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Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2002) - Somalia (2002)

Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2002) z Somalia (2002)

 British Indian Ocean Territory (2002)Somalia (2002)
 British Indian Ocean TerritorySomalia
Administrative divisions - 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
Age structure - 0-14 years: 44.7% (male 1,737,491; female 1,730,237)


15-64 years: 52.6% (male 2,054,243; female 2,019,980)


65 years and over: 2.7% (male 92,617; female 118,742) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products - cattle, sheep, goats; bananas, sorghum, corn, coconuts, rice, sugarcane, mangoes, sesame seeds, beans; fish
Airports 1 (2001) 54 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


over 3,047 m: 1 (2002)
total: 6


over 3,047 m: 4


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 54


2,438 to 3,047 m: 3


1,524 to 2,437 m: 18


914 to 1,523 m: 30


under 914 m: 3 (2002)
Area total: 60 sq km


land: 60 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago
total: 637,657 sq km


land: 627,337 sq km


water: 10,320 sq km
Area - comparative about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC slightly smaller than Texas
Background Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order which had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia. The SIAD BARRE regime was ousted in January 1991; turmoil, factional fighting, and anarchy have followed for eleven years. In May of 1991, northern clans declared an independent Republic of Somaliland that now includes the administrative regions of Awdal, Woqooyi Galbeed, Togdheer, Sanaag, and Sool. Although not recognized by any government, this entity has maintained a stable existence, aided by the overwhelming dominance of a ruling clan and economic infrastructure left behind by British, Russian, and American military assistance programs. The regions of Bari and Nugaal comprise a neighboring self-declared autonomous state of Puntland, which has been self-governing since 1998, but does not aim at independence; it has also made strides towards reconstructing legitimate, representative government. Puntland also claims Sool and eastern Sanaag. Beginning in 1993, a two-year UN humanitarian effort (primarily in the south) was able to alleviate famine conditions, but when the UN withdrew in 1995, having suffered significant casualties, order still had not been restored. A Transitional National Government (TNG) was created in August 2000 in Arta, Djibouti which was attended by a broad representation of Somali clans. The TNG has a three-year mandate to create a permanent national Somali government. The TNG does not recognize Somaliland as an independent republic but so far has been unable to reunite either Somaliland or Puntland with the unstable regions in the south. Numerous warlords and factions are still fighting for control of Mogadishu and the other southern regions. Suspicion of Somali links with global terrorism complicate the picture.
Birth rate - 46.83 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget - revenues: $NA


expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Capital - Mogadishu
Climate tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds principally desert; December to February - northeast monsoon, moderate temperatures in north and very hot in south; May to October - southwest monsoon, torrid in the north and hot in the south, irregular rainfall, hot and humid periods (tangambili) between monsoons
Coastline 698 km 3,025 km
Constitution - 25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979


note: the Transitional National Government formed in August 2000 has a mandate to create a new constitution and hold elections within three years
Country name conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory


conventional short form: none


abbreviation: BIOT
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Somalia


former: Somali Republic, Somali Democratic Republic
Currency - Somali shilling (SOS)
Death rate - 17.99 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external - $2.6 billion (2000 est.)
Dependency status overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London -
Diplomatic representation from the US none (overseas territory of the UK) the US does not have an embassy in Somalia; US interests are represented by the US Embassy in Nairobi at Mombasa Road; mail address: P. O. Box 30137, Unit 64100, Nairobi; APO AE 09831; telephone: [254] (2) 537800; FAX [254] (2) 537810
Diplomatic representation in the US none (overseas territory of the UK) Somalia does not have an embassy in the US (ceased operations on 8 May 1991); note - the TNG and other factions have representatives in Washington
Disputes - international Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; repatriation is complicated by the US military lease of Diego Garcia, the largest island in the chain most of the southern half of the boundary with Ethiopia is a provisional administrative line; in the Ogaden, regional states have established a variety of conflicting relationships with the Transitional National Government in Mogadishu, feuding factions in Puntland region, and the economically stabile break-away "Somaliland" region; Djibouti maintains economic ties and border accords with "Somaliland" leadership while politically supporting Somali Transitional National Government in Mogadishu; arms smuggling and Oromo rebel activities prompt strict border regime with Kenya
Economic aid - recipient - $60 million (1999 est.)
Economy - overview All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. One of the world's poorest and least developed countries, Somalia has few resources and is prone to drought. Moreover, much of the economy has been devastated by civil war since 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. Livestock, hides, charcoal, and bananas are Somalia's principal exports, while sugar, sorghum, corn, fish, qat, and machined goods are the principal imports. Somalia's small industrial sector, based on the processing of agricultural products, has largely been looted and sold as scrap metal. Despite the seeming anarchy, Somalia's service sector has managed to survive and grow. Telecommunication firms provide wireless services in most major cities and offer the lowest international call rates on the continent. In the absence of a formal banking sector, money exchange services have sprouted throughout the country, handling between $200 million and $500 million in remittances annually. Mogadishu's main market offers a variety of goods from food to the newest electronic gadgets. Hotels continue to operate, and security is provided by militias. Ongoing civil disturbances and clan rivalries, however, have interfered with any broad-based economic development and international aid arrangements. The failure of spring rains caused major food shortages in the south in 2001. Economic data is scare and prone to a wide margin of error.
Electricity - consumption NA kWh 232.5 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports - 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports - 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - production NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military 250 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 100%


hydro: 0%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: Shimbiris 2,416 m
Environment - current issues NA famine; use of contaminated water contributes to human health problems; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Environment - international agreements - party to: Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection


signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban
Ethnic groups - Somali 85%, Bantu and other non-Somali 15% (including Arabs 30,000)
Exchange rates - Somali shillings per US dollar - 11,000 (November 2000), 2,620 (January 1999), 7,500 (November 1997 est.), 7,000 (January 1996 est.), 5,000 (1 January 1995)


note: the Republic of Somaliland, a self-declared independent country not recognized by any foreign government, issues its own currency, the Somaliland shilling
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)


head of government: Commissioner Alan HUCKLE (since 2001); Administrator Louise SAVILL (since NA); note - both reside in the UK


cabinet: NA


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch
chief of state: ABDIKASSIM Salad Hassan (since 26 August 2000); note - Interim President ABDIKASSIM was chosen for a three-year term by a 245-member National Assembly serving as a transitional government; the present political situation is still unstable, particularly in the south, with interclan fighting and random banditry


head of government: Prime Minister HASSAN Abshir Farah (since 12 November 2001)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister and sworn in on 20 October 2000; as of 1 January 2002, the Cabinet was in caretaker status following a no-confidence vote in October 2001 that ousted HASSAN's predecessor


election results: ABDIKASSIM Salad Hassan was elected president of an interim government at the Djibouti-sponsored Arta Peace Conference on 26 August 2000 by a broad representation of Somali clans that comprised a transitional National Assembly
Exports - $186 million f.o.b. (1999 est.)
Exports - commodities - livestock, bananas, hides, fish, charcoal, scrap metal (1999)
Exports - partners - Saudi Arabia 29%, UAE 29%, Yemen 28% (calculated through partners) (2000)
Fiscal year - NA
Flag description white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag light blue with a large white five-pointed star in the center; blue field influenced by the flag of the UN
GDP - purchasing power parity - $4.1 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector - agriculture: 65%


industry: 10%


services: 25% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $550 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate - 3% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates 6 00 S, 71 30 E 10 00 N, 49 00 E
Geography - note archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal
Government - note - An interim Transitional National Government - with a president, prime minister, and 245-member National Assembly - was established in Mogadishu in October 2000. However, other governing bodies continue to exist and control various cities and regions of the country, including Somaliland, Puntland, and traditional clan and faction strongholds.
Highways total: NA km


paved: short stretch of paved road of NA km between port and airfield on Diego Garcia


unpaved: NA km
total: 22,100 km


paved: 2,608 km


unpaved: 19,492 km (1996)
Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Imports - $314 million f.o.b. (1999 est.)
Imports - commodities - manufactures, petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials, qat (1995)
Imports - partners - Djibouti 27%, Kenya 12%, India 9% (2000)
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)
Industrial production growth rate - NA%
Industries - a few light industries, including sugar refining, textiles, petroleum refining (mostly shut down), wireless communication
Infant mortality rate - 122.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) - over 100% (businesses print their own money) (2000 est.)
International organization participation - ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) 3 (one each in Boosaaso, Hargeisa, and Mogadishu) (2000)
Irrigated land 0 sq km (1998 est.) 2,000 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch - following the breakdown of national government, most regions have reverted to Islamic (Shari'a) law with a provision for appeal of all sentences
Labor force - 3.7 million (very few are skilled laborers) (1993 est.)
Labor force - by occupation - agriculture (mostly pastoral nomadism) 71%, industry and services 29%
Land boundaries 0 km total: 2,340 km


border countries: Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,600 km, Kenya 682 km
Land use arable land: NEGL


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (1998 est.)
arable land: 1.66%


permanent crops: 0.04%


other: 98.3% (1998 est.)
Languages - Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English
Legal system the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply no national system; Shari'a and secular courts are in some localities
Legislative branch - unicameral People's Assembly or Golaha Shacbiga


note: fledgling parliament; a transitional 245-member National Assembly began to meet on 13 August 2000 in the town of Arta, Djibouti and is now based in Mogadishu
Life expectancy at birth - total population: 46.96 years


male: 45.33 years


female: 48.65 years (2002 est.)
Literacy - definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 37.8%


male: 49.7%


female: 25.8% (2001 est.)
Location Southern Asia, archipelago in the Indian Ocean, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia
Map references Political Map of the World Africa
Maritime claims exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 3 NM
territorial sea: 200 NM
Merchant marine - none (2002 est.)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016 -
Military branches - A Somali National Army is being reformed under the interim government; numerous factions and clans maintain independent militias, and the Somaliland and Puntland regional governments maintain their own security and police forces
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $15.3 million (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 0.9% (FY01)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 1,881,634 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 1,040,662 (2002 est.)
National holiday - Foundation of the Somali Republic, 1 July (1960); note - 26 June (1960) in Somaliland
Nationality - noun: Somali(s)


adjective: Somali
Natural hazards NA recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer; floods during rainy season
Natural resources coconuts, fish, sugarcane uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas, likely oil reserves
Net migration rate - 5.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Pipelines - crude oil 15 km
Political parties and leaders - none
Political pressure groups and leaders - numerous clan and subclan factions are currently vying for power
Population no indigenous inhabitants


note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles around the time of the construction of UK-US military facilities; in 2001, there were approximately 1,500 UK and US military personnel and 2,000 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2002 est.)
7,753,310


note: this estimate was derived from an official census taken in 1975 by the Somali Government; population counting in Somalia is complicated by the large number of nomads and by refugee movements in response to famine and clan warfare (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line - NA%
Population growth rate - 3.46% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors Diego Garcia Boosaaso, Berbera, Chisimayu (Kismaayo), Merca, Mogadishu
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 0, FM 1, shortwave 5 (2001)
Radios NA 470,000 (1997)
Railways - 0 km
Religions - Sunni Muslim
Sex ratio - at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female


total population: 1 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Suffrage - 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available


domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet


international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)
general assessment: the public telecommunications system was almost completely destroyed or dismantled by the civil war factions; private wireless companies offer service in most major cities and charge the lowest international rates on the continent


domestic: local cellular telephone systems have been established in Mogadishu and in several other population centers


international: international connections are available from Mogadishu by satellite (2001)
Telephones - main lines in use NA 15,000 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular - NA
Television broadcast stations 1 (1997) 3


note: two in Mogadishu; one in Hargeisa (2001)
Terrain flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation) mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north
Total fertility rate - 7.05 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate - NA%
Waterways none none
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