Somalia (2004) | Mayotte (2008) | |
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 (territorial overseas collectivity of France) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 44.7% (male 1,860,451; female 1,849,484)
15-64 years: 52.7% (male 2,197,572; female 2,176,762) 65 years and over: 2.7% (male 94,905; female 125,427) (2004 est.) |
0-14 years: 45.8% (male 48,016/female 47,533)
15-64 years: 52.5% (male 59,111/female 50,437) 65 years and over: 1.8% (male 1,864/female 1,822) (2007 est.) |
Agriculture - products | cattle, sheep, goats; bananas, sorghum, corn, coconuts, rice, sugarcane, mangoes, sesame seeds, beans; fish | vanilla, ylang-ylang (perfume essence), coffee, copra |
Airports | 60 (2003 est.) | 1 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 6
over 3,047 m: 4 2438 to 3047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 54
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 19 914 to 1,523 m: 29 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
- |
Area | total: 637,657 sq km
land: 627,337 sq km water: 10,320 sq km |
total: 374 sq km
land: 374 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Texas | slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC |
Background | The SIAD BARRE regime was ousted in January 1991; turmoil, factional fighting, and anarchy have followed in the years since. 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 and northern Mudug 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 a legitimate, representative government, but has suffered some civil strife. Puntland disputes its border with Somaliland as it also claims portions of eastern Sool and 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. The mandate of the Transitional National Government (TNG), created in August 2000 in Arta, Djibouti, expired in August 2003. New Somali President Abdullahi YUSUF Ahmed has formed a new Transitional Federal Government (TFG) consisting of a 275-member parliament. It was established in October 2004 to replace the TNG but has not yet moved to Mogadishu. Discussions regarding the establishment of a new government in Mogadishu are ongoing in Kenya. Numerous warlords and factions are still fighting for control of the capital city as well as for other southern regions. Suspicion of Somali links with global terrorism further complicates the picture. | Mayotte was ceded to France along with the other islands of the Comoros group in 1843. It was the only island in the archipelago that voted in 1974 to retain its link with France and forego independence. |
Birth rate | 46.04 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 40.35 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Budget | revenues: NA
expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA |
revenues: $420 million
expenditures: $394 million (2005) |
Capital | Mogadishu | name: Mamoudzou
geographic coordinates: 12 46 S, 45 13 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 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; marine; hot, humid, rainy season during northeastern monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to November) |
Coastline | 3,025 km | 185.2 km |
Constitution | 25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979
note: the Transitional National Government formed in August 2000 had a three-year mandate to create a new constitution and hold elections, this goal was not achieved but the process is ongoing |
4 October 1958 (French Constitution) |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Somalia former: Somali Republic, Somali Democratic Republic |
conventional long form: Territorial Collectivity of Mayotte
conventional short form: Mayotte |
Currency | Somali shilling (SOS) | - |
Death rate | 17.3 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 7.53 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | $2.6 billion (2000 est.) | $NA |
Dependency status | - | departmental collectivity of France |
Diplomatic representation from the US | the US does not have an embassy in Somalia; US interests are represented by the US Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya at Mombasa Road; mailing address: P. O. Box 30137, Unit 64100, Nairobi; APO AE 09831; telephone: [254] (2) 537800; FAX [254] (2) 537810 | none (territorial overseas collectivity of France) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | 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 and at the United Nations | none (territorial overseas collectivity of France) |
Disputes - international | "Somaliland" secessionists provide port facilities to land-locked Ethiopia and establish commercial ties with regional states; "Puntland" secessionists clash with "Somaliland" secessionists to establish territorial limits and clan loyalties, each seeking support from neighboring states; Ethiopia maintains only an administrative line with the Oromo region of southern Somalia and maintains alliances with local Somali clans opposed to the unrecognized Transitional National Government in Mogadishu | claimed by Comoros |
Economic aid - recipient | $60 million (1999 est.) | $201.3 million; note - extensive French financial assistance (2005) |
