General
Information
|
Total Land Area: |
627,340 km2 |
|
Land boundaries: |
2,366 km |
|
Coastline: |
3,025 km |
|
Capital: |
Mogadishu |
|
Other Large
Cities: |
Hargeisa,
Kismayu(Chisimayu)
Berbera |
|
Official
Language: |
Somali |
|
National
Currency Unit: |
Somali Shilling
(SOS) |
|
National Day: |
July 1 |
Location and
Geography
Somalia comprises
the perimeter of the
Horn of Africa, the
Easternmost point of
the continent. It is
bordered by the Gulf
of Aden and Djibouti
in the North, the
Indian Ocean in the
East and South-east,
Kenya in the South
and South-west, and
Ethiopia in the
West. Southern
Somalia is traversed
by two rivers which
flow towards the
ocean from Ethiopia.
This coastline forms
“the Horn of
Africa”. The terrain
is made up mostly of
flat to undulating
plateau rising to
hills in the North.
A very small part of
the land is arable
and there are no
permanent crops.
Forests and
woodlands are very
limited. The climate
is tropical but
arid. Alternating
North-west and
South-west monsoon
winds blow
throughout the year
creating a
moderating effect on
temperatures.
Demography
|
Population:
|
9.60 million
(2002) |
|
Crude Birth
Rate:
|
50 per thousand
people (2002) |
|
Crude Death
Rate:
|
18 per thousand
people (2002) |
|
Infant Mortality
Rate:
|
133 per thousand
(2002) |
|
Life Expectancy:
|
Male: 46 years,
Female: 49 years
(2002) |
|
Urban
Population:
|
28.0 percent
(2002) |
|
Adult Literacy:
|
24.00 percent
(1998) |
Economy
Somalia’s economy is
traditionally based
on the breeding of
camels, sheep, goats
and cattle. Exports
of livestock
products account for
most of the total
export earnings.
Corn, sorghum, and
sugarcane are grown
for domestic
consumption. The
country’s long
coastline is
important in
permitting trade
with the Middle East
and the rest of East
Africa. The
industrial sector is
small. Somalia’s
main natural
resource is uranium.
Other natural
resources are shale,
iron ore and quartz.
Most industries
involve in meat and
fish processing,
sugar refining,
textiles, leather
goods, and fruit and
vegetable canning.
|
GDP at Current
Market Prices:
|
1629 million US$
(1990) |
|
Per Capita GDP:
|
226 US$ (1990) |
|
Share of Sectors
in GDP:
|
59.0%
Agriculture,
10.0% Industry,
31.0% Services,
(1997) |
|
Total Exports:
|
85 million US$
(2002) |
|
Total Imports:
|
351 million US$
(2002) |
|
Major Exports
Items: |
Livestock,
bananas, hides,
skins, myrrh and
fish |
|
Major Imports
Items: |
Manufactured
goods, petroleum
products,
foodstuffs and
construction
material |
|
Major Trading
Partners: |
UAE, Djibouti,
Yemen, Kenya and
Oman |
|
