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Short information about Somalia
Statistics
| Full name: |
The Somali Democratic Republic |
| Population: |
10.7 million (UN, 2005) |
| Capital: |
Mogadishu |
| Area: |
637,657sq km (246,201 sq miles) |
| Major languages: |
Somali, Arabic, Italian, English |
| Major religion: |
Islam |
| Life expectancy: |
45 years (men), 47 years (women) |
| Monetary unit: |
1 Somali shilling = 100 cents |
| Main exports: |
Livestock, bananas, hides, fish |
| International dialling code: |
+252 |
| Administrative division: |
18 regions |
Somalia flag
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Somalia map
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INTRODUCTION
Somalia is located on the territory known as the Horn of Africa, between the Gulf of Aden on the north and the Indian Ocean on the east. It occupies the territory of about 638, 000 sq km and borders on Djibuti on the northwest, Kenya on the southwest and Ethiopia on the west. Though most part of the country is arid and barren, Somalia has two main rivers, the Shebelle and the Juba.
The climate of the country is principally desert with northeast monsoon from December to February and southwest monsoon from May to October. The temperatures vary from very hot in the south to mild in the north. Rainfalls are occasional, which makes the country relatively unproductive.
The landscape is generally flat, with barren coastal lowland and a hilly interior plateau.
Vegetation in Somalia consists chiefly of coarse grass, thorn bushes and acacia trees, which can tolerate the harsh climate.
Trees producing the resins frankincense and myrrh are indigenous to Somalia, and are found on the northern mountain slopes. Trees in the south include eucalyptus, mahogany, and euphoria trees.
Wildlife is abundant in Somalia and includes elephants, crocodiles, giraffes, leopards, lions and zebras. There are also many poisonous snakes.
PEOPLE
There are about 10 mln. people living in modern Somalia. The vast majority (about 85 %) is Somali and speaks Somali language which is the national tongue, but there are also Bantu-speaking ethnic groups and numerous Arabs. Other languages spoken throughout the country officially are English and Italian. The predominant religion is Islam, which has influenced the culture of the country deeply.
The Somali society is organized into clan families which range from 100,000 to 1000,000 members in size. There are 6 main clans and a number of smaller groups with a complex system of relations within each group or clan family. The Somali deeply value the family and their strong family ties help the nation unite in times of worries and sufferings.
HISTORY
For many centuries the people of Somalia lived as nomads, sharing the same ethnicity, language and culture. Beginning from the 7th century and upto the 17th century, the territory of modern Somalia belonged to the Arsb sultanate, but its modern history started in the 19th century.
By 1900, colonial Italy controlled the south-central and north-eastern Somali regions, while the northwest was a British protectorate, called Somaliland. These two regions joined to create independent Somalia in 1960. In 1969 the army under Mohammad Siad Barre took control over the country. Barre became president and created a socialist one-party state. But his regime confronted tensions from many clan leaders which finally led the country to civil war and the defeat of Barre’s government in 1991. In the same year the southern part of the country declared itself an independent state of Somaliland, while the northeast region declared itself an autonomous area called Puntland. Between Jan. 1991 and Aug. 2000, Somalia had no working government. A fragile parliamentary government was formed in 2000, but it expired in 2003 without establishing control of the country. In 2004, a new transitional parliament was instituted and elected a president. In mid-2005 a newly formed Transitional Federal Government was established in the south, with very restricted influence. Though some real successes have resulted from this, it will no doubt take much time and effort to set up and maintain a functioning central government. Nevertheless, the period of peace caused significant economic growth and social development: schools and a university were established both in Somaliland and Puntland and refugees started to return to their homelands from exiles caused by the civil war.
POLITICS
Abdullahi Yusuf pledged reconciliation, reconstruction |
Today’s Somalia leader is Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, who was chosen President by Somalia interim parliament in October 2004. The President defines his aim as rebuilding of the country and promises to promote peace and reconciliation. |
Prime Minister Ghedi: Aims to reconcile clan fiefdoms |
The Prime Minister, Ali Mohamed Gedi was relatively unknown in political circles when he was appointed as Prime Minister in November 2004. the Prime Minister strives to establish an inclusive government in the country and to stop fighting in Mogadishu. |
ECONOMY
The republic is not extremely rich in minerals, and though large deposits of uranium, natural gas and oil are believed to be situated here, they have not yet been developed.
Agriculture comprises the main part of the economy with livestock – principally camels, sheep, goats and cattle - being the bulk of it. The major exported crop is bananas; other important crops include sugarcane, corn, mangoes and cotton. There is a small fishing industry based on large resources of tuna and sharks living in the warm coastal waters still unpolluted by industry waste. The export of aromatic woods from a small forested area also contributes to the economy of the country.
The main trading partners of the country are Saudi Arabia, Kenya, Djibouti and Italy.
With the help of foreign aid some enterprises of the light industry such as textiles, handicrafts, meet and sugar processing, printing have been established throughout the country.
Despite the difficulties the service sector has managed to survive and grow. For instance, markets in Mogadishu offer its visitors a wide range of products from food to modern electronic equipment. Hotels continue to operate in major cities and these are the true signs of the country’s economic and social development.
There are no railroads in Somalia, the main means of transport being truck and bus. The total length of roads in Somalia is about 22,000 km, but not all of them are all-weather roads. Air transportation is represented by a number of small charter companies which serve both domestic and international routs to Djibouti and the United Arab Emirates. The main ports are Bosaso and Kismayo in the south and Berbera in the north.
SDR Economy
Mogadishu
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Somali restaurant
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Boroma market
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Somalia jewellery
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