2015 Edition

Background

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 characterized by the persecution, jailing, and torture of political opponents and dissidents. 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 the regions of Sool and Sanaag, and portions of Togdheer. Beginning in 1993, a two-year UN humanitarian effort (primarily in south-central Somalia) was able to alleviate famine conditions, but when the UN withdrew in 1995, having suffered significant casualties, order still had not been restored. In 2000, the Somalia National Peace Conference (SNPC) held in Djibouti resulted in the formation of an interim government, known as the Transitional National Government (TNG). When the TNG failed to establish adequate security or governing institutions, the Government of Kenya, under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), led a subsequent peace process that concluded in October 2004 with the election of Abdullahi YUSUF Ahmed as President of a second interim government, known as the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of the Somali Republic. The TFG included a 275-member parliamentary body, known as the Transitional Federal Parliament (TFP). 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 TFP was doubled in size 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 ICU and ARS chairman as president in January 2009. The creation of the TFG was based on the Transitional Federal Charter (TFC), which outlined a five-year mandate leading to the establishment of a new Somali constitution and a transition to a representative government following national elections. In 2009, the TFP amended the TFC to extend TFG's mandate until 2011 and in 2011 Somali principals agreed to institute political transition by August 2012. The transition process ended in September 2012 when clan elders replaced the TFP by appointing 275 members to a new parliament who subsequently elected a new president.

Area

land

627,337 sq km

total

637,657 sq km

water

10,320 sq km

Area - comparative

almost five times the size of Alabama; slightly smaller than Texas

Climate

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

Coastline

3,025 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Shimbiris 2,416 m

lowest point

Indian Ocean 0 m

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

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

377.6 cu m/yr (2003)

total

3.3 cu km/yr (0%/0%/100%)

Geographic coordinates

10 00 N, 49 00 E

Geography - note

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

Irrigated land

2,000 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

border countries (3)

Djibouti 61 km, Ethiopia 1,640 km, Kenya 684 km

total

2,385 km

Land use

arable land 1.8%; permanent crops 0%; permanent pasture 68.5%

agricultural land

70.3%

forest

10.6%

other

19.1% (2011 est.)

Location

Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

territorial sea

200 nm

Natural hazards

recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer; floods during rainy season

Natural resources

uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas, likely oil reserves

Terrain

mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north

Total renewable water resources

14.7 cu km (2011)

Age structure

0-14 years

43.72% (male 2,317,935/female 2,323,681)

15-24 years

18.85% (male 1,012,447/female 988,251)

25-54 years

31.36% (male 1,722,230/female 1,607,117)

55-64 years

3.83% (male 196,664/female 209,983)

65 years and over

2.24% (male 92,658/female 145,414) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

40.45 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Child labor - children ages 5-14

percentage

49% (2006 est.)

total number

1,148,265

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

32.8% (2006)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

14.6% (2006)

Death rate

13.62 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

5.6%

potential support ratio

17.9% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

98.1%

youth dependency ratio

92.5%

Drinking water source

urban: 69.6% of population

rural: 8.8% of population

total: 31.7% of population

urban: 30.4% of population

rural: 91.2% of population

total: 68.3% of population (2011 est.)

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

Somali 85%, Bantu and other non-Somali 15% (including 30,000 Arabs)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.55% (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

2,400 (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

34,900 (2014 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

89.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

107.07 deaths/1,000 live births

total

98.39 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Somali (official), Arabic (official, according to the Transitional Federal Charter), Italian, English

Life expectancy at birth

female

54.06 years (2015 est.)

male

49.93 years

total population

51.96 years

Major infectious diseases

animal contact disease

rabies (2013)

degree of risk

very high

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever, malaria, and Rift Valley fever

water contact disease

schistosomiasis

Major urban areas - population

MOGADISHU (capital) 2.138 million; Hargeysa 760,000 (2015)

Maternal mortality rate

732 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median age

female

17.7 years (2015 est.)

male

18 years

total

17.8 years

Nationality

adjective

Somali

noun

Somali(s)

Net migration rate

-8.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

3.9% (2014)

Physicians density

0.04 physicians/1,000 population (2006)

Population

10,616,380

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 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

1.83% (2015 est.)

