Statistical information Somalia 1992

Somalia in the World
top of pageBackground: Intermittent civil war has been a fact of life in Somalia since 1977. In 1991 the northern portion of the country declared its independence as Somaliland; although de facto independent and relatively stable compared to the tumultuous south it has not been recognized by any foreign government.
top of pageLocationGeographic coordinatesMap referenceAreaTotal: 637,660 km²
Land: 627,340 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries:
2,340 km total; Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,600 km,
Kenya 682 km
Coastline: 3,025 km
Maritime claimsTerritorial sea: 200 nm
Disputes: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
Climate: desert; northeast monsoon (December to February), cooler southwest monsoon (May to October; irregular rainfall; hot, humid periods (tangambili) between monsoons
Terrain: mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north
ElevationNatural resources: uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt
Land use: arable land: 2%; permanent crops: NEGL%; meadows and pastures 46%; forest and woodland 14%; other 38%; includes irrigated 3%
Irrigated landMajor riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographytop of pagePopulation: 7,235,226 (July 1992), growth rate 2.1% (1992)
Nationality: noun - Somali(s; adjective - Somali
Ethnic groups: Somali 85%, rest mainly Bantu; Arabs 30,000, Europeans 3,000, Asians 800
Languages: Somali (official; Arabic, Italian, English
Religions: almost entirely Sunni Muslim
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rateBirth rate: 46 births/1000 population (1992)
Death rate: 13 deaths/1000 population (1992)
Net migration rate: -12 migrants/1000 population (1992)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Current issues note:strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to
Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 115 deaths/1000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth: 56 years male, 57 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate: 7.1 children born/woman (1992)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: 24% (male 36%, female 14%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: none
Government type: none
Capital: Mogadishu
Administrative divisions:
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
Dependent areasIndependence:
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: NA
Constitution: 25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979
Legal systemInternational law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: 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
Executive branch:
president, two vice presidents, prime minister,
Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral People's Assembly (Golaha Shacbiga)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation:
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
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador (vacant); Chancery at Suite 710, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,037; telephone (202) 342-1575; there is a Somali Consulate General in New York; note - Somalian Embassy ceased operations on 8 May 1991
US:Ambassador (vacant); Embassy at K-7, AFGOI Road, Mogadishu (mailing address is P. O. Box 574, Mogadishu); telephone 252 (01) 39,971; note - US
Embassy evacuated and closed indefinitely in January 1991
Diplomatic representationFlag description
: 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)
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview:
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.
Greatly increased political turmoil in 1991-92 has resulted in a substantial drop in output, with widespread famine a grim fact of life.
GDP: exchange rate conversion - $1.7 billion, per capita $210; real growth rate -1.4% (1988)
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rateReal gdp per capitaGross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: dominant sector, led by livestock raising (cattle, sheep, goats; crops - bananas, sorghum, corn, mangoes, sugarcane; not self-sufficient in food; fishing potential largely unexploited
Industries: a few small industries, including sugar refining, textiles, petroleum refining
Industrial production growth rate: growth rate -5.0% (1988; accounts for 5% of GDP
Labor force: 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)
Organized labor: General Federation of Somali Trade Unions was controlled by the government prior to January 1991; the fall of SIAD regime may have led to collapse of Trade Union organization
Unemployment rate: NA%
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $190 million; expenditures $195 million, including capital expenditures of $111 million (1989 est.)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $58.0 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
Commodoties: bananas, livestock, fish, hides, skins
Partners: US 0.5%, Saudi Arabia, Italy, FRG (1986)
Imports: $249 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.)
Commodoties: petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials
Partners: US 13%, Italy, FRG, Kenya, UK, Saudi Arabia (1986)
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt externalStock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: Somali shillings (So. Sh.) per US$1 - 3,800.00 (December 1990), 490.7 (1989), 170.45 (1988), 105.18 (1987), 72.00 (1986)
top of pageElectricityProduction: 75,000 kW capacity; 60 million kWh produced, 10 kWh per capita (1991)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresPercent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports:
53 total, 40 usable; 7 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 6
with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 15
with runways 1,220-2,439 m
HeliportsPipelines: crude oil 15 km
RailwaysRoadwaysWaterwaysMerchant marine:
3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,913 GRT/8,718
DWT; includes 2 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo
Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft
Ports and terminalsSomalia - Transnational issues 1992
top of pageDisputes internationalRefugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs