Somalia

Soomaaliya

Flag Coat of arms
Motto: None
Anthem: Somalian National Anthem
Capital	Mogadishu 2°02′ N 45°21′ E
Largest city	Mogadishu
Official language(s)	Somali
Government President ( de jure) Prime Minister ( de jure)	none Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed Ali Muhammad Ghedi
Independence - Merged territory	From the United Kingdom and Italy July 1, 1960
Area • Total • Water (%)	637,657 km² ( 41st) {{{areami²}}} mi² 1.6%%
Population • 2005 est. • 1975 census • Density	8,591,629 ( 87) ~3,300,000 13/km² ( 170) {{{population_densitymi²}}}/mi²
GDP ( PPP) • Total • Per capita	2004 estimate 4,597,000,000 ( n/a) 600 ( n/a)
HDI ( 2003)	NA ( unranked) – NA
Currency	Shilling ( SOS)
Time zone • Summer ( DST)	{{{time_zone}}} ( UTC+3) not observed ( UTC+3)
Internet TLD	.so
Calling code	+252

Somalia ( Somali: Soomaaliya; Arabic: الصومال, As-Suumaal), formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic, is a coastal nation in East Africa. Continentally, it is entirely surrounded by Ethiopia and Djibouti on the north and mid-west, and Kenya on its south-west; with the Gulf of Aden on its east. It currently exists solely in a de jure capacity. Somalia has no recognized central government authority, no national currency, nor any other feature associated with an established nation state. De facto authority resides in the hands of the governments for the unrecognized entities of Somaliland, Puntland, and other rival warlords.

History

The independence of Somaliland from Britain was proclaimed on June 26, 1960, and on July 1, 1960, unification of the British and ex-Italian Somali protectorates took place. The government formed with Abdullahi Isse, Aden Abdullah Osman Daar was appointed President and Abdirashid Ali Shermarke as Prime Minister. Later, during 1967, Mohammed Ibrahim Egal became Prime Minister in Aden Abdullahi Osman (nicknamed Aden Adde)'s government. Egal was later chosen as President of a self-declared Somaliland. He died in a hospital in Pretoria on May 3, 2002.

In late 1969, a military government assumed power following the assassination of Shermarke, who had been chosen, and served as, President from 1967–1969. Mohamed Siad Barre, a General in the armed forces who was an ally of and helped protect Aden Abullahi Osman's government, became the President in 1969 following a coup d'état. The revolutionary army leaders, headed by Barre, established large-scale public works programmes. They also successfully implemented an urban and rural literacy campaign, in which they helped to dramatically increase the literacy rate from a mere 5% to 55% by the mid- 1980s.

Intermittent civil war has been a fact of life in Somalia since 1977. In 1991, insurgent forces led by Mohammed Farah Aidid, leader of the United Somali Congress (USC), ousted Siad Barre's government. The same year, the northern portion of the country declared its independence as Somaliland; although de facto independent and relatively stable compared to the tumultuous south, it has not been recognized by any foreign government.

Beginning in 1993, a two-year UN humanitarian effort (primarily in the south) was able to alleviate famine conditions. The UN withdrew in Operation United Shield by March 3, 1995, having suffered significant casualties, and order has not yet been restored.

Yet another secession from Somalia took place in the northeastern region. The self-proclaimed state took the name Puntland after declaring "temporary" independence in 1998, with the intention that it would participate in any Somali reconciliation to form a new central government.

A third secession occurred in 1998 with the declaration of the state of Jubaland. The territory of Jubaland is now encompassed by the state of Southwestern Somalia and its status is unclear.

A fourth self-proclaimed entity led by the Rahanweyn Resistance Army (RRA), was set up in 1999, along the lines of the heat or desert Puntland. This "temporary" secession was reasserted in 2002, leading to de facto autonomy of Southwestern Somalia. The RRA had originally set up an autonomous administration over the Bay and Bakool regions of south and central Somalia in 1999.

Somalia was one of the many countries devastated by the tsunami which struck the Indian Ocean coast following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, destroying entire villages and killing an estimated 300 people.

Politics

Somalia has had no effective national government since 1991. In the northwest, there is the breakaway republic of Somaliland. In the rest of the country there are various warlords, cf. Puntland and Southwestern Somalia. In 2000, the international community recognised the Transitional National Government, originally headed by Abdulkassim Salat Hassan, as the government for the entire country. Currently however it controls only part of the capital, Mogadishu.

