Somalia (2005) | Vanuatu (2002) | |
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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 | 6 provinces; Malampa, Penama, Sanma, Shefa, Tafea, Torba |
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: 35.6% (male 35,681; female 34,164)
15-64 years: 61.1% (male 61,384; female 58,473) 65 years and over: 3.3% (male 3,473; female 3,003) (2002 est.) |
Agriculture - products | cattle, sheep, goats; bananas, sorghum, corn, coconuts, rice, sugarcane, mangoes, sesame seeds, beans; fish | copra, coconuts, cocoa, coffee, taro, yams, coconuts, fruits, vegetables; fish, beef |
Airports | 60 (2004 est.) | 31 (2001) |
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: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (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: 27
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 17 (2002) |
Area | total: 637,657 sq km
land: 627,337 sq km water: 10,320 sq km |
total: 12,200 sq km
land: 12,200 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes more than 80 islands |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Texas | slightly larger than Connecticut |
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. | The British and French who settled the New Hebrides in the 19th century, agreed in 1906 to an Anglo-French Condominium, which administered the islands until independence in 1980. |
Birth rate | 45.62 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 24.83 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Budget | revenues: NA
expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA |
revenues: $94.4 million
expenditures: $99.8 million, including capital expenditures of $30.4 million |
Capital | Mogadishu | Port-Vila |
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; moderated by southeast trade winds |
Coastline | 3,025 km | 2,528 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 |
30 July 1980 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Somalia former: Somali Republic, Somali Democratic Republic |
conventional long form: Republic of Vanuatu
conventional short form: Vanuatu former: New Hebrides |
Currency | - | vatu (VUV) |
Death rate | 16.97 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 8.25 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Debt - external | $3 billion (2001 est.) | $64.6 million (1999 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 | the US does not have an embassy in Vanuatu; the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to Vanuatu |
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 | Vanuatu does not have an embassy in the US, it does, however, have a Permanent Mission to the UN |
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 | Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by Vanuatu and France |
Economic aid - recipient | $60 million (1999 est.) | $45.8 million (1995) |
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. | The economy is based primarily on subsistence or small-scale agriculture which provides a living for 65% of the population. Fishing, offshore financial services, and tourism, with about 50,000 visitors in 1997, are other mainstays of the economy. Mineral deposits are negligible; the country has no known petroleum deposits. A small light industry sector caters to the local market. Tax revenues come mainly from import duties. Economic development is hindered by dependence on relatively few commodity exports, vulnerability to natural disasters, and long distances from main markets and between constituent islands. A severe earthquake in November 1999 followed by a tsunami, caused extensive damage to the northern island of Pentecote and left thousands homeless. Another powerful earthquake in January 2002 caused extensive damage in the capital, Port-Vila, and surrounding areas, and also was followed by a tsunami. GDP growth has risen less than 3% on average in the 1990s. In response to foreign concerns, the government has promised to tighten regulation of its offshore financial center. |
Electricity - consumption | 223.5 million kWh (2002) | 36.27 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production | 240.3 million kWh (2002) | 39 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Shimbiris 2,416 m |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Tabwemasana 1,877 m |
Environment - current issues | famine; use of contaminated water contributes to human health problems; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification | a majority of the population does not have access to a potable and reliable supply of water; deforestation |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection | party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | Somali 85%, Bantu and other non-Somali 15% (including Arabs 30,000) | indigenous Melanesian 98%, French, Vietnamese, Chinese, other Pacific Islanders |
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 |
vatu per US dollar - 146.02 (December 2001), 145.31 (2001), 137.64 (2000), 129.08 (1999), 127.52 (1998), 115.87 (1997) |
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 Father John BANI (since 25 March 1999)
head of government: Prime Minister Edward NATAPEI (since 16 April 2001); Deputy Prime Minister Serge VOHOR (since 16 April 2001) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, responsible to Parliament elections: president elected for a four-year term by an electoral college consisting of Parliament and the presidents of the regional councils for a five-year term; election for president last held 25 March 1999 (next to be held NA 2004); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by Parliament from among its members; election for prime minister last held 2 May 2002 (next to be held NA 2003) election results: Father John BANI elected president; percent of electoral college vote - NA%; Edward NATAPEI reelected prime minister by Parliament note: the government of Prime Minister Barak SOPE was ousted in a no confidence vote on 14 April 2001 and Edward NATAPEI was elected the new prime minister by Parliament |
Exports | NA | $22.8 million f.o.b. (2000) |
Exports - commodities | livestock, bananas, hides, fish, charcoal, scrap metal | copra, kava, beef, cocoa, timber, coffee |
Exports - partners | UAE 39.3%, Thailand 24.3%, Yemen 12.2%, Oman 4.7% (2004) | Japan 32%, Belgium 17%, US 17%, Germany 8% (2000) |
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 | two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a black isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) all separated by a black-edged yellow stripe in the shape of a horizontal Y (the two points of the Y face the hoist side and enclose the triangle); centered in the triangle is a boar's tusk encircling two crossed namele leaves, all in yellow |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $257 million (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 65%
industry: 10% services: 25% (2000 est.) |
agriculture: 26%
industry: 12% services: 62% (2000 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $600 (2004 est.) | purchasing power parity - $1,300 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 2.8% (2004 est.) | 2.7% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 10 00 N, 49 00 E | 16 00 S, 167 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 | a Y-shaped chain of four main islands and 80 smaller islands; several of the islands have active volcanoes |
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.) |
total: 1,070 km
paved: 256 km unpaved: 814 km (1996) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | NA | $87.5 million f.o.b. (2000) |
Imports - commodities | manufactures, petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials, qat | machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, fuels |
Imports - partners | Djibouti 30.1%, Kenya 13.7%, India 8.6%, Brazil 8.5%, Oman 4.4%, UAE 4.2% (2004) | Australia 28%, Singapore 14%, New Zealand 8%, Japan 4%, US 1% (2000) |
Independence | 1 July 1960 (from a merger of British Somaliland, which became independent from the UK on 26 June 1960, and Italian Somaliland, which became independent from the Italian-administered UN trusteeship on 1 July 1960, to form the Somali Republic) | 30 July 1980 (from France and UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA | 1% (1997 est.) |
Industries | a few light industries, including sugar refining, textiles, wireless communication | food and fish freezing, wood processing, meat canning |
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.) |
59.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | note - businesses print their own money, so inflation rates cannot be sensibly determined (2004 est.) | 2.5% (2000 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 | ACCT, ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, NAM, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO (observer) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 1 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 2,000 sq km (1998 est.) | NA sq km |
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 (chief justice is appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister and the leader of the opposition, three other justices are appointed by the president on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission) |
Labor force | 3.7 million (very few are skilled laborers) | NA |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture (mostly pastoral nomadism) 71%, industry and services 29% | agriculture 65%, services 30%, industry 5% (2000 est.) |
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: 2.46%
permanent crops: 7.38% other: 90.16% (1998 est.) |
Languages | Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English | three official languages: English, French, pidgin (known as Bislama or Bichelama), plus more than 100 local languages |
Legal system | no national system; Shari'a and secular courts are in some localities | unified system being created from former dual French and British systems |
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 Parliament (52 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 2 May 2002 (next to be held NA 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UMP 15, VP 14, VRP 3, MPP 2, other and independent 18; note - political party associations are fluid note: the National Council of Chiefs advises on matters of custom and land |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 48.09 years
male: 46.36 years female: 49.87 years (2005 est.) |
total population: 61.33 years
male: 59.93 years female: 62.8 years (2002 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 37.8% male: 49.7% female: 25.8% (2001 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 53% male: 57% female: 48% (1979 est.) |
Location | Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia | Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Australia |
Map references | Africa | Oceania |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 200 nm | measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
contiguous zone: 24 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | - | total: 54 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,092,838 GRT/1,329,576 DWT
ships by type: bulk 22, cargo 9, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 3, container 2, liquefied gas 3, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 7, vehicle carrier 6 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Australia 3, Canada 2, China 1, Japan 25, Monaco 4, Netherlands 1, New Zealand 5, Panama 1, Poland 1, Switzerland 2, United Kingdom 4, US 2, Vietnam 1 (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 | no regular military forces; Vanuatu Police Force (VPF; including the paramilitary Mobile Force or VMF) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $18.9 million (2003) | $NA |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 0.9% (2003) | NA% |
National holiday | Foundation of the Somali Republic, 1 July (1960); note - 26 June (1960) in Somaliland | Independence Day, 30 July (1980) |
Nationality | noun: Somali(s)
adjective: Somali |
noun: Ni-Vanuatu (singular and plural)
adjective: Ni-Vanuatu |
Natural hazards | recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer; floods during rainy season | tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April); volcanism causes minor earthquakes; tsunamis |
Natural resources | uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas, likely oil reserves | manganese, hardwood forests, fish |
Net migration rate | 5.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | none | Jon Frum Movement [Song KEASPAI]; Melanesian Progressive Party or MPP [Barak SOPE]; National United Party or NUP [Dinh Van THAN]; Union of Moderate Parties or UMP [Serge VOHOR]; Vanuaaku Party (Our Land Party) or VP [Edward NATAPEI]; Vanuatu Republican Party [Maxime Carlot KORMAN] |
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.) |
196,178 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | NA% |
Population growth rate | 3.38% (2005 est.) | 1.66% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Boosaaso, Berbera, Chisimayu (Kismaayo), Merca, Mogadishu | Forari, Port-Vila, Santo (Espiritu Santo) |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 0, FM 11, shortwave 1 in Mogadishu; 1 FM in Puntland, 1 FM in Somaliland (2001) | AM 2, FM 2, shortwave 1 (2002) |
Radios | - | 67,000 (1997) |
Railways | - | 0 km |
Religions | Sunni Muslim | Presbyterian 36.7%, Anglican 15%, Roman Catholic 15%, indigenous beliefs 7.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6.2%, Church of Christ 3.8%, other 15.7% (including Jon Frum Cargo cult) |
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: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.16 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2002 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: NA
domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 100,000 (2002 est.) | 5,500 (1998) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 35,000 (2002) | 310 (2000) |
Television broadcast stations | 4
note: two in Mogadishu; two in Hargeisa (2001) |
1 (2002) |
Terrain | mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north | mostly mountains of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains |
Total fertility rate | 6.84 children born/woman (2005 est.) | 3.08 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NA | NA% |
Waterways | - | none |