Taiwan (2001) | Somalia (2001) | |
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Administrative divisions | since in the past the authorities claimed to be the government of all China, the central administrative divisions include the provinces of Fu-chien (some 20 offshore islands of Fujian Province including Quemoy and Matsu) and Taiwan (the island of Taiwan and the Pescadores islands); note - the more commonly referenced administrative divisions are those of Taiwan Province - 16 counties (hsien, singular and plural), 5 municipalities* (shih, singular and plural), and 2 special municipalities** (chuan-shih, singular and plural); Chang-hua, Chia-i, Chia-i*, Chi-lung*, Hsin-chu, Hsin-chu*, Hua-lien, I-lan, Kao-hsiung, Kao-hsiung**, Miao-li, Nan-t'ou, P'eng-hu, P'ing-tung, T'ai-chung, T'ai-chung*, T'ai-nan, T'ai-nan*, T'ai-pei, T'ai-pei**, T'ai-tung, T'ao-yuan, and Yun-lin; the provincial capital is at Chung-hsing-hsin-ts'un
note: Taiwan uses the Wade-Giles system for romanization |
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 |
Age structure | 0-14 years:
21.22% (male 2,470,270; female 2,276,108) 15-64 years: 69.97% (male 7,944,451; female 7,707,250) 65 years and over: 8.81% (male 1,034,230; female 938,152) (2001 est.) |
0-14 years:
44.54% (male 1,670,320; female 1,665,329) 15-64 years: 52.69% (male 1,993,750; female 1,952,437) 65 years and over: 2.77% (male 91,511; female 115,426) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | rice, corn, vegetables, fruit, tea; pigs, poultry, beef, milk; fish | cattle, sheep, goats; bananas, sorghum, corn, sugarcane, mangoes, sesame seeds, beans; fish |
Airports | 39 (2000 est.) | 62 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
35 over 3,047 m: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.) |
total:
5 over 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total:
4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.) |
total:
57 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 29 under 914 m: 11 (2000 est.) |
Area | total:
35,980 sq km land: 32,260 sq km water: 3,720 sq km note: includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Quemoy |
total:
637,657 sq km land: 627,337 sq km water: 10,320 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Maryland and Delaware combined | slightly smaller than Texas |
Background | In 1895, military defeat forced China to cede Taiwan to Japan, however it reverted to Chinese control after World War II. Following the communist victory on the mainland in 1949, 2 million Nationalists fled to Taiwan and established a government using the 1947 constitution drawn up for all of China. Over the next five decades, the ruling authorities gradually democratized and incorporated the native population within its governing structure. Throughout this period, the island has prospered to become one of East Asia's economic "Tigers." The dominant political issue continues to be the relationship between Taiwan and China and the question of eventual reunification. | A SIAD BARRE regime was ousted in January 1991; turmoil, factional fighting, and anarchy followed for nine years. In May of 1991, northern clans declared an independent Republic of Somaliland which now includes the administrative regions of Awdal, Woqooyi Galbeed, Togdheer, Sanaag, and Sool. Although not recognized by any government, this entity has maintained a stable existence, aided by the overwhelming dominance of the ruling clan and economic infrastructure left behind by British, Russian, and American military assistance programs. The regions of Bari and Nugaal comprise a neighboring self-declared Republic of Puntland, which has also made strides towards reconstructing legitimate, representative government. Beginning in 1993, a two-year UN humanitarian effort (primarily in the south) was able to alleviate famine conditions, but when the UN withdrew in 1995, having suffered significant casualties, order still had not been restored. A Transitional National Government (TNG) was created in October 2000 in Arta, Djibouti which was attended by a broad representation of Somali clans. The TNG has a three-year mandate to create a permanent national Somali government. The TNG does not recognize Somaliland or Puntland as independent republics but so far has been unable to reunite them with the unstable regions in the south; numerous warlords and factions are still fighting for control of Mogadishu and the other southern regions. |
Birth rate | 14.31 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 47.23 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues:
$42.74 billion expenditures: $48.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.) |
revenues:
$NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA |
Capital | Taipei | Mogadishu |
Climate | tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year | 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 |
Coastline | 1,566.3 km | 3,025 km |
Constitution | 1 January 1947, amended in 1992, 1994, 1997, and 1999 | 25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979
note: the Transitional National Government formed in October 2000 has a mandate to create a new constitution and hold elections within three years |
Country name | conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Taiwan local long form: none local short form: T'ai-wan former: Formosa |
conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Somalia former: Somali Republic, Somali Democratic Republic |
Currency | new Taiwan dollar (TWD) | Somali shilling (SOS) |
