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Communications

Airports [time series]

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 [time series]

2 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

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 [time series]

3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,913 GRT/9,457 DWT; includes 2 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo

Pipelines [time series]

15 km crude oil

Ports [time series]

Mogadishu, Berbera, Chisimayu

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

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

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

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

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 1,601,690; 902,732 fit for military service

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

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 [time series]

revenues $190 million; expenditures $195 million, including capital expenditures of $111 million (1989 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Somali shilling (plural--shillings); 1 Somali shilling (So.Sh.) = 100 centesimi

Economic aid [time series]

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 [time series]

72,000 kW capacity; 60 million kWh produced, 7 kWh per capita (1990)

Exchange rates [time series]

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 [time series]

$58.0 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--livestock, hides, skins, bananas, fish; partners--US 0.5%, Saudi Arabia, Italy, FRG (1986)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$1.9 billion (1989)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$1.7 billion, per capita $210; real growth rate - 1.4% (1988)

Imports [time series]

$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 (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate - 5.0% (1988); accounts for 5% of GDP

Industries [time series]

a few small industries, including sugar refining, textiles, petroleum refining

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

81.7% (1988 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

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 [time series]

NA%

Geography

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

3,025 km Territorial sea: 200 nm

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly smaller than Texas

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

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 - current issues (Environment) [time series]

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

Land boundaries [time series]

2,340 km total; Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,600 km, Kenya 682 km

Land use [time series]

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

Natural resources [time series]

uranium, and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt

Note [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north

Area (Total area) [time series]

637,660 km2; land area: 627,340 km2

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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 [time series]

Mogadishu

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

probably some Communist sympathizers in the government hierarchy

Constitution [time series]

25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

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

Executive branch [time series]

president, two vice presidents, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Flag [time series]

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 [time series]

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 [time series]

Supreme Court 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 [time series]

unicameral People's Assembly (Golaha Shacbiga)

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Somali Democratic Republic

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

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 [time series]

Anniversary of the Revolution, 21 October (1969)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

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 [time series]

universal at age 18 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

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

People

Birth rate [time series]

46 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate [time series]

13 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

116 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force [time series]

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)

Languages (Language) [time series]

Somali (official); Arabic, Italian, English

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

56 years male, 56 years female (1991)

Literacy [time series]

24% (male 36%, female 14%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun--Somali(s); adjective--Somali

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Organized labor [time series]

General Federation of Somali Trade Unions is controlled by the government

Population [time series]

6,709,161 (July 1991), growth rate 3.3% (1991)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

almost entirely Sunni Muslim

Total fertility rate [time series]

7.2 children born/woman (1991)