| COUNTRY FACTS: SOMALIA | |
|---|---|
| Name(official): | Somali Republic |
| Name(short): | Somalia |
| Capital City: | Mogadishu |
| Location: | Horn of Africa in Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian ocean, east of Ethiopia. |
| Coordinate: | 10 00 N, 49 00 E |
| 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) |
| President: | Adan Mohamed Nuur Madobe (Interim President from Dec. 2008) Nur Hassan Hussein (Prime Minister; 2007 Nov. to date) Abdullahi YUSUF Ahmed(Ex.President 2004 to 2008), Ali Mohamed GEDI(Ex.Prime Minister 2004 to 2007). |
| Type of Government: | No permanent national government |
| Total Area: | 637 657sq.km. |
| Population: | 8 863 338 |
| People: | Somali85%, Bantu and other non-Somalis15% (including 3000 Arabs) |
| Religion: | Sunni Muslims |
| Languages: | Somali(Official), Arabic, Italian, French. |
| Literacy: | 37.8%total, 49.7%male, 25.8%female (2001 est.) |
| Currency: | Somali shilling (SOS) |
| GDP(per capita): | $600 (2005 est.) |
| Arable Land: | 1.64% (2005 est.) |
| Agriculture: | bananas, sorghum, corn, coconuts, rice, sugarcane, mangoes, sesame seeds, beans; cattle, sheep, goats; fish. |
| Natural resources: | uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas, likely oil reserves. |
| Embassy in Japan: |
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| General Info: | |
| International Phone Code: | +252 |
ECONOMY: BUSINESS, TRADE AND INVESTMENT
- Bank Of Somaliland
- Tourism:
MAJOR CITIES
Mogadishu, Baidoa, Beledweyne, Bardheere, Chisimayu, Hargeysa, Burao, Hobyo.
NEWS
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:
- United Nations
- African Union
- Organization of Islamic Conference -OIC
- CEN-SAD
- IGAD
- NEPAD
GOVERNMENT: ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS
18 regions (plural - NA, singular - gobolka); Awdal, Bakool, Banaadir, Bari, Bay, Galguduud, Gedo, Hiiraan, Jubbada Dhexe, Jubbada Hoose, Mudug, Nugaal, Sanaag, Shabeellaha Dhexe, Shabeellaha Hoose, Sool, Togdheer, Woqooyi Galbeed.