Religions

Sunni Muslim (Islam) (official, according to the Transitional Federal Charter)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 52% of population

rural: 6.3% of population

total: 23.6% of population

urban: 48% of population

rural: 93.7% of population

total: 76.4% of population (2011 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.02 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.07 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.94 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.64 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

1.01 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.99 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

4.06% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

39.6% of total population (2015)

Administrative divisions

18 regions (plural - NA, singular - gobolka); Awdal, Bakool, Banaadir, Bari, Bay, Galguduud, Gedo, Hiiraan, Jubbada Dhexe (Middle Jubba), Jubbada Hoose (Lower Jubba), Mudug, Nugaal, Sanaag, Shabeellaha Dhexe (Middle Shabeelle), Shabeellaha Hoose (Lower Shabeelle), Sool, Togdheer, Woqooyi Galbeed

Capital

geographic coordinates

2 04 N, 45 20 E

name

Mogadishu

time difference

UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

the father must be a citizen of Somalia

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

7 years

Constitution

previous 1961, 1979; latest drafted 12 June 2012, approved 1 August 2012 (provisional) (2015)

Country name

conventional long form

Federal Republic of Somalia

conventional short form

Somalia

former

Somali Republic, Somali Democratic Republic

local long form

Jamhuuriyadda Federaalkaa Soomaaliya

local short form

Soomaaliya

Diplomatic representation from the US

the US does not have an embassy in Somalia; US interests are represented by the US Special Representative for Somalia, Ambassador James P. MCANULTY (since August 2013), operating out of 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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

425 East 61st Street, Suite 702, New York City, NY 10021

chief of mission

Ambassador Ahmed Issa AWAD (since 17 September 2015)

FAX

[1] (212) 759-0651

telephone

[1] (212) 688-9410, 688-5046

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the prime minister, approved by the National Parliament

chief of state

President HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud (since 10 September 2012)

election results

HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud elected president; Federal Parliament second round vote - HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud (PDP) 190, Sheikh SHARIF Sheikh Ahmed (ARS) 79; Omar Abdirashid Ali SHARMARKE approved as prime minister; Federal Parliament vote - 218 for approval, none against (6 members not present for vote)

elections/appointments

president indirectly elected by the Federal Parliament by two-thirds majority vote in 2 rounds if needed for a single 4-year term; election last held on 10 September 2012 (next to be held in 2016); prime minister appointed by the president, approved by the Federal Parliament

head of government

Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali SHARMARKE (since 24 December 2014); Deputy Prime Minister Mohamad Omar ARTEH (since 6 February 2015)

Flag description

light blue with a large white five-pointed star in the center; the blue field was originally influenced by the flag of the UN, but today is said to denote the sky and the neighboring Indian Ocean; the five points of the star represent the five regions in the horn of Africa that are inhabited by Somali people: the former British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland (which together make up Somalia), Djibouti, Ogaden (Ethiopia), and the North East Province (Kenya)

Government - note

regional and local governing bodies continue to exist and control various areas of the country, including the self-declared Republic of Somaliland in northwestern Somalia and the semi-autonomous state of Puntland in northeastern Somalia

Government type

in the process of building a federal parliamentary republic

Independence

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)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, CAEU (candidate), FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

the provisional constitution stipulates the establishment of the Constitutional Court (consists of 5 judges including the chief judge and deputy chief judge); note - under the terms of the 2004 Transitional National Charter, a Supreme Court based in Mogadishu and an Appeal Court were established; yet most regions have reverted to local forms of conflict resolution, either secular, traditional Somali customary law, or sharia Islamic law

judge selection and term of office

judges appointed by the president upon proposal of the Judicial Service Commission, a 9-member judicial and administrative body; judge tenure NA

subordinate courts

federal- and federal member state-level courts; military courts; sharia (Islamic) courts

