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Compare Somalia (2005) - Sudan (2003)

Compare Somalia (2005) z Sudan (2003)

 Somalia (2005)Sudan (2003)
 SomaliaSudan
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 26 states (wilayat, singular - wilayah); A'ali an Nil, Al Bahr al Ahmar, Al Buhayrat, Al Jazirah, Al Khartum, Al Qadarif, Al Wahdah, An Nil al Abyad, An Nil al Azraq, Ash Shamaliyah, Bahr al Jabal, Gharb al Istiwa'iyah, Gharb Bahr al Ghazal, Gharb Darfur, Gharb Kurdufan, Janub Darfur, Janub Kurdufan, Junqali, Kassala, Nahr an Nil, Shamal Bahr al Ghazal, Shamal Darfur, Shamal Kurdufan, Sharq al Istiwa'iyah, Sinnar, Warab
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: 44% (male 8,562,412; female 8,195,201)


15-64 years: 53.8% (male 10,260,581; female 10,246,045)


65 years and over: 2.2% (male 468,898; female 381,023) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products cattle, sheep, goats; bananas, sorghum, corn, coconuts, rice, sugarcane, mangoes, sesame seeds, beans; fish cotton, groundnuts (peanuts), sorghum, millet, wheat, gum arabic, sugarcane, cassava (tapioca), mangos, papaya, bananas, sweet potatoes, sesame; sheep, livestock
Airports 60 (2004 est.) 63 (2002)
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: 12


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 8


1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2002)
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.)
total: 51


1,524 to 2,437 m: 17


914 to 1,523 m: 24


under 914 m: 10 (2002)
Area total: 637,657 sq km


land: 627,337 sq km


water: 10,320 sq km
total: 2,505,810 sq km


land: 2.376 million sq km


water: 129,810 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Texas slightly more than one-quarter the size of the US
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. Military regimes favoring Islamic-oriented governments have dominated national politics since independence from the UK in 1956. Sudan has been embroiled in a civil war for all but 10 years of this period (1972-82). The wars are rooted in northern economic, political, and social domination of non-Muslim, non-Arab southern Sudanese. Since 1983, the war and war- and famine-related effects have led to more than 2 million deaths and over 4 million people displaced. The ruling regime is a mixture of military elite and an Islamist party that came to power in a 1989 coup. Some northern opposition parties have made common cause with the southern rebels and entered the war as a part of an anti-government alliance. Peace talks gained momentum in 2002-03 with the signing of several accords, including a cease-fire agreement.
Birth rate 45.62 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) 36.48 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: NA


expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA
revenues: $1.6 billion


expenditures: $1.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
Capital Mogadishu Khartoum
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 in south; arid desert in north; rainy season varies by region (April to November)
Coastline 3,025 km 853 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
12 April 1973, suspended following coup of 6 April 1985; interim constitution of 10 October 1985 suspended following coup of 30 June 1989; new constitution implemented on 30 June 1998 partially suspended 12 December 1999 by President BASHIR
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Somalia


former: Somali Republic, Somali Democratic Republic
conventional long form: Republic of the Sudan


conventional short form: Sudan


local long form: Jumhuriyat as-Sudan


local short form: As-Sudan


former: Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
Currency - Sudanese dinar (SDD)
Death rate 16.97 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) 9.59 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $3 billion (2001 est.) $15.8 billion (2002 est.)
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 US Embassy in Khartoum is located on Sharia Abdul Latif Avenue; mailing address - P. O. Box 699, Khartoum; APO AE 09829; telephone - [249] (11) 774611 or 774700; FAX - [249] (11) 774137
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 chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge D'Affairs, Ad Interim Khidir Haroun AHMED (since April 2001)


chancery: 2210 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 338-8565


FAX: [1] (202) 667-2406
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 the north-south civil war has drawn Sudan's neighbors into the fighting, sheltering refugees, and infiltration by rebel groups - Kenya and Uganda have acted as mediators; Sudan accuses Eritrea of supporting Sudanese rebel groups; efforts to demarcate the porous boundary with Ethiopia have been delayed by fighting in Sudan; Kenya's administrative boundary still extends into the Sudan, creating the "Ilemi triangle"; Egypt and Sudan retain claims to administer the triangular areas that extend north and south of the 1899 Treaty boundary along the 22nd Parallel, but have withdrawn their military presence; Egypt is economically developing the "Hala'ib triangle"
Economic aid - recipient $60 million (1999 est.) $187 million (1997)
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. Sudan has turned around a struggling economy with sound economic policies and infrastructure investments, but it still faces formidable economic problems, notably the low level of per capita output. From 1997 to date, Sudan has been implementing IMF macroeconomic reforms. In 1999 Sudan began exporting crude oil and in the last quarter of 1999 recorded its first trade surplus, which, along with monetary policy, has stabilized the exchange rate. Increased oil production, revived light industry, and expanded export processing zones helped maintain GDP growth at 5.1% in 2002. Agriculture production remains Sudan's most important sector, employing 80% of the work force and contributing 43% of GDP, but most farms remain rain-fed and susceptible to drought. Chronic domestic instability, lagging reforms, adverse weather, and weak world agricultural prices - but, above all, the low starting point - ensure that much of the population will remain at or below the poverty line for years.
Electricity - consumption 223.5 million kWh (2002) 2.222 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2002) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2002) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 240.3 million kWh (2002) 2.389 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 52.1%


hydro: 47.9%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: Shimbiris 2,416 m
lowest point: Red Sea 0 m


highest point: Kinyeti 3,187 m
Environment - current issues famine; use of contaminated water contributes to human health problems; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification inadequate supplies of potable water; wildlife populations threatened by excessive hunting; soil erosion; desertification; periodic drought
Environment - international agreements party to: Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Somali 85%, Bantu and other non-Somali 15% (including Arabs 30,000) black 52%, Arab 39%, Beja 6%, foreigners 2%, other 1%
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
Sudanese dinars per US dollar - 263.31 (2002), 258.7 (2001), 257.12 (2000), 252.55 (1999), 200.8 (1998)
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: President Lt. Gen. Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16 October 1993); First Vice President Ali Uthman Muhammad TAHA (since 17 February 1998), Second Vice President Moses MACHAR (since 12 February 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Lt. Gen. Umar Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16 October 1993); First Vice President Ali Uthman Muhammad TAHA (since 17 February 1998), Second Vice President Moses MACHAR (since 12 February 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president; note - the National Congress Party or NCP (formerly the National Islamic Front or NIF) dominates al-BASHIR's cabinet


elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 13-23 December 2000 (next to be held NA 2005)


election results: Lt. Gen. Umar Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR reelected president; percent of vote - Umar Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR 86.5%, Ja'afar Muhammed NUMAYRI 9.6%, three other candidates received a combined vote of 3.9%; election widely viewed as rigged; all popular opposition parties boycotted elections because of a lack of guarantees for a free and fair election


note: Lt. Gen. al-BASHIR assumed supreme executive power in 1989 and retained it through several transitional governments in the early and mid-1990s before being popularly elected for the first time in March 1996
Exports NA NA (2001)
Exports - commodities livestock, bananas, hides, fish, charcoal, scrap metal oil and petroleum products; cotton, sesame, livestock, groundnuts, gum arabic, sugar
Exports - partners UAE 39.3%, Thailand 24.3%, Yemen 12.2%, Oman 4.7% (2004) China 55.7%, Japan 14%, Saudi Arabia 4.9% (2002)
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 three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist side
GDP - purchasing power parity - $52.9 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 65%


industry: 10%


services: 25% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 43%


industry: 17%


services: 40% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $600 (2004 est.) purchasing power parity - $1,400 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 2.8% (2004 est.) 5.1% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 10 00 N, 49 00 E 15 00 N, 30 00 E
Geography - note strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal largest country in Africa; dominated by the Nile and its tributaries
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 -
Heliports - 2 (2002)
Highways total: 22,100 km


paved: 2,608 km


unpaved: 19,492 km (1999 est.)
total: 11,900 km


paved: 4,320 km


unpaved: 7,580 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Imports NA NA (2001)
Imports - commodities manufactures, petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials, qat foodstuffs, manufactured goods, refinery and transport equipment, medicines and chemicals, textiles, wheat
Imports - partners Djibouti 30.1%, Kenya 13.7%, India 8.6%, Brazil 8.5%, Oman 4.4%, UAE 4.2% (2004) China 19.7%, Saudi Arabia 7.4%, Germany 5.5%, India 5.5%, UK 5.4%, Indonesia 4.7%, Australia 4% (2002)
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) 1 January 1956 (from Egypt and UK)
Industrial production growth rate NA 8.5% (1999 est.)
Industries a few light industries, including sugar refining, textiles, wireless communication oil, cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soap distilling, shoes, petroleum refining, pharmaceuticals, armaments, automobile/light truck assembly
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: 65.59 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 66.3 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 64.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) note - businesses print their own money, so inflation rates cannot be sensibly determined (2004 est.) 9.2% (2002 est.)
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 ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 2 (2002)
Irrigated land 2,000 sq km (1998 est.) 19,500 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 Supreme Court; Special Revolutionary Courts
Labor force 3.7 million (very few are skilled laborers) 11 million (1996 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture (mostly pastoral nomadism) 71%, industry and services 29% agriculture 80%, industry and commerce 7%, government 13% (1998 est.)
Land boundaries total: 2,340 km


border countries: Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,600 km, Kenya 682 km
total: 7,687 km


