In any case, I don't want to get into a political discussion of Somalia
in NATIVE-L, but if anyone has factual information relating to the people
and customs of the indigenous people of Somalia, it might be appropriate
for NATIVE-L. We never have settled the matter, I guess. If others have
opinions on the subject, please send them to me. I'll post a summary of
those messages, with anonymous excerpts in a week or two if there is suf-
ficient interest. --Gary ]
I think I should mention that this information is from the "CIA World Fact
Book." Can you say "oxymoron" boys and girls? Can you say "one of the
reasons that country is in such a mess in the first place?"
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
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The African Country of: SOMALIA
GEOGRAPHY
Total area: 637,660 km2; land area: 627,340 km2
Comparative area: 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 claims:
Territorial 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
Natural 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%
Environment: recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern
plains in summer; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion;
desertification
Note: strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern
approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal
PEOPLE
Population: 6,709,161 (July 1991), growth rate 3.3% (1991)
Birth rate: 46 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate: 13 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Infant mortality rate: 116 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Life expectancy at birth: 56 years male, 56 years female (1991)
Total fertility rate: 7.2 children born/woman (1991)
Nationality: noun--Somali(s); adjective--Somali
Ethnic divisions: Somali 85%, rest mainly Bantu; Arabs 30,000,
Europeans 3,000, Asians 800
Religion: almost entirely Sunni Muslim
Language: Somali (official); Arabic, Italian, English
Literacy: 24% (male 36%, female 14%)
age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
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 is
controlled by the government
GOVERNMENT
Long-form name: Somali Democratic Republic
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)
Constitution: 25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September
1979
National holiday: Anniversary of the Revolution, 21 October (1969)
Executive branch: president, two vice presidents, prime minister,
Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral People's Assembly (Golaha Shacbiga)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State--Interim President ALI Mahdi Mohamed (since 27
January 1991);
Head of Government--Prime Minister OMAR Arteh Ghalib
(since 27 January 1991); Deputy Prime Minister MOHAMED Abshir Mussa
(since 27 January 1991)
Political parties and leaders: the United Somali Congress (USC)
ousted the former regime on 27 January 1991; note--formerly the only
party was the Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party (SRSP), headed by
former President and Commander in Chief of the Army Maj. Gen. Mohamed
Siad BARRE
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections:
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
Communists: probably some Communist sympathizers in the government hierarchy
Member of: 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 ABDIKARIM Ali Omar; Chancery
at Suite 710, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20037;
telephone (202) 342-1575; there is a Somali Consulate General in
New York;
US--Ambassador James K. BISHOP; Embassy at K-7, AFGOI Road,
Mogadishu (mailing address is P. O. Box 574, Mogadishu);
telephone 252 (01) 39971; note--US Embassy evacuated and
closed indefinitely in January 1991
Flag: 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 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. Serious economic problems facing the nation are
the external debt of $1.9 billion and double-digit inflation.
GDP: $1.7 billion, per capita $210; real growth rate - 1.4% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 210% (1989)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $190 million; expenditures $195 million, including
capital expenditures of $111 million (1989 est.)
Exports: $58.0 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities--bananas, livestock, fish, hides, skins;
partners--US 0.5%, Saudi Arabia, Italy, FRG (1986)
Imports: $249 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
commodities--petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials;
partners--US 13%, Italy, FRG, Kenya, UK, Saudi Arabia (1986)
External debt: $1.9 billion (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate - 5.0% (1988); accounts for 5% of GDP
Electricity: 72,000 kW capacity; 60 million kWh produced,
7 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries: a few small industries, including sugar refining,
textiles, petroleum refining
Agriculture: dominant sector, led by livestock raising (cattle,
sheep, goats); crops--bananas, sorghum, corn, mangoes, sugarcane; not
self-sufficient in food; fishing potential largely unexploited
Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $639
million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-87), $3.2 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $1.1 billion;
Communist countries (1970-89), $336 million
Currency: Somali shilling (plural--shillings);
1 Somali shilling (So.Sh.) = 100 centesimi
Exchange 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), 39.49 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
COMMUNICATIONS
Highways: 15,215 km total; including 2,335 km bituminous surface,
2,880 km gravel, and 10,000 km improved earth or stabilized soil (1983)
Pipelines: 15 km crude oil
Ports: Mogadishu, Berbera, Chisimayu
Merchant marine: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,913
GRT/9,457 DWT; includes 2 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
Airports: 61 total, 46 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways;
2 with runways over 3,659 m; 5 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 22 with
runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: minimal telephone and telegraph service; radio
relay and troposcatter system centered on Mogadishu connects a few towns;
6,000 telephones; stations--2 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
earth station; scheduled to receive an ARABSAT station
DEFENSE FORCES
Branches: Somali National Army (including Navy, Air Force, and
Air Defense Force), National Police Force, National Security Service
Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,601,690; 902,732 fit for
military service
Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP