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1. WordNet® 3.0 (2006)
Somalia
    n 1: a republic in extreme eastern Africa on the Somali
         peninsula; subject to tribal warfare

2. CIA World Factbook 2002
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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