Legal system

mixed legal system of civil law, Islamic law, and customary law (referred to as Xeer)

Legislative branch

description

unicameral National Parliament or Golaha Shacabka Soomaaliya consists of the House of the People (275 seats; members directly elected to serve 4-year terms)

note

the inaugural House of the People was appointed in September 2012 by clan elders; slated for 2016, the National Parliament will become bicameral with the formation of an upper house that will consist of 54 seats with members indirectly elected by regional governing councils to serve 4-year terms

National anthem

lyrics/music

lyrics/music: Abdullahi QARSHE

name

"Qolobaa Calankeed" (Every Nation Has its own Flag)

note

adopted 2012; written in 1959

National holiday

Foundation of the Somali Republic, 1 July (1960); note - 26 June (1960) in Somaliland

National symbol(s)

leopard; national colors: blue, white

Political parties and leaders

CADHI [Abdirahman IBRAHIM]

Cosmopolitan Democratic Party [Yarow Sharef ADEN]

Democratic Green Party of Somalia or DGPS [Abdullahi Y. MAHAMOUD]

Democratic Party of Somalia or DPS [Maslah Mohamed SIAD]

Green Leaf for Democracy or GLED

Hiil Qaran

Justice and Communist Party [Mohamed NUR]

Liberal Party of Somalia

National Unity Party (Xisbiga MIdnimo-Quaran) [Abdurahman BAADIYOW]

Peace and Development Party or PDP

Somali National Party or SNP [Mohammed Ameen Saeed AHMED]

Somali People's Party [Mahamud Hassan RAGE]

Somali Green Party (local chapter of Federation of Green Parties of Africa]

Tayo or TPP [Mohamed Abdullahi MOHAMED]

Tiir Party [Fadhil Sheik MOHAMUD]

United and Democratic Party [Salad Ali JELLE]

United Somali Parliamentarians

Political pressure groups and leaders

other

numerous political associations and clan and sub-clan factions exist both in support and in opposition to the incumbent president

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

bananas, sorghum, corn, coconuts, rice, sugarcane, mangoes, sesame seeds, beans; cattle, sheep, goats; fish

Budget

expenditures

$NA

revenues

$NA

Central bank discount rate

NA%

Commercial bank prime lending rate

NA%

Debt - external

$3.054 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

$3.055 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

Economy - overview

Despite the lack of effective national governance, Somalia maintains an 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. Telecommunication firms provide wireless services in most major cities and offer the lowest international call rates on the continent. Mogadishu's main market offers a variety of goods from food to electronic gadgets. Hotels continue to operate and are supported with private-security militias. Somalia's government lacks the ability to collect domestic revenue, and arrears to the IMF have continued to grow. Somalia's capital city - Mogadishu - has witnessed the development of the city's first gas stations, supermarkets, and flights between Europe (Istanbul-Mogadishu) since the collapse of central authority in 1991. This economic growth has yet to expand outside of Mogadishu, and within the city, security concerns dominate business. 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, although international concerns over the money transfers into Somalia currently threatens these services.

Exchange rates

Somali shillings (SOS) per US dollar -

1,600 (2014 est.)

1,600 (2013 est.)

Exports

$515.8 million (2012 est.)

$594.3 million (2011 est.)

Exports - commodities

livestock, bananas, hides, fish, charcoal, scrap metal

Exports - partners

UAE 44.4%, Yemen 19.1%, Oman 15.4%, India 5.6% (2014)

Fiscal year

NA

GDP - composition, by end use

(2013 est.)

exports of goods and services

0.3%

government consumption

8.7%

household consumption

72.7%

imports of goods and services

-1.7%

investment in fixed capital

19.9%

investment in inventories

0.4%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

60.2%

industry

7.4%

services

32.5% (2013 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$600 (2010 est.)