On October 14, 2004 Somali MPs elected warlord Abdullahi Yusuf, previously president of Puntland, to be the next president. Because of the chaotic situation in Mogadishu, the election was held in a sports centre in Nairobi, Kenya. Yusuf was elected transitional President by Somalia's transitional parliament. He won 189 of the 275 votes from members of parliament. The session of Parliament was also held in neighbouring Kenya. His government is recognized by most western nations as the country's legitimate rulers, though his actual authority is extremely questionable.

Many other small political organizations exist, some clan-based, others seeking a Somalia free from clan-based politics (such as the United Somali Front). Many of them have come into existence since the new president was chosen.

Population

Somalia has a population of around 8,591,000. However, estimates are very difficult because of the continuing situation. The last census was in 1975. Most outside analysts use this estimate but Somalia is one of the fastest growing countries in Africa and the world. Some estimates range between 6 and 15 million.

Because of the war, Somalia has a large diaspora. Ethnic Somalis have lived for centuries in large areas of what is now Ethiopia and Kenya. They are also a majority in Djibouti, where they share area with the Afars. There are over a million Somalis (including the minorities) outside Africa. Somalia now has one of the largest diaspora communities of the whole continent. All of these factors and the mostly nomadic nature of the Somalis has made proper estimates very difficult.

Clans and ethnic groups

• Somali clans, including:
  • Hawiye
  • Isaaq
  • Dir
  • Darod
  • Digil & Mifle
• Bantu
• other groups including Arabs

Provinces

Somalia is divided into eighteen regions (singular gobolka, plural gobollada):

• Awdal
• Bakool
• Banaadir
• Bari
• Bay
• Galguduud
• Gedo
• Hiiraan
• Jubbada Dhexe
• Jubbada Hoose
• Mudug
• Nugaal
• Sanaag
• Shabeellaha Dhexe
• Shabeellaha Hoose
• Sool
• Togdheer
• Woqooyi Galbeed

Geography

Somalia is located on the east coast of Africa on and north of the Equator between the Gulf of Aden on the north and Indian Ocean on the east. Together with Ethiopia and Djibouti it is often referred to as the Horn of Africa. It borders Djibouti on the northwest, Ethiopia on the west, and Kenya on southwest. Somalia comprises Italy's former Trust Territory of Somalia and the former British Protectorate of Somaliland (now seeking recognition as an independent state). The coastline extends 2,720 kilometres (1,700 mi) -- the longest coastline in Africa.

The northern part of the country is hilly, and in many places the altitude ranges between 900 and 2,100 metres (3,000 ft.-7,000 ft.) above sea level. The central and southern areas are flat, with an average altitude of less than 180 metres (600 ft.). The Juba and the Shebelle Rivers rise in Ethiopia and flow south across the country towards the Indian Ocean. The Shebelle, however, does not reach the sea except during seasons of high rain.

Major climatic factors are a year-round hot climate, seasonal monsoon winds, and irregular rainfall with recurring droughts. Mean daily maximum temperatures range from 30°C to 40°C (85° F-105°F), except at higher elevations and along the east coast. Mean daily minimums usually vary from about 15°C to 30°C (60°F-85°F). The southwest monsoon, a sea breeze, makes the period from about May to October the mildest season at Mogadishu. The December-February period of the northeast monsoon is also relatively mild, although prevailing climatic conditions in Mogadishu are rarely pleasant. The "tangambili" periods that intervene between the two monsoons (October-November and March-May) are hot and humid.

Economy

Somalia has a market economy. It has long been one of the world's poorest and least developed countries and has relatively few natural resources. Somalia's poverty was even further aggravated by the hostilities of the civil war started in 1991. Agriculture is the most important sector, with livestock accounting for about 40% of GDP and about 65% of export earnings. Nomads and semi-nomads, who are dependent upon livestock for their livelihood, make up a large portion of the population. After livestock, bananas are the principal export; sugar, sorghum, maize, and fish are products for the domestic market. The small industrial sector, based on the processing of agricultural products, accounts for 10% of GDP. Somalia continues to have one of the highest child mortality rates in the world, with 10% of children dying at birth and 25% of those surviving birth dying before age five. Medecins Sans Frontieres has further stated that the level of daily violence due to the lack of legitimate security structures is "catastrophic."