border countries: Central African Republic 1,165 km, Chad 1,360 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 628 km, Egypt 1,273 km, Eritrea 605 km, Ethiopia 1,606 km, Kenya 232 km, Libya 383 km, Uganda 435 km
Land use arable land: 1.67%


permanent crops: 0.04%


other: 98.29% (2001)
arable land: 7.03%


permanent crops: 0.08%


other: 92.89% (1998 est.)
Languages Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages, English


note: program of "Arabization" in process
Legal system no national system; Shari'a and secular courts are in some localities based on English common law and Islamic law; as of 20 January 1991, the now defunct Revolutionary Command Council imposed Islamic law in the northern states; Islamic law applies to all residents of the northern states regardless of their religion; some separate religious courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
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 National Assembly (360 seats; 270 popularly elected, 90 elected by supra assembly of interest groups known as National Congress; members serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 13-22 December 2000 (next to be held NA December 2004)


election results: NCP 355, others 5


note: on 12 December 1999, BASHIR dismissed the National Assembly during an internal power struggle between the president and the speaker of the National Assembly Hassan al-TURABI
Life expectancy at birth total population: 48.09 years


male: 46.36 years


female: 49.87 years (2005 est.)
total population: 57.73 years


male: 56.59 years


female: 58.93 years (2003 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 37.8%


male: 49.7%


female: 25.8% (2001 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 61.1%


male: 71.8%


female: 50.5% (2003 est.)
Location Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia Northern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea
Map references Africa Africa
Maritime claims territorial sea: 200 nm contiguous zone: 18 NM


continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine - total: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 29,854 GRT/39,084 DWT


ships by type: cargo 1, livestock carrier 1, roll on/roll off 2 (2002 est.)
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 Army, Navy, Air Force, Popular Defense Force Militia
Military expenditures - dollar figure $18.9 million (2003) $581 million (2001 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 0.9% (2003) 2.5% (1999)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 9,032,834 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 5,558,462 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 429,334 (2003 est.)
National holiday Foundation of the Somali Republic, 1 July (1960); note - 26 June (1960) in Somaliland Independence Day, 1 January (1956)
Nationality noun: Somali(s)


adjective: Somali
noun: Sudanese (singular and plural)


adjective: Sudanese
Natural hazards recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer; floods during rainy season dust storms and periodic persistent droughts
Natural resources uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas, likely oil reserves petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold, hydropower
Net migration rate 5.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) 0.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines - gas 156 km; oil 2,297 km; refined products 810 km (2003)
Political parties and leaders none the government allows political "associations" under a 1998 law revised in 2000; to obtain government approval parties must accept the constitution and refrain from advocating or using violence against the regime; approved parties include the National Congress Party or NCP [Ibrahim Ahmed UMAR], Popular National Congress or PNC [Hassan al-TURABI], and over 20 minor, pro-government parties
Political pressure groups and leaders numerous clan and subclan factions are currently vying for power Democratic Unionist Party [Muhammed Uthman AL-MIRGHANI]; National Congress Party [Ibrahim Ahmed UMAR]; National Democratic Alliance [Muhammed Uthman AL-MIRGHANI, chairman]; Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army [Dr. John GARANG]; Umma [Sadiq al-MAHDI]
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.)
38,114,160 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line NA NA%
Population growth rate 3.38% (2005 est.) 2.71% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors Boosaaso, Berbera, Chisimayu (Kismaayo), Merca, Mogadishu Juba, Khartoum, Kusti, Malakal, Nimule, Port Sudan, Sawakin
Radio broadcast stations AM 0, FM 11, shortwave 1 in Mogadishu; 1 FM in Puntland, 1 FM in Somaliland (2001) AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998)
Railways - total: 5,978 km


narrow gauge: 4,578 km 1.067-m gauge; 1,400 km 0.600-m gauge plantation line (2002)
Religions Sunni Muslim Sunni Muslim 70% (in north), indigenous beliefs 25%, Christian 5% (mostly in south and Khartoum)
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: 1.04 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.23 male(s)/female


total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 17 years of age; universal, but noncompulsory
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: large, well-equipped system by regional standards and being upgraded; cellular communications started in 1996 and have expanded substantially


domestic: consists of microwave radio relay, cable, radiotelephone communications, tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations


international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat (2000)
Telephones - main lines in use 100,000 (2002 est.) 400,000 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular 35,000 (2002) 20,000 (2000)
Television broadcast stations 4


note: two in Mogadishu; two in Hargeisa (2001)
3 (1997)
Terrain mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north generally flat, featureless plain; mountains in far south, northeast and west; desert dominates the north
Total fertility rate 6.84 children born/woman (2005 est.) 5.1 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate NA 18.7% (2002 est.)
Waterways - 5,310 km
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