Background: Between A.D. 800 and 1100, immigrant Muslim Arabs and Persians set up coastal trading posts along the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, solidifying present-day Somalia’s close trading relationship with the Arab Peninsula. In the late 19th century, Britain, France, and Italy established colonies in the Somali Peninsula that lasted until 1960, when British Somaliland gained independence and joined with Italian Somaliland to form the Republic of Somalia. The country functioned as a parliamentary democracy until 1969, when General Mohamed SIAD Barre took control in a coup, beginning a 22-year socialist dictatorship. In an effort to centralize power, SIAD called for the eradication of the clan, the key cultural and social organizing principle in Somali society. Resistance to SIAD’s socialist leadership, which was causing a rapid deterioration of the country, prompted allied clan militias to overthrow SIAD in 1991, resulting in state collapse. Subsequent fighting between rival clans for resources and territory overwhelmed the country, causing a manmade famine and prompting international intervention. Beginning in 1993, the UN spearheaded an international humanitarian mission, but the international community largely withdrew by 1995 after an incident that became known as Black Hawk Down, in which two US military helicopters were shot down in Mogadishu. The fighting and subsequent siege and rescue resulted in 21 deaths and 82 wounded among the international forces. International peace conferences in the 2000s resulted in a number of transitional governments that operated outside Somalia. Left largely to themselves, Somalis in the country established alternative governance structures; some areas formed their own administrations, such as Somaliland and Puntland, while others developed localized institutions. Many local populations turned to sharia courts, an Islamic judicial system that implements religious law. Several of these courts came together in 2006 to form the Islamic Courts Union (ICU). The ICU established order in many areas of central and southern Somalia, including Mogadishu, but was forced out when Ethiopia intervened militarily in 2006 on behalf of the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG). As the TFG settled in the capital, the ICU fled to rural areas or left Somalia altogether, but the organization reemerged less than a year later as the Islamic insurgent and terrorist movement al-Shabaab, which is still active today. In 2007, the African Union (AU) established a peacekeeping force, took over security responsibility for the country, and gave the TFG space to develop Somalia’s new government. By 2012, Somali powerbrokers agreed on a provisional constitution with a loose federal structure and established a central government in Mogadishu called the Somali Federal Government (SFG). Since then, the country has seen several interim regional administrations and three presidential elections, but significant governance and security problems remain because al-Shabaab still controls large portions of the country.

Area
Total: 637,657 km²
Land: 627,337 km²
Water: 10,320 km²
Comparative: almost five times the size of Alabama; slightly smaller than Texas

Land boundaries
Total: 2,385 km
Border countries (3): (3) Djibouti 61 km; Ethiopia 1,640 km; Kenya 684 km

Coastline: 3,025 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 200 nm; note: the US does not recognize this claim
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate: principally desert; northeast monsoon (December to February), moderate temperatures in north and hot in south; southwest monsoon (May to October), 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
Highest point: Mount Shimbiris 2,460 m
Lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
Mean elevation: 410 m

Land use
Agricultural land: 70.3% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 1.8% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 0% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 68.5% (2023 est.)
Forest: 7.9% (2023 est.)
Other: 21.7% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: 2,000 km² (2012)

Natural hazards: recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer; floods during rainy season

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

Population
Total: 13,017,273 (2024 est.)
Male: 6,546,312
Female: 6,470,961
Distribution: distribution varies greatly throughout the country; least densely populated areas are in the northeast and central regions, as well as areas along the Kenyan border; most populated areas are in and around the cities of Mogadishu, Marka, Boorama, Hargeysa, and Baidoa, as shown on this population distribution map
Growth rate: 2.55% (2024 est.)

Languages: Somali (official), Arabic (official), Italian, English
Major-language sample(s): ; Buugga Xaqiiqda Aduunka, waa laga maarmaanka macluumaadka assasiga. (Somali); The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions: Muslim 99.9% (Sunni Muslim 98.1%, Shia Muslim 1.2%, Islamic schismatic 0.6%), ethnic religionist 0.1% (2020 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 41.4% (male 2,689,086/female 2,694,372)
15-64 years: 55.8% (male 3,699,721/female 3,568,163)
65 years and over: 2.8% (2024 est.) (male 157,505/female 208,426)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 100.9 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 97.6 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 3.2 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 30.8 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 19.1 years (2024 est.)
Male: 19.3 years
Female: 18.9 years

Population growth rate: 2.55% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 37.4 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 11.2 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Population distribution: distribution varies greatly throughout the country; least densely populated areas are in the northeast and central regions, as well as areas along the Kenyan border; most populated areas are in and around the cities of Mogadishu, Marka, Boorama, Hargeysa, and Baidoa, as shown on this population distribution map

Urbanization
Urban population: 47.9% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 4.2% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 2.610 million MOGADISHU (capital), 1.127 million Hargeysa (2023)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 563 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 83.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 93.2 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 73.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 56.5 years (2024 est.)
Male: 54.1 years
Female: 59 years

