Somalia (2001) | New Caledonia (2006) | |
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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 | none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 3 provinces named Iles Loyaute, Nord, and Sud |
Age structure | 0-14 years:
44.54% (male 1,670,320; female 1,665,329) 15-64 years: 52.69% (male 1,993,750; female 1,952,437) 65 years and over: 2.77% (male 91,511; female 115,426) (2001 est.) |
0-14 years: 28.4% (male 31,818/female 30,503)
15-64 years: 64.9% (male 71,565/female 70,815) 65 years and over: 6.6% (male 6,773/female 7,772) (2006 est.) |
Agriculture - products | cattle, sheep, goats; bananas, sorghum, corn, sugarcane, mangoes, sesame seeds, beans; fish | vegetables; beef, deer, other livestock products; fish |
Airports | 62 (2000 est.) | 25 (2006) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
5 over 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
total: 11
over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 2 (2006) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total:
57 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 29 under 914 m: 11 (2000 est.) |
total: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 6 (2006) |
Area | total:
637,657 sq km land: 627,337 sq km water: 10,320 sq km |
total: 19,060 sq km
land: 18,575 sq km water: 485 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Texas | slightly smaller than New Jersey |
Background | A SIAD BARRE regime was ousted in January 1991; turmoil, factional fighting, and anarchy followed for nine years. In May of 1991, northern clans declared an independent Republic of Somaliland which 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 the 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 Republic of Puntland, which has also made strides towards reconstructing legitimate, representative government. 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 October 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 or Puntland as independent republics but so far has been unable to reunite them with the unstable regions in the south; numerous warlords and factions are still fighting for control of Mogadishu and the other southern regions. | Settled by both Britain and France during the first half of the 19th century, the island was made a French possession in 1853. It served as a penal colony for four decades after 1864. Agitation for independence during the 1980s and early 1990s ended in the 1998 Noumea Accord, which over a period of 15 to 20 years will transfer an increasing amount of governing responsibility from France to New Caledonia. The agreement also commits France to conduct as many as three referenda between 2013 and 2018, to decide whether New Caledonia should assume full sovereignty and independence. |
Birth rate | 47.23 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 18.11 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Budget | revenues:
$NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA |
revenues: $856.3 million
expenditures: $836.5 million (1996 est.) |
Capital | Mogadishu | name: Noumea
geographic coordinates: 22 16 S, 166 27 E time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | 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 | tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid |
Coastline | 3,025 km | 2,254 km |
Constitution | 25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979
note: the Transitional National Government formed in October 2000 has a mandate to create a new constitution and hold elections within three years |
4 October 1958 (French Constitution) |
Country name | conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Somalia former: Somali Republic, Somali Democratic Republic |
conventional long form: Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies
conventional short form: New Caledonia local long form: Territoire des Nouvelle-Caledonie et Dependances local short form: Nouvelle-Caledonie |
Currency | Somali shilling (SOS) | - |
Death rate | 18.35 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 5.69 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Debt - external | $2.6 billion (1999 est.) | $79 million (1998 est.) |
Dependency status | - | territorial collectivity of France since 1998 |
Diplomatic representation from the US | the US does not have an embassy in Somalia; US interests are represented by the US Embassy in Nairobi at Moi Avenue and Haile Selassie Avenue; mail address: P. O. Box 30137, Unit 64100, Nairobi; APO AE 09831; telephone: [254] (2) 334141; FAX [254] (2) 340838 | none (overseas territory of France) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | Somalia does not have an embassy in the US (ceased operations on 8 May 1991) | none (overseas territory of France) |
Disputes - international | most of the southern half of the boundary with Ethiopia is a Provisional Administrative Line; territorial dispute with Ethiopia over the Ogaden | Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by France and Vanuatu |
Economic aid - recipient | $191.5 million (1995) | $525 million annual subsidy from France (2004) |
Economy - overview | One of the world's poorest and least developed countries, Somalia has few resources. Moreover, much of the economy has been devastated by the civil war. 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 and bananas are the principal exports; sugar, sorghum, corn, fish, and qat are products for the domestic market. The small industrial sector, based on the processing of agricultural products, accounts for 10% of GDP; most facilities have been shut down because of the civil strife. Moreover, ongoing civil disturbances in Mogadishu and outlying areas have interfered with any substantial economic advance and with international aid arrangements. Due to the civil strife, economic data is susceptible to an exceptionally wide margin of error. | New Caledonia has about 25% of the world's known nickel resources. Only a small amount of the land is suitable for cultivation, and food accounts for about 20% of imports. In addition to nickel, substantial financial support from France - equal to more than one-fourth of GDP - and tourism are keys to the health of the economy. Substantial new investment in the nickel industry, combined with the recovery of global nickel prices, brightens the economic outlook for the next several years. |