In spite of the lack of government there are signs of growth in Somalia. The CIA Factbook notes: "Despite the seeming anarchy, Somalia's service sector has managed to survive and grow. Mogadishu's main market offers a variety of goods from food to the newest electronic gadgets. Hotels continue to operate, and militias provide security." Infrastructure, such as roads are as numerous as those in neighboring countries but of much lower quality. A World Bank report states that the private sector has found it too hard to build roads due to high transaction costs and the fact that those who pay road fees are not the only ones using the road (see free rider problem), presenting a problem with recuperation of investment. The telecommunications is private, offering wireless service and internet cafés. Competing phone companies have agreed on interconnection standards, which were brokered by the United Nations funded Somali Telecom Association. Electricity is furnished by entrepreneurs, who have purchased generators and divided cities into manageable sectors. In 1989, before the collapse of the government, the national airline had only one airplane. Now there are approximately 15 airlines, over 60 aircraft, 6 international destinations, and more domestic routes. The private sector also supplies drinking water. However, a statistic from 2000 indicated that only 21% of the population had access to safe drinking water at that time.

With the collapse of the central government, the education system is now private. A World Bank study reports "modest gains in education." As last measured in 2001, primary school enrollment, which stood at 17%, was nearly at pre-war levels, and secondary school enrollment had been increasing since 1998. However, "adult literacy is estimated to have declined from the already low level of 24% in 1989 to 17.1% in 2001." [1] A more recent 2003 study reported that the literacy rate had risen to 19%. [2] In comparison, literacy is at 49% in wealthier West Africa and 35% among its neighbours. Higher education ended completely in the civil war of 1991, but Mogadishu University reopened in 1998 and its first class graduated in 2001. Other universities have opened in other cities. In addition to customer fees, much of the funding for the education system comes from international Islamic charities such as Al-Islah. [3]

The main problem affecting economic growth is the lack of stability. An example of this is that in Mogadishu, some businessmen would prefer to pay taxes to a government to maintain security rather than to pay warlords for protection from bandits.

Remittance services has become a large industry in Somalia. Successful people from the world-wide diaspora who fled because of the war contribute to the economy around $2 billion annually. In the absence of a formal banking sector, money exchange services have sprouted throughout the country, handling between $500 million and $1 billion in remittances annually. Wireless communications has also become a giant economic force in Somalia. Because of the war, nobody really knows the size of the economy or how much it is growing.

References:

• Anarchy and Invention: How Does Somalia's Private Sector Cope without Government?

Demographics and languages

As early as the seventh century, indigenous Cushitic peoples began to mingle with Arab and Persian traders who had settled along the coast. Interaction over the centuries led to the emergence of a Somali culture bound by common traditions, a single language, and the Islamic faith.

Today, about 60% of all Somalis are nomadic or semi-nomadic pastoralists who raise cattle, camels, sheep, and goats. About 25% of the population are settled farmers who live mainly in the fertile agricultural region between the Juba and Shebelle rivers in southern Somalia. The remainder of the population (15%-20%) is urban.

Sizable ethnic groups in the country include Bantu agricultural workers, several thousand Arabs and some hundreds of Indians and Pakistanis. Apart from the Brava people who speak a language similar to Swahili, nearly all inhabitants speak the Somali language. A population of Italian descent, which dated back to Somalia's colonial era, began to emigrate following independence and by the outbreak of war most Italian Somalis had left the country.

The language remained unwritten until October 1973, when the Supreme Revolutionary Council (SRC) proclaimed it the nation's official language and decreed an orthography using Latin letters. Somali is now the language of instruction in schools, which are few. Arabic, English, and Italian also are used extensively.

Telecommunications

Somalia's public telecommunications system was almost completely destroyed or dismantled; however, private wireless companies exist in most major cities and actually provide better services than in neighbouring countries, despite (or perhaps due to) Somalia's lack of government. Somalia has the cheapest cellular calling rates in Africa, with some companies charging less than a cent a minute. Some of the factors that have created this situation are lack of a government-granted monopoly and taxation, and the neutrality of telecommunication firms vis-a-vis the warlords [4]. Companies providing telecommunication services are:

• SOMTEL
• Galkom
• Global Internet Company
• Hormuud
• Telcom
• Nationlink
• Netco
• STG
• Dahabshiil
• Daallo