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2 definitions found
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
Somalia
n : a republic in extreme eastern Africa on the Somali
Peninsula; subject to tribal warfare
From CIA World Factbook 2002 [world02]:
Somalia
Introduction Somalia
--------------------
Background: The SIAD BARRE regime was ousted in
January 1991; turmoil, factional
fighting, and anarchy have followed
for eleven years. In May of 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, aided by the overwhelming
dominance of a ruling clan and
economic infrastructure left behind
by British, Russian, and American
military assistance programs. The
regions of Bari and Nugaal comprise
a neighboring self-declared
autonomous state of Puntland, which
has been self-governing since 1998,
but does not aim at independence; it
has also made strides towards
reconstructing legitimate,
representative government. Puntland
also claims Sool and eastern Sanaag.
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. A
Transitional National Government
(TNG) was created in August 2000 in
Arta, Djibouti which was attended by
a broad representation of Somali
clans. The TNG has a three-year
mandate to create a permanent
national Somali government. The TNG
does not recognize Somaliland as an
independent republic but so far has
been unable to reunite either
Somaliland or Puntland with the
unstable regions in the south.
Numerous warlords and factions are
still fighting for control of
Mogadishu and the other southern
regions. Suspicion of Somali links
with global terrorism complicate the
picture.
Geography Somalia
-----------------
Location: Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf
of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east
of Ethiopia
Geographic coordinates: 10 00 N, 49 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 637,657 sq km
water: 10,320 sq km
land: 627,337 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries: total: 2,340 km
border countries: Djibouti 58 km,
Ethiopia 1,600 km, Kenya 682 km
Coastline: 3,025 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 200 NM
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
Terrain: mostly flat to undulating plateau
rising to hills in north
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Shimbiris 2,416 m
Natural resources: uranium and largely unexploited
reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum,
bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas,
likely oil reserves
Land use: arable land: 1.66%
permanent crops: 0.04%
other: 98.31% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 2,000 sq km (1998 est.)
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 party to: Endangered Species, Law of
agreements: the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
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 Somalia
--------------
Population: 7,753,310
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 2002
est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 44.7% (male 1,737,491;
female 1,730,237)
15-64 years: 52.6% (male 2,054,243;
female 2,019,980)
65 years and over: 2.7% (male
92,617; female 118,742) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.46% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 46.83 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 17.99 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: 5.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2002 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: 0.78 male(s)/
female
total population: 1 male(s)/female
(2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 122.15 deaths/1,000 live births
(2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 46.96 years
female: 48.65 years (2002 est.)
male: 45.33 years
Total fertility rate: 7.05 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ NA
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun: Somali(s)
adjective: Somali
Ethnic groups: Somali 85%, Bantu and other non-
Somali 15% (including Arabs 30,000)
Religions: Sunni Muslim
Languages: Somali (official), Arabic, Italian,
English
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 37.8%
male: 49.7%
female: 25.8% (2001 est.)
Government Somalia
------------------
Country name: conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Somalia
former: Somali Republic, Somali
Democratic Republic
Government type: no permanent national government;
transitional, parliamentary national
government
Capital: Mogadishu
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)
National holiday: Foundation of the Somali Republic, 1
July (1960); note - 26 June (1960)
in Somaliland
Constitution: 25 August 1979, presidential
approval 23 September 1979
note: the Transitional National
Government formed in August 2000 has
a mandate to create a new
constitution and hold elections
within three years
Legal system: no national system; Shari'a and
secular courts are in some
localities
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: ABDIKASSIM Salad
Hassan (since 26 August 2000); note
- Interim President ABDIKASSIM was
chosen for a three-year term by a
245-member National Assembly serving
as a transitional government; the
present political situation is still
unstable, particularly in the south,
with interclan fighting and random
banditry
election results: ABDIKASSIM Salad
Hassan was elected president of an
interim government at the Djibouti-
sponsored Arta Peace Conference on
26 August 2000 by a broad
representation of Somali clans that
comprised a transitional National
Assembly
head of government: Prime Minister
HASSAN Abshir Farah (since 12
November 2001)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the
prime minister and sworn in on 20
October 2000; as of 1 January 2002,
the Cabinet was in caretaker status
following a no-confidence vote in
October 2001 that ousted HASSAN's
predecessor
Legislative branch: unicameral People's Assembly or
Golaha Shacbiga
note: fledgling parliament; a
transitional 245-member National
Assembly began to meet on 13 August
2000 in the town of Arta, Djibouti
and is now based in Mogadishu
Judicial branch: following the breakdown of national
government, most regions have
reverted to Islamic (Shari'a) law
with a provision for appeal of all
sentences
Political parties and leaders: none
Political pressure groups and numerous clan and subclan factions
leaders: are currently vying for power
International organization ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU,
participation: ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM,
IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD,
ILO, IMF, IMO, 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); note - the TNG and other
factions have representatives in
Washington
Diplomatic representation from the the US does not have an embassy in
US: Somalia; US interests are
represented by the US Embassy in
Nairobi at Mombasa Road; mail
address: P. O. Box 30137, Unit
64100, Nairobi; APO AE 09831;
telephone: [254] (2) 537800; FAX
[254] (2) 537810
Flag description: light blue with a large white five-
pointed star in the center; blue
field influenced by the flag of the
UN
Government - note: An interim Transitional National
Government - with a president, prime
minister, and 245-member National
Assembly - was established in
Mogadishu in October 2000. However,
other governing bodies continue to
exist and control various cities and
regions of the country, including
Somaliland, Puntland, and
traditional clan and faction
strongholds.