Electricity - consumption | 241.8 million kWh (1999) | 1.47 billion kWh (2003) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (2003) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (2003) |
Electricity - production | 260 million kWh (1999) | 1.581 billion kWh (2003) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Shimbiris 2,416 m |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Panie 1,628 m |
Environment - current issues | famine; use of contaminated water contributes to human health problems; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification | erosion caused by mining exploitation and forest fires |
Environment - international agreements | party to:
Endangered Species, Law of the Sea signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban |
- |
Ethnic groups | Somali 85%, Bantu, Arabs 30,000 | Melanesian 42.5%, European 37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%, Polynesian 3.8%, Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%, other 3% |
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), 2,616 (1 July 1993)
note: the Republic of Somaliland, a self-declared independent country not recognized by any foreign government, issues its own currency, the Somaliland shilling |
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 95.89 (2005), 96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003), 126.71 (2002), 133.26 (2001) |
Executive branch | 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: ALI Khalifa Galaydh, appointed by the president 8 October 2000 cabinet: appointed by the prime minister and sworn in on 20 October 2000 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. |
chief of state: President of France Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995), represented by High Commissioner Michel MATHIEU (since 15 July 2005)
head of government: President of the Government Marie-Noelle THEMEREAU (since 10 June 2004) cabinet: Consultative Committee consists of eight members chosen from leading figures on the island to advise the High Commissioner elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; high commissioner appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the government elected by the members of the Territorial Congress for a five-year term (no term limits); note - last election held 29 June 2004 when Marie-Noelle THEMEREAU was elected on the third vote with 8 votes for and 3 abstentions |
Exports | $186 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) | NA bbl/day |
Exports - commodities | livestock, bananas, hides, fish (1999) | ferronickels, nickel ore, fish |
Exports - partners | Saudi Arabia 53%, Yemen 19%, UAE 14%, Italy 5%, Pakistan 2% (1999) | Japan 21.4%, France 16%, Taiwan 11.4%, South Korea 10.1%, Spain 9%, China 7.2%, South Africa 5.2%, Belgium 4.5% (2005) |
Fiscal year | NA | calendar year |
Flag description | 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) | the flag of France is used |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $4.3 billion (2000 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
60% industry: 10% (largely shut down in 2000) services: 30% (2000 est.) |
agriculture: 15%
industry: 8.8% services: 76.2% (1997 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $600 (2000 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | NA% | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 10 00 N, 49 00 E | 21 30 S, 165 30 E |
Geography - note | strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal | consists of the main island of New Caledonia (one of the largest in the Pacific Ocean), the archipelago of Iles Loyaute, and numerous small, sparsely populated islands and atolls |
Heliports | - | 6 (2006) |
Highways | 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% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | $314 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) | NA bbl/day |
Imports - commodities | manufactures, petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials (1995) | machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs |
Imports - partners | Djibouti 24%, Kenya 14%, Brazil 13%, Saudi Arabia 10%, India 9% (1999) | France 39%, Singapore 17.4%, Australia 13%, NZ 5.3% (2005) |
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) | none (overseas territory of France); note - a referendum on independence was held in 1998 but did not pass; a new referendum is scheduled for 2014 |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | -0.6% (1996) |
Industries | a few small industries, including sugar refining, textiles, petroleum refining (mostly shut down), wireless communication | nickel mining and smelting |
Infant mortality rate | 123.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | total: 7.57 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 8.27 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | over 100% (businesses print their own money) (2000 est.) | -0.6% (2000 est.) |
International organization participation | ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer) | ICFTU, PIF (observer), SPC, UPU, WFTU, WMO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | 1,800 sq km (1993 est.) | 100 sq km (2003) |
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 | Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; County Courts; Joint Commerce Tribunal Court; Children's Court |
Labor force | 3.7 million (very few are skilled laborers) (1993 est.) | 78,990 (including 11,300 unemployed) (2004) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture (mostly pastoral nomadism) 71%, industry and services 29% | agriculture: 20%
industry: 20% services: 60% (1999 est.) |
Land boundaries | total:
2,366 km border countries: Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,626 km, Kenya 682 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land:
2% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 69% forests and woodland: 26% other: 3% (1993 est.) |
arable land: 0.32%
permanent crops: 0.22% other: 99.46% (2005) |
Languages | Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English | French (official), 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects |
Legal system | NA | the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands; formerly under French law |
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 |
unicameral Territorial Congress or Congres Territorial (54 seats; members belong to the three Provincial Assemblies or Assemblees Provinciales elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 9 May 2004 (next to be held NA 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RPCR-UMP 16, AE 16, UNI-FLNKS 8, UC 7, FN 4, others 3 note: New Caledonia currently holds 1 seat in the French Senate; by 2010, New Caledonia will gain a second seat in the French Senate; elections last held 24 September 2001 (next to be held not later than September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 1; New Caledonia also elects 2 seats to the French National Assembly; elections last held 9 and 16 June 2002 (next to be held by June 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 2 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
46.6 years male: 44.99 years female: 48.25 years (2001 est.) |
total population: 74.27 years
male: 71.29 years female: 77.39 years (2006 est.) |
Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 24% male: 36% female: 14% (1990 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91% male: 92% female: 90% (1976 est.) |
Location | Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia | Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia |
Map references | Africa | Oceania |
Maritime claims | territorial sea:
200 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | none (2000 est.) | total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,566 GRT/2,543 DWT
by type: cargo 1, passenger/cargo 1 (2006) |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of France |
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 | no regular indigenous military forces; French Armed Forces (includes Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie); Police Force |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $NA | NA |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA% | NA |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49:
1,825,302 (2001 est.) |
- |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49:
1,011,400 (2001 est.) |
- |
National holiday | Foundation of the Somali Republic, 1 July (1960) | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) |
Nationality | noun:
Somali(s) adjective: Somali |
noun: New Caledonian(s)
adjective: New Caledonian |
Natural hazards | recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer; floods during rainy season | cyclones, most frequent from November to March |
Natural resources | uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt | nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper |
Net migration rate | 5.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia (2006 est.) |
Pipelines | crude oil 15 km | - |
Political parties and leaders | none | Alliance pour la Caledonie or APLC [Didier LE ROUX]; Caledonian Union or UC; Federation des Comites de Coordination des Independantistes or FCCI [Francois BURCK]; Front National or FN [Guy GEORGE]; Front Uni de Liberation Kanak or FULK [Ernest UNE]; Kanak Socialist Front for National Liberation or FLNKS [leader NA] (includes PALIKA, UNI, UC, and UPM); Parti de Liberation Kanak or PALIKA [Paul NEAOUTYINE and Elie POIGOUNE]; Rally for Caledonia in the Republic (anti independent) or RPCR-UMP [Jacques LAFLEUR]; The Future Together or AE [Harold MARTIN]; Union Nationale pour l'Independance or UNI [Paul NEAOUTYINE]; note - may no longer exist, but Paul NEAOUTYINE has since become a president of Parti de Liberation Kanak or PALIKA; Union Progressiste Melanesienne or UPM [Victor TUTUGORO] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | numerous clan and subclan factions are currently vying for power | NA |
Population | 7,488,773
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 2001 est.) |
219,246 (July 2006 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 3.48% (2001 est.) | 1.24% (2006 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Bender Cassim (Boosaaso), Berbera, Chisimayu (Kismaayo), Merca, Mogadishu | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 0, FM 0, shortwave 4 (1988) | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | 470,000 (1997) | - |
Railways | 0 km | - |
Religions | Sunni Muslim | Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 30%, other 10% |
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: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment:
the public telecommunications system was completely destroyed or dismantled by the civil war factions; all relief organizations depend on their own private systems domestic: recently, local cellular telephone systems have been established in Mogadishu and in several other population centers international: international connections are available from Mogadishu by satellite |
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: country code - 687; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | NA | 55,300 (2005) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | NA | 134,300 (2005) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 6 (plus 25 low-power repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north | coastal plains with interior mountains |
Total fertility rate | 7.11 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 2.28 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NA% | 17.1% (2004) |
Waterways | none | - |