Economy - overview | Somalia's economic fortunes are being driven by its deep political divisions. The northern area has declared its independence as "Somaliland"; the central area, Puntland, is a self-declared autonomous state; and the remaining southern portion is riddled with the struggles of rival factions. Economic life continues, in part because much activity is local and relatively easily protected. Agriculture is the most important sector, with livestock normally accounting for about 40% of GDP and about 65% of export earnings, but Saudi Arabia's recent ban on Somali livestock, because of Rift Valley Fever concerns, has severely hampered the sector. Nomads and semi-nomads, who are dependent upon livestock for their livelihood, make up a large portion of the population. Livestock, hides, fish, charcoal, and bananas are Somalia's principal exports, while sugar, sorghum, corn, 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 militias provide security. The ongoing civil disturbances and clan rivalries, however, have interfered with any broad-based economic development and international aid arrangements. In 2002 Somalia's overdue financial obligations to the IMF continued to grow. Statistics on Somalia's GDP, growth, per capita income, and inflation should be viewed skeptically. | Economic activity is based primarily on the agricultural sector, including fishing and livestock raising. Mayotte is not self-sufficient and must import a large portion of its food requirements, mainly from France. The economy and future development of the island are heavily dependent on French financial assistance, an important supplement to GDP. Mayotte's remote location is an obstacle to the development of tourism. |
Electricity - consumption | 227.9 million kWh (2001) | 139.2 million kWh (2005) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | - |
Electricity - production | 245.1 million kWh (2001) | NA kWh |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Shimbiris 2,416 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Benara 660 m |
Environment - current issues | famine; use of contaminated water contributes to human health problems; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification | NA |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection | - |
Ethnic groups | Somali 85%, Bantu and other non-Somali 15% (including Arabs 30,000) | NA |
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 |
euros per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Abdullahi YUSUF Ahmed (since 14 October 2004); note - a new Transitional Federal Government consisting of a 275-member parliament was established in October 2004 replacing the Transitional National Government created in 2000
head of government: Prime Minister Ali Muhammad GHEDI (since 3 November 2004) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister election results: Abdullahi YUSUF Ahmed, the leader of the Puntland region of Somalia, was elected president by the Transitional Federal Government |
chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007); represented by Prefect Jean-Paul KIHL (since 17 January 2005)
head of government: President of the General Council Said Omar OILI (since 8 April 2004) cabinet: NA elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of the Interior; president of the General Council elected by the members of the General Council for a six-year term; next election to be held in 2010 |
Exports | NA (2001) | $6.5 million f.o.b. (2005) |
Exports - commodities | livestock, bananas, hides, fish, charcoal, scrap metal | ylang-ylang (perfume essence), vanilla, copra, coconuts, coffee, cinnamon |
Exports - partners | UAE 37.2%, Yemen 22.3%, Oman 10.1%, China 6%, Kuwait 4.4%, Nigeria 4% (2003) | France 43%, Comoros 36%, Reunion 15% (2006) |
Fiscal year | NA | calendar year |
Flag description | light blue with a large white five-pointed star in the center; blue field influenced by the flag of the UN | unofficial, local flag with the coat of arms of Mayotte centered on a white field, above which the name of the island appears in red capital letters; the main elements of the coat of arms, flanked on either side by a seahorse, appear above a scroll with the motto RA HACHIRI (We are Vigilant); the only official flag is the national flag of France |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $4.361 billion (2003 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 65%
industry: 10% services: 25% (2000 est.) |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $500 (2003 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | 2.1% (2003 est.) | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 10 00 N, 49 00 E | 12 50 S, 45 10 E |
Geography - note | strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal | part of Comoro Archipelago; 18 islands |
Government - note | although an interim government was created in 2000 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: 22,100 km
paved: 2,608 km unpaved: 19,492 km (1999 est.) |
- |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | NA (2001) | $341 million f.o.b.; note - excludes petroleum imports (2005) |
Imports - commodities | manufactures, petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials, qat | food, machinery and equipment, transportation equipment, metals, chemicals |
Imports - partners | Djibouti 33.9%, Kenya 15.5%, Brazil 6.6%, UAE 5.1%, Thailand 4.2% (2003) | France 49%, Seychelles 8.8%, China 4.1%, South Africa 2.8% (2006) |
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 (territorial overseas collectivity of France) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA | NA% |
Industries | a few light industries, including sugar refining, textiles, petroleum refining (mostly shut down), wireless communication | newly created lobster and shrimp industry, construction |
Infant mortality rate | total: 118.52 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 127.95 deaths/1,000 live births female: 108.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
total: 59.51 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 65.33 deaths/1,000 live births female: 53.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | note - businesses print their own money, so inflation rates cannot be sensibly determined (2003 est.) | 1.7% (2005) |
International organization participation | ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO | InOC, UPU |
Irrigated land | 2,000 sq km (1998 est.) | NA |
Judicial branch | following the breakdown of national government, most regions have reverted to either Islamic (Shari'a) law with a provision for appeal of all sentences, or traditional clan-based arbitration | Supreme Court or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel |
Labor force | 3.7 million (very few are skilled laborers) | 44,560 (2002) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture (mostly pastoral nomadism) 71%, industry and services 29% | - |
Land boundaries | total: 2,340 km
border countries: Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,600 km, Kenya 682 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land: 1.67%
permanent crops: 0.04% other: 98.29% (2001) |
arable land: NA%
permanent crops: NA% other: NA% |
Languages | Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English | Mahorian (a Swahili dialect), French (official language) spoken by 35% of the population |
Legal system | no national system; Shari'a and secular courts are in some localities | the laws of France, where applicable, apply |
Legislative branch | unicameral National Assembly
note: fledgling parliament; a 275-member Transitional Federal Government replaced the Transitional National Government created in 2000; the new parliament consists of 61 seats assigned to each of four large clan groups (Darod, Digil-Mirifle, Dir, and Hawiye) with the remaining 31 seats divided between minority clans |
unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 21 and 28 March 2004 (next to be held in 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - MDM 23.3%, UMP 22.8%, PS 10.2%, MRC 8.9%, FRAP 6.5%, MPM 1.2%, other 27.1%; seats by party - MDM 6, UMP 9, MRC 2, MPM 1, diverse left 1 note: Mayotte elects one member of the French Senate; elections last held 24 September 2001 (next to be held in September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; Mayotte also elects one member to the French National Assembly; elections last held 16 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007); results - percent of vote by party - UMP-RPR 55.1%, UDF 44.9%; seats by party - UMP-RPR 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 47.71 years
male: 46.02 years female: 49.46 years (2004 est.) |
total population: 62.16 years
male: 59.94 years female: 64.45 years (2007 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 37.8% male: 49.7% female: 25.8% (2001 est.) |
definition: NA
total population: NA male: NA female: NA |
Location | Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia | Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique Channel, about one-half of the way from northern Madagascar to northern Mozambique |
Map references | Africa | Africa |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 200 nm | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | none | - |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of France; a small contingent of French forces is stationed on the island |
Military branches | A Somali National Army was attempted 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 | $18.9 million (2003) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 0.9% (2003) | - |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 2,010,152 (2004 est.) | - |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 1,109,405 (2004 est.) | - |
National holiday | Foundation of the Somali Republic, 1 July (1960); note - 26 June (1960) in Somaliland | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) |
Nationality | noun: Somali(s)
adjective: Somali |
noun: Mahorais (singular and plural)
adjective: Mahoran |
Natural hazards | recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer; floods during rainy season | cyclones during rainy season |
Natural resources | uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas, likely oil reserves | NEGL |
Net migration rate | 5.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 3.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | none | Democratic Front or FD [Youssouf MOUSSA]; Mahoran Popular Movement or MPM [Ahmed MADI]; Federation of Mahorans or UMP-RPR [Mansour KAMARDINE]; Force of the Rally and the Alliance for Democracy or FRAP; Movement for Department Status Mayotte or MDM [Mouhoutar SALIM]; Renewed Communist Party of Mayotte or MRC [Omar SIMBA]; Socialist Party or PS [Ibrahim ABUBACAR] (local branch of French Parti Socialiste); Union for French Democracy or UDF [Henri JEAN-BAPTISTE] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | numerous clan and subclan factions are currently vying for power | NA |
Population | 8,304,601
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 2004 est.) |
208,783 (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | NA% |
Population growth rate | 3.41% (2004 est.) | 3.617% (2007 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Boosaaso, Berbera, Chisimayu (Kismaayo), Merca, Mogadishu | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 0, FM 11, shortwave 1 in Mogadishu; 1 FM in Puntland, 1 FM in Somaliland (2001) | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2001) |
Religions | Sunni Muslim | Muslim 97%, Christian (mostly Roman Catholic) 3% |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.172 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.023 male(s)/female total population: 1.092 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | 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: country code - 252; international connections are available from Mogadishu by satellite |
general assessment: small system administered by French Department of Posts and Telecommunications
domestic: NA international: country code - 269; microwave radio relay and HF radiotelephone communications to Comoros |
Telephones - main lines in use | 100,000 est (2002) | 10,000 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 35,000 (2002) | 48,100 (2005) |
Television broadcast stations | 4
note: two in Mogadishu; two in Hargeisa (2001) |
3 (2001) |
Terrain | mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north | generally undulating, with deep ravines and ancient volcanic peaks |
Total fertility rate | 6.91 children born/woman (2004 est.) | 5.69 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NA | 25.4% (2005) |