic divisions
Somali 85%, rest mainly Bantu; Arabs 30,000, Europeans 3,000, Asians 800
Infant mortality rate
116 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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)
Language
Somali (official); Arabic, Italian, English
Life expectancy at birth
56 years male, 56 years female (1991)
Literacy
24% (male 36%, female 14%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Nationality
noun--Somali(s); adjective--Somali
Net migration rate
0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Organized labor
General Federation of Somali Trade Unions is controlled by the government
Population
6,709,161 (July 1991), growth rate 3.3% (1991)
Religion
almost entirely Sunni Muslim
Total fertility rate
7.2 children born/woman (1991)
Government
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
Capital
Mogadishu
Communists
probably some Communist sympathizers in the government hierarchy
Constitution
25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979
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
Elections
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
Executive branch
president, two vice presidents, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
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)
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)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court
Leaders
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)
Legislative branch
unicameral People's Assembly (Golaha Shacbiga)
Long-form name
Somali Democratic Republic
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
National holiday
Anniversary of the Revolution, 21 October (1969)
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
Type
republic
Economy
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
Budget
revenues $190 million; expenditures $195 million, including capital expenditures of $111 million (1989 est.)
Currency
Somali shilling (plural--shillings); 1 Somali shilling (So.Sh.) = 100 centesimi
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
Electricity
72,000 kW capacity; 60 million kWh produced, 7 kWh per capita (1990)
Exchange rates
Somali shillings (So. Sh.) per US$1--3,800.00 (December 1990), 490.7 (1989), 170.45 (1988), 105.18 (1987), 72.00 (1986), 39.49 (1985)
Exports
$58.0 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--livestock, hides, skins, bananas, fish; partners--US 0.5%, Saudi Arabia, Italy, FRG (1986)
External debt
$1.9 billion (1989)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$1.7 billion, per capita $210; real growth rate - 1.4% (1988)
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
Industries
a few small industries, including sugar refining, textiles, petroleum refining
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
81.7% (1988 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%
Communications
Airports
61 total, 46 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 5 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 22 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
2 major transport aircraft
Highways
15,215 km total; including 2,335 km bituminous surface, 2,880 km gravel, and 10,000 km improved earth or stabilized soil (1983)
Merchant marine
3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,913 GRT/9,457 DWT; includes 2 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo
Pipelines
15 km crude oil
Ports
Mogadishu, Berbera, Chisimayu
Telecommunications
minimal telephone and telegraph service; radio relay and troposcatter system centered on Mogadishu connects a few towns; 6,000 telephones; stations--2 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station; scheduled to receive an ARABSAT station
Military and Security
Branches
Somali National Army (including Navy, Air Force, and Air Defense Force), National Police Force, National Security Service
Defense expenditures
$NA, NA% of GDP _%_
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 1,601,690; 902,732 fit for military service