Total fertility rate: 5.12 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Drinking water source
Urban: 19.9% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 61.4% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 41.7% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 17.1% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 65.2% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 42.4% of population (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 18.9% (2024 est.); 19% (2023 est.); 19.1% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Capital
Name: Mogadishu
Geographic coordinates: 2 04 N, 45 20 E
Time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: the name is probably derived from the Arabic word mukaddas, meaning 'holy'

Administrative divisions: 18 regions (gobollo, singular - gobol); Awdal, Bakool, Banaadir, Bari, Bay, Galguduud, Gedo, Hiiraan, Jubbada Dhexe (Middle Jubba), Jubbada Hoose (Lower Jubba), Mudug, Nugaal, Sanaag, Shabeellaha Dhexe (Middle Shabeelle), Shabeellaha Hoose (Lower Shabeelle), Sool, Togdheer, Woqooyi Galbeed

Legal system: mixed system of civil law, Islamic (sharia) law, and customary law (referred to as Xeer)

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt

Executive branch
Chief of state: President HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud (since 23 May 2022)
Head of government: Prime Minister Hamza Abdi BARRE (since 25 June 2022)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister, approved by the House of the People
Election/appointment process: president indirectly elected by the Federal Parliament by two-thirds majority vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a single 4-year term; prime minister appointed by the president, approved by the House of the People
Most recent election date: 15 May 2022
2022: HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud elected president in third round - Federal Parliament percent of vote in first round - Said ABDULLAHI DENI (Kaah) 20.2%, Mohamed ABDULLAHI Mohamed 'Farmaajo' (TPP) 18.3%, HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud (PDP) 16.2%, Hassan Ali KHAYRE (independent) 14.6%, other 30.7%; Federal Parliament percent of vote in second round - HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud 34.1%, Mohamed ABDULLAHI Mohamed 'Farmaajo' 25.7%, Said ABDULLAHI DENI 21%, Hassan Ali KHAYRE 19.2%; Federal Parliament percent of vote in third round - HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud 66%, Mohamed ABDULLAHI Mohamed 'Farmaajo' 34%
2017: Mohamed ABDULLAHI Mohamed 'Farmaajo' elected president in second round; Federal Parliament number of votes in first round - HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud (PDP) 88, Mohamed ABDULLAHI Mohamed 'Farmaajo' (TPP) 72, Sheikh SHARIF Sheikh Ahmed (ARS) 49, other 37; Federal Parliament number of votes in second round - Mohamed ABDULLAHI Mohamed 'Farmaajo' 184, HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud 97, Sheikh SHARIF Sheikh Ahmed 45
Expected date of next election: 2026

Legislative branch
Legislature name: Federal Parliament
Legislative structure: bicameral
Note: despite the formation of political parties in 2020, the 2021 parliamentary elections maintained a primarily clan-based system of appointments; seats in the legislature were apportioned to Somali member states and not by party representation

Flag description: light blue with a large white five-pointed star in the center

National anthem
Title: 'Qolobaa Calankeed' (Every Nation Has Its Own Flag)
Lyrics/music: Abdullahi QARSHE
History: adopted 2012

Real gdp growth rate: 4% (2024 est.); 4.2% (2023 est.); 2.7% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: 4% (2024 est.); 4.2% (2023 est.); 2.7% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 124% (2024 est.)
Government consumption: 7.6% (2024 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 22.7% (2024 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0% (2024 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 20% (2024 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -74.3% (2024 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Industries: light industries, including sugar refining, textiles, wireless communication

Labor force: 3.439 million (2024 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 18.9% (2024 est.); 19% (2023 est.); 19.1% (2022 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 18.9% (2024 est.); 19% (2023 est.); 19.1% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Taxes and other revenues: 0% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Exports: $2.424 billion (2024 est.); $2.164 billion (2023 est.); $1.804 billion (2022 est.)
Note: GDP expenditure basis - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: sheep and goats, gold, postage stamps/documents, other animals, cattle (2023)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $9.002 billion (2024 est.); $8.002 billion (2023 est.); $7.456 billion (2022 est.)
Note: GDP expenditure basis - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: raw sugar, tobacco, broadcasting equipment, rice, milk (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Electricity
Installed generating capacity: 156,000 kW (2023 est.)
Consumption: 396.792 million kWh (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 15.408 million kWh (2023 est.)
Access electrification - total population: 48.9% (2022 est.)
Access electrification - urban areas: 76.7%
Access electrification - rural areas: 30.6%
Generation sources fossil fuels: 82.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources solar: 16% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources wind: 1.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal
Imports: 4 metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum
Refined petroleum consumption: 6,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Natural gas
Proven reserves: 5.663 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 838,000 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 10 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 838,000 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 649,000 Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 91,000 (2022 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2022 est.) less than 1
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 8.84 million (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 50 (2022 est.)

Internet
Users percent of population: 28% (2022 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 119,000 (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2022 est.)

Military expenditures: 6% of GDP (2021 est.); 6% of GDP (2020 est.); 5.6% of GDP (2019 est.); 6% of GDP (2018 est.); 5.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

Airports: 40 (2025)

Merchant marine
Total: 4 (2023)
By type: general cargo 1, other 3