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Country Guide > Africa > Somalia | |
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General Information Area 637,657 sq km (246,201 sq miles). Population 9,480,000 (UN estimate 2002). Population Density 14.9 per sq km. Capital Mogadishu. Population: 1,219,000 (UN projection 2000, including suburbs). Geography Somalia is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Aden, to the south and west by Kenya, to the west by Ethiopia and to the northwest by Djibouti. To the east lies the Indian Ocean. Somalia is an arid country and the scenery includes mountains in the north, the flat semi-desert plains in the interior and the subtropical region in the south. Separated from the sea by a narrow coastal plain, the mountains slope south and west to the central, almost waterless plateau which makes up most of the country. The beaches are protected by a coral reef that runs from Mogadishu to the Kenyan border in the south. They are among the longest in the world. There are only two rivers, the Jubba and the Shabeelle, and both rise in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia. Along their banks is most of the country’s agricultural land. The Somali population is concentrated in the coastal towns, in the wetter, northern areas and in the south near the two rivers. A large nomadic population is scattered over the interior, although drought in recent years has led to many settling as farmers or fishermen in newly formed communities. Government Somalia gained independence from the UK and Italy in 1960. At the Arta Peace Conference in August 2000, an interim parliament was established. Executive President: Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed since 2004. Prime Minister: Ali Mohamed Ghedi since 2004. The northern part of the country declared itself independent as the Republic of Somaliland with Dahir Riyale Kahin as acting president since 2002. Language Somali and Arabic are the official languages. Swahili is spoken, particularly in the south. English and Italian are also widely spoken. Religion The state religion is Islam and the majority of Somalis are Sunni Muslims. There is a small Christian community, mostly Roman Catholic. Time GMT + 3. Electricity 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Communications Telephone IDD is available. Country code: 252. Outgoing international calls must be made via the operator. Mobile telephone GSM 900 network. Operators are Hormuud Telecom Somalia Inc, Nationlink (website: www.nationlinks.net) and Telesom (website: www.telesom.net). Internet Somalia’s SomaliNet (website: www.somalinet.com) is one of the country’s first ISPs. Internet facilities for visitors are yet to be fully established. Telegram There are limited facilities in the capital, but the main post office in Mogadishu, opposite the Hotel Juba, offers services. Post Airmail to Europe takes up to two weeks. Press No English-language dailies are published. Radio BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online. |