Economy Somalia
---------------
Economy - overview: One of the world's poorest and least
developed countries, Somalia has few
resources and is prone to drought.
Moreover, much of the economy has
been devastated by civil war since
1991. 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. Livestock, hides,
charcoal, and bananas are Somalia's
principal exports, while sugar,
sorghum, corn, fish, 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 sold as scrap metal.
Despite the seeming anarchy,
Somalia's service sector has managed
to survive and grow.
Telecommunication firms provide
wireless services in most major
cities and offer the lowest
international call rates on the
continent. In the absence of a
formal banking sector, money
exchange services have sprouted
throughout the country, handling
between $200 million and $500
million in remittances annually.
Mogadishu's main market offers a
variety of goods from food to the
newest electronic gadgets. Hotels
continue to operate, and security is
provided by militias. Ongoing civil
disturbances and clan rivalries,
however, have interfered with any
broad-based economic development and
international aid arrangements. The
failure of spring rains caused major
food shortages in the south in 2001.
Economic data is scare and prone to
a wide margin of error.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $4.1
billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $550 (2001
est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 65%
industry: 10%
services: 25% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: NA%
percentage share: highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): over 100% (businesses print their
own money) (2000 est.)
Labor force: 3.7 million (very few are skilled
laborers) (1993 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture (mostly pastoral
nomadism) 71%, industry and services
29%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital
expenditures of $NA
Industries: a few light industries, including
sugar refining, textiles, petroleum
refining (mostly shut down),
wireless communication
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: 250 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 232.5 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: cattle, sheep, goats; bananas,
sorghum, corn, coconuts, rice,
sugarcane, mangoes, sesame seeds,
beans; fish
Exports: $186 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.)
Exports - commodities: livestock, bananas, hides, fish,
charcoal, scrap metal (1999)
Exports - partners: Saudi Arabia 29%, UAE 29%, Yemen 28%
(calculated through partners) (2000)
Imports: $314 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.)
Imports - commodities: manufactures, petroleum products,
foodstuffs, construction materials,
qat (1995)
Imports - partners: Djibouti 27%, Kenya 12%, India 9%
(2000)
Debt - external: $2.6 billion (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $60 million (1999 est.)
Currency: Somali shilling (SOS)
Currency code: SOS
Exchange rates: Somali shillings per US dollar -
11,000 (November 2000), 2,620
(January 1999), 7,500 (November 1997
est.), 7,000 (January 1996 est.),
5,000 (1 January 1995)
note: the Republic of Somaliland, a
self-declared independent country
not recognized by any foreign
government, issues its own currency,
the Somaliland shilling
Fiscal year: NA
Communications Somalia
----------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: NA
Telephones - mobile cellular: NA
Telephone system: general assessment: the public
telecommunications system was almost
completely destroyed or dismantled
by the civil war factions; private
wireless companies offer service in
most major cities and charge the
lowest international rates on the
continent
domestic: local cellular telephone
systems have been established in
Mogadishu and in several other
population centers
international: international
connections are available from
Mogadishu by satellite (2001)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 0, FM 1, shortwave 5 (2001)
Radios: 470,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 3
note: two in Mogadishu; one in
Hargeisa (2001)
Televisions: 135,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .so
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 3 (one each in Boosaaso, Hargeisa,
and Mogadishu) (2000)
Internet users: 200 (2000)
Transportation Somalia
----------------------
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 22,100 km
paved: 2,608 km
unpaved: 19,492 km (1996)
Waterways: none
Pipelines: crude oil 15 km
Ports and harbors: Boosaaso, Berbera, Chisimayu
(Kismaayo), Merca, Mogadishu
Merchant marine: none (2002 est.)
Airports: 54 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 6
over 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 48
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 15
914 to 1,523 m: 27
under 914 m: 3 (2001)
Military Somalia
----------------
Military branches: A Somali National Army is being
reformed under the interim
government; numerous factions and
clans maintain independent militias,
and the Somaliland and Puntland
regional governments maintain their
own security and police forces
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,881,634 (2002
est.)
Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 1,040,662 (2002
service: est.)
Military expenditures - dollar $15.3 million (FY01)
figure:
Military expenditures - percent of 0.9% (FY01)
GDP:
Transnational Issues Somalia
----------------------------
Disputes - international: most of the southern half of the
boundary with Ethiopia is a
provisional administrative line; in
the Ogaden, regional states have
established a variety of conflicting
relationships with the Transitional
National Government in Mogadishu,
feuding factions in Puntland region,
and the economically stabile break-
away "Somaliland" region; Djibouti
maintains economic ties and border
accords with "Somaliland" leadership
while politically supporting Somali
Transitional National Government in
Mogadishu; arms smuggling and Oromo
rebel activities prompt strict
border regime with Kenya
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