Somalia (2005) | Aruba (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 (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 44.5% (male 1,918,209/female 1,905,974)
15-64 years: 52.9% (male 2,278,406/female 2,263,602) 65 years and over: 2.6% (male 96,256/female 129,182) (2005 est.) |
0-14 years: 19.5% (male 7,175/female 6,849)
15-64 years: 68.2% (male 23,894/female 25,140) 65 years and over: 12.3% (male 3,616/female 5,217) (2006 est.) |
Agriculture - products | cattle, sheep, goats; bananas, sorghum, corn, coconuts, rice, sugarcane, mangoes, sesame seeds, beans; fish | aloes; livestock; fish |
Airports | 60 (2004 est.) | 1 (2006) |
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
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2006) |
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: 193 sq km
land: 193 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Texas | slightly larger than Washington, DC |
Background | The regime of Mohamed SIAD Barre 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. | Discovered and claimed for Spain in 1499, Aruba was acquired by the Dutch in 1636. The island's economy has been dominated by three main industries. A 19th century gold rush was followed by prosperity brought on by the opening in 1924 of an oil refinery. The last decades of the 20th century saw a boom in the tourism industry. Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986 and became a separate, autonomous member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Movement toward full independence was halted at Aruba's request in 1990. |
Birth rate | 45.62 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 11.03 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Budget | revenues: NA
expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA |
revenues: $507.9 million
expenditures: $577.9 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2000) |
Capital | Mogadishu | name: Oranjestad
geographic coordinates: 12 33 N, 70 06 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour 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; little seasonal temperature variation |
Coastline | 3,025 km | 68.5 km |
Constitution | 25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979
note: the formation of transitional governing institutions, known as the Transitional Federal Government, is currently ongoing |
1 January 1986 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Somalia former: Somali Republic, Somali Democratic Republic |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Aruba |
Death rate | 16.97 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 6.68 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Debt - external | $3 billion (2001 est.) | $478.6 million (2005 est.) |
Dependency status | - | member country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs obtained in 1986 upon separation from the Netherlands Antilles; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs |
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 United Nations Avenue, Gigira, Nairobi; mailing address: Unit 64100, Nairobi; APO AE 09831; telephone: [254] (20) 363-6000; FAX [254] (20) 363-6157 | the US does not have an embassy in Aruba; the Consul General to Netherlands Antilles is accredited to Aruba |
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 (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands); note - Mr. Henry BAARH, Minister Plenipotentiary for Aruba at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands |
Disputes - international | "Somaliland" secessionists provide port facilities to land-locked Ethiopia and establish commercial ties with regional states; "Puntland" and "Somaliland" "governments" seek support from neighboring states in their secessionist aspirations and in conflicts with each other; Ethiopia has only an administrative line with the Oromo region of southern Somalia and maintains alliances with local Somali clans opposed to the unrecognized Somali Interim Government, which plans eventual relocation from Kenya to Mogadishu; rival militia and clan fighting in southern Somalia periodically spills over into Kenya; most of the remaining 23,000 Somali refuges in Ethiopia are expected to be repatriated in 2005 | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $60 million (1999 est.) | $-11.3 million (2004) |
Economy - overview | Somalia's economic fortunes are driven by its deep political divisions. The northwestern area has declared its independence as the "Republic of Somaliland"; the northeastern region of Puntland is a semi-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 $500 million and $1 billion 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 2004 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. In late December 2004, a major tsunami took an estimated 150 lives and caused destruction of properity in coastal areas. | Tourism is the mainstay of the small, open Aruban economy, with offshore banking and oil refining and storage also important. The rapid growth of the tourism sector over the last decade has resulted in a substantial expansion of other activities. Over 1.5 million tourists per year visit Aruba, with 75% of those from the US. Construction continues to boom, with hotel capacity five times the 1985 level. In addition, the reopening of the country's oil refinery in 1993, a major source of employment and foreign exchange earnings, has further spurred growth. Tourist arrivals have rebounded strongly following a dip after the 11 September 2001 attacks. The island experiences only a brief low season, and hotel occupancy in 2004 averaged 80%, compared to 68% throughout the rest of the Caribbean. The newly re-elected government has made cutting the budget and trade deficits a high priority. |
Electricity - consumption | 223.5 million kWh (2002) | 716.1 million kWh (2003) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (2003) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (2003) |
Electricity - production | 240.3 million kWh (2002) | 770 million kWh (2003) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Shimbiris 2,416 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Jamanota 188 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) | mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80% |
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 |
Aruban guilders/florins per US dollar - 1.79 (2005), 1.79 (2004), 1.79 (2003), 1.79 (2002), 1.79 (2001) |
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 but remains resident in Nairobi, Kenya, and has not extablished effective governance inside Somalia
head of government: Prime Minister Ali Muhammad GHEDI (since 24 December 2004) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister and approved by the Transitional Federal Assembly election results: Abdullahi YUSUF Ahmed, the leader of the Puntland region of Somalia, was elected president by the Transitional Federal Assembly |
chief of state: Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Fredis REFUNJOL (since 11 May 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister Nelson O. ODUBER (since 30 October 2001) cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Staten elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed for a six-year term by the monarch; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by the Staten for four-year terms; election last held 2005 (next to be held by 2009) election results: Nelson O. ODUBER elected prime minister; percent of legislative vote - NA |
Exports | NA | NA bbl/day |
Exports - commodities | livestock, bananas, hides, fish, charcoal, scrap metal | live animals and animal products, art and collectibles, machinery and electrical equipment, transport equipment |
