Background: Intermittent civil war has been a fact of life in Somalia since 1977.

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

Coastline: 3,025 km

Maritime claims: Territorial sea:200 nm

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

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

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

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

Population: 8,424,269 (July 1990), growth rate 0.8% (1990)

Nationality: noun--Somali(s; adjective--Somali

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

Languages: Somali (official; Arabic, Italian, English

Religions: almost entirely Sunni Muslim

Birth rate: 47 births/1000 population (1990)

Death rate: 15 deaths/1000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: - 24 migrants/1000 population (1990)

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

Infant mortality rate: 125 deaths/1000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 53 years male, 54 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 7.3 children born/woman (1990)

Literacy: 11.6% (government est.)

Country name: conventional long form: Somali Democratic Republic

Government type: republic

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

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: Anniversary of the Revolution, 21 October (1969)

Constitution: 25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Executive branch: Chief of State--President and Commander in Chief of the Army Maj. Gen. Mohamed SIAD Barre (since 21 October 1969; Head of Government--Prime Minister Lt. Gen. Mohamed Ali SAMANTAR (since 1 February 1987)

Legislative branch: Somali National Army (including Navy, Air Force, and Air Defense Force), National Police Force

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, Arab League, EAMA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Ambassador ABDIKARIM Ali Omar; 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; US--Ambassador T. Frank CRIGLER; Embassy at Corso Primo Luglio, Mogadishu (mailing address is P. O. Box 574, Mogadishu; telephone p252o (01) 20,811

Flag 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)

Economy overview: One of the world's least developed countries, Somalia has few resources. In 1988 per capita GDP was $210. 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 about 50% 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. At the end of 1988 serious economic problems facing the nation were the external debt of $2.8 billion and double-digit inflation.

Agriculture 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: NA%

Labor force: 2,200,000; very few are skilled laborers; 70% pastoral nomad, 30% agriculture, government, trading, fishing, handicrafts, and other; 53% of population of working age (1985)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget: revenues $273 million; expenditures $405 million, including capital expenditures of $219 million (1987)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: $58.0 million (f.o.b., 1988)
Commodities: livestock, hides, skins, bananas, fish
Partners: US 0.5%, Saudi Arabia, Italy, FRG (1986)

Imports: $354.0 million (c.i.f., 1988)
Commodities: textiles, petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials
Partners: US 13%, Italy, FRG, Kenya, UK, Saudi Arabia (1986)

Debt external: $2.8 billion (1989 est.)

Exchange rates: Somali shillings (So. Sh.) per US$1--643.92 (December 1989), 170.45 (1988), 105.18 (1987), 72.00 (1986), 39.49 (1985)

Electricity
Capacity: 71,000 kW capacity; 65 million kWh produced, 8 kWh per capita (1989)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: NA

Airports: 60 total, 45 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 5 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 20 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Pipelines: 15 km crude oil

Merchant marine: 3 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,563 GRT/9,512 DWT; includes 2 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo

Disputes international: southern half of boundary with Ethiopia is a Provisional Administrative Line; territorial dispute with Ethiopia over the Ogaden; possible claims to Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Kenya based on unification of ethnic Somalis