$600 (2009 est.)

$600 (2008 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

2.6% (2010 est.)

2.6% (2012 est.)

2.6% (2008 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$2.372 billion (2010 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$5.896 billion (2010 est.)

$5.75 billion (2009 est.)

$5.607 billion (2008 est.)

note

data are in 2010 US dollars

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Imports

$1.263 billion (2010 est.)

$798 million (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities

manufactures, petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials, qat

Imports - partners

Djibouti 19.8%, India 14.7%, Oman 9.1%, China 9%, Kenya 8.9%, Pakistan 4.7% (2014)

Industrial production growth rate

2.5% (2013 est.)

Industries

light industries, including sugar refining, textiles, wireless communication

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

NA%

note

businesses print their own money, so inflation rates cannot be easily determined

Labor force

3.109 million (2013 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

71%

industry and services

29% (1975)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

NA%

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

855,800 Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2015 est.)

Electricity - consumption

293 million kWh (2012 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

100% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

80,000 kW (2012 est.)

Electricity - production

315 million kWh (2012 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

5.663 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

5,600 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

5,556 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Broadcast media

2 private TV stations rebroadcast Al-Jazeera and CNN; Somaliland has 1 government-operated TV station and Puntland has 1 private TV station; the transitional government operates Radio Mogadishu; 1 SW and roughly 10 private FM radio stations broadcast in Mogadishu; several radio stations operate in central and southern regions; Somaliland has 1 government-operated radio station; Puntland has roughly a half dozen private radio stations; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are available (2007)

Internet country code

.so

Internet users

percent of population

1.5% (2014 est.)

total

157,500

Radio broadcast stations

AM 0, FM 11 (also 1 station each in Puntland and Somaliland), shortwave 1 (in Mogadishu) (2001)

Telephone system

domestic

local cellular telephone systems have been established in Mogadishu and in several other population centers with one company beginning to provide 3G services in late 2012

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

international

country code - 252; Mogadishu is a landing point for the EASSy fiber-optic submarine cable system linking East Africa with Europe and North America (2010)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

1 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

57,200

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

53 (2014 est.)

total

5.5 million

Television broadcast stations

4 (2 in Mogadishu and 2 in Hargeisa) (2001)

Airports

61 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

1 (2013)

2,438 to 3,047 m

1

over 3,047 m

4

total

6

Airports - with unpaved runways

6 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m

20

2,438 to 3,047 m

5

914 to 1,523 m

23

over 3,047 m

1

total

55

Merchant marine

by type

cargo 1 (2008)

total

1

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Berbera, Kismaayo

Roadways

paved

2,608 km

total

22,100 km

unpaved

19,492 km (2000)

Transportation - note

despite a dramatic drop in the number of attacks in 2014, the International Maritime Bureau continues to report the territorial and offshore waters in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean as a region of significant risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships accounting for 4% of all attacks in 2014; 11 vessels were attacked or hijacked in 2014 compared with 237 in 2011; the presence of several naval task forces in the Gulf of Aden and additional anti-piracy measures on the part of ship operators, including the use of on-board armed security teams, have reduced piracy incidents in that body of water; in response Somali-based pirates, using hijacked fishing trawlers as "mother ships" to extend their range, shifted operations as far south as the Mozambique Channel, eastward to the vicinity of the Maldives, and northeastward to the Strait of Hormuz

Manpower available for military service

females age 16-49

2,159,293 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

2,260,175

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

1,357,051 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

1,331,894

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

101,072 (2010 est.)

male

101,634

Military branches

National Security Force (NSF): Somali Army (2011)

Military service age and obligation

18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory and voluntary military service (2012)

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

1.133 million (civil war since 1988, clan-based competition for resources; 2011 famine; insecurity because of fighting between al-Shabaab and the Transitional Federal Government's allied forces) (2015)

refugees (country of origin)

3,268 (Yemen) (2015)