Exports - partners | UAE 39.3%, Thailand 24.3%, Yemen 12.2%, Oman 4.7% (2004) | Netherlands 33.5%, Panama 16.7%, Colombia 11.9%, US 11.3%, Venezuela 10.1%, Netherlands Antilles 9% (2005) |
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 | blue, with two narrow, horizontal, yellow stripes across the lower portion and a red, four-pointed star outlined in white in the upper hoist-side corner |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 65%
industry: 10% services: 25% (2000 est.) |
agriculture: 0.4% NA%
industry: 33.3% NA% services: 66.3% NA% |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $600 (2004 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | 2.8% (2004 est.) | 2.4% (2005 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 10 00 N, 49 00 E | 12 30 N, 69 58 W |
Geography - note | strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal | a flat, riverless island renowned for its white sand beaches; its tropical climate is moderated by constant trade winds from the Atlantic Ocean; the temperature is almost constant at about 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit) |
Government - note | although an interim government was created in 2004 other governing bodies continue to exist and control various cities and regions of the country, including the self-declared Republic of Somaliland, 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% |
Illicit drugs | - | transit point for US- and Europe-bound narcotics with some accompanying money-laundering activity |
Imports | NA | NA bbl/day |
Imports - commodities | manufactures, petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials, qat | machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil for refining and reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs |
Imports - partners | Djibouti 30.1%, Kenya 13.7%, India 8.6%, Brazil 8.5%, Oman 4.4%, UAE 4.2% (2004) | US 55.9%, Netherlands 12.9%, UK 3.8% (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 (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA | NA% |
Industries | a few light industries, including sugar refining, textiles, wireless communication | tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining |
Infant mortality rate | total: 116.7 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 126.06 deaths/1,000 live births female: 107.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
total: 5.79 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.6 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | note - businesses print their own money, so inflation rates cannot be sensibly determined (2004 est.) | 3.4% (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 | ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU, WCL, WMO, WToO (associate) |
Irrigated land | 2,000 sq km (1998 est.) | 0.01 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | following the breakdown of the central government, most regions have reverted to local forms of conflict resolution, either secular, traditional clan-based arbitration, or Islamic (Shari'a) law with a provision for appeal of all sentences | Common Court of Justice of Aruba (judges are appointed by the monarch) |
Labor force | 3.7 million (very few are skilled laborers) | 41,500 (2004 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture (mostly pastoral nomadism) 71%, industry and services 29% | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% note: most employment is in wholesale and retail trade and repair, followed by hotels and restaurants; oil refining |
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: 10.53%
permanent crops: 0% other: 89.47% (2005) |
Languages | Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English | Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish |
Legal system | no national system; Shari'a and secular courts are in some localities | based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence |
Legislative branch | unicameral National Assembly
note: fledgling parliament; a 275-member Transitional Federal Assembly; 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 Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 23 September 2005 (next to be held by in 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - MEP 43%, AVP 32%, MPA 7%, RED 7%, PDR 6%, OLA 4%, PPA 2%; seats by party - MEP 11, AVP 8, MPA 1, RED 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 48.09 years
male: 46.36 years female: 49.87 years (2005 est.) |
total population: 79.28 years
male: 75.95 years female: 82.78 years (2006 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: 97% male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia | Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela |
Map references | Africa | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 200 nm | territorial sea: 12 nm |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands |
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 | no regular indigenous military forces; Royal Netherlands Navy and Marines, Coast Guard |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $18.9 million (2003) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 0.9% (2003) | - |
National holiday | Foundation of the Somali Republic, 1 July (1960); note - 26 June (1960) in Somaliland | Flag Day, 18 March |
Nationality | noun: Somali(s)
adjective: Somali |
noun: Aruban(s)
adjective: Aruban; Dutch |
Natural hazards | recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer; floods during rainy season | lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt |
Natural resources | uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas, likely oil reserves | NEGL; white sandy beaches |
Net migration rate | 5.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | none | Aliansa/Aruban Social Movement or MSA [Robert WEVER]; Aruban Liberal Organization or OLA [Glenbert CROES]; Aruban Patriotic Movement or MPA [Monica ARENDS-KOCK]; Aruban Patriotic Party or PPA [Benny NISBET]; Aruban People's Party or AVP [Mike EMAN]; People's Electoral Movement Party or MEP [Nelson O. ODUBER]; Real Democracy or PDR [Andin BIKKER]; RED [Rudy LAMPE]; Workers Political Platform or PTT [Gregorio WOLFF] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | numerous clan and subclan factions are currently vying for power | NA |
Population | 8,591,629
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 2005 est.) |
71,891 (July 2006 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | NA% |
Population growth rate | 3.38% (2005 est.) | 0.44% (2006 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 2, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2004) |
Religions | Sunni Muslim | Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish |
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: 0.74 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 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 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: modern fully automatic telecommunications system
domestic: increased competition through privatization; 3 wireless service providers are now licensed international: country code - 297; 1 submarine cable to Sint Maarten (Netherlands Antilles); extensive interisland microwave radio relay links |
Telephones - main lines in use | 100,000 (2002 est.) | 37,100 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 35,000 (2002) | 98,400 (2004) |
Television broadcast stations | 4
note: two in Mogadishu; two in Hargeisa (2001) |
1 (1997) |
Terrain | mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north | flat with a few hills; scant vegetation |
Total fertility rate | 6.84 children born/woman (2005 est.) | 1.79 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NA | 6.9% (2005 est.) |