Death rate | 6 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 18.35 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $40 billion (2000) | $2.6 billion (1999 est.) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none; unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the people on Taiwan are maintained through a private corporation, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), which has its headquarters in Rosslyn, Virginia (telephone: [1] (703) 525-8474 and FAX: [1] (703) 841-1385) and offices in Taipei at #7 Lane 134, Hsin Yi Road, Section 3, telephone [886] (2) 2709-2000, FAX [886] (2) 2702-7675, and in Kao-hsiung at #2 Chung Cheng 3rd Road, 5th Floor, telephone [886] (7) 224-0154 through 0157, FAX [886] (7) 223-8237, and the American Trade Center at Room 3208 International Trade Building, Taipei World Trade Center, 333 Keelung Road Section 1, Taipei 10548, telephone [886] (2) 2720-1550, FAX [886] (2) 2757-7162 | the US does not have an embassy in Somalia; US interests are represented by the US Embassy in Nairobi at Moi Avenue and Haile Selassie Avenue; mail address: P. O. Box 30137, Unit 64100, Nairobi; APO AE 09831; telephone: [254] (2) 334141; FAX [254] (2) 340838 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none; unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the people of the US are maintained through a private instrumentality, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) in the US with headquarters in Taipei and field offices in Washington and 12 other US cities | Somalia does not have an embassy in the US (ceased operations on 8 May 1991) |
Disputes - international | involved in complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei; Paracel Islands occupied by China, but claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; claims Japanese-administered Senkaku-shoto (Senkaku Islands/Diaoyu Tai), as does China | most of the southern half of the boundary with Ethiopia is a Provisional Administrative Line; territorial dispute with Ethiopia over the Ogaden |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $191.5 million (1995) |
Economy - overview | Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist economy with gradually decreasing guidance of investment and foreign trade by government authorities. In keeping with this trend, some large government-owned banks and industrial firms are being privatized. Real growth in GDP has averaged about 8% during the past three decades. Exports have grown even faster and have provided the primary impetus for industrialization. Inflation and unemployment are low; the trade surplus is substantial; and foreign reserves are the world's fourth largest. Agriculture contributes 3% to GDP, down from 35% in 1952. Traditional labor-intensive industries are steadily being moved offshore and replaced with more capital- and technology-intensive industries. Taiwan has become a major investor in China, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam. The tightening of labor markets has led to an influx of foreign workers, both legal and illegal. Because of its conservative financial approach and its entrepreneurial strengths, Taiwan suffered little compared with many of its neighbors from the Asian financial crisis in 1998-99. Growth in 2001 will depend largely on conditions in Taiwan's export markets and may be about 5%. | One of the world's poorest and least developed countries, Somalia has few resources. Moreover, much of the economy has been devastated by the civil war. Agriculture is the most important sector, with livestock accounting for about 40% of GDP and about 65% of export earnings. Nomads and semi-nomads, who are dependent upon livestock for their livelihood, make up a large portion of the population. Livestock and bananas are the principal exports; sugar, sorghum, corn, fish, and qat are products for the domestic market. The small industrial sector, based on the processing of agricultural products, accounts for 10% of GDP; most facilities have been shut down because of the civil strife. Moreover, ongoing civil disturbances in Mogadishu and outlying areas have interfered with any substantial economic advance and with international aid arrangements. Due to the civil strife, economic data is susceptible to an exceptionally wide margin of error. |
Electricity - consumption | 129.899 billion kWh (1999) | 241.8 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 139.676 billion kWh (1999) | 260 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
67.26% hydro: 6.32% nuclear: 26.42% other: 0% (1999) |
fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
South China Sea 0 m highest point: Yu Shan 3,997 m |
lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Shimbiris 2,416 m |
Environment - current issues | air pollution; water pollution from industrial emissions, raw sewage; contamination of drinking water supplies; trade in endangered species; low-level radioactive waste disposal | famine; use of contaminated water contributes to human health problems; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification |
Environment - international agreements | party to:
none of the selected agreements signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
party to:
Endangered Species, Law of the Sea signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban |
Ethnic groups | Taiwanese (including Hakka) 84%, mainland Chinese 14%, aborigine 2% | Somali 85%, Bantu, Arabs 30,000 |
Exchange rates | new Taiwan dollars per US dollar - 33.082 (yearend 2000), 31.395 (yearend 1999), 32.216 (1998), 32.052 (1997), 27.5 (1996) | Somali shillings per US dollar - 11,000 (November 2000), 2,620 (January 1999), 7,500 (November 1997 est.), 7,000 (January 1996 est.), 5,000 (1 January 1995), 2,616 (1 July 1993)
note: the Republic of Somaliland, a self-declared independent country not recognized by any foreign government, issues its own currency, the Somaliland shilling |
Executive branch | chief of state:
President CHEN Shui-bien (20 May 2000) and Vice President Annette LU (since 20 May 2000) head of government: Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) CHANG Chun-hsiung (since NA October 2000) and Vice Premier (Vice President of the Executive Yuan) LAI In-jaw (since NA October 2000) cabinet: Executive Yuan appointed by the president elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 18 March 2000 (next to be held NA March 2004); premier appointed by the president; vice premiers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the premier election results: CHEN Shui-bien elected president; percent of vote - CHEN Shui-bien (DPP) 39.3%, James SOONG (independent) 36.84%, LIEN Chan (KMT) 23.1%, HSU Hsin-liang (independent) 0.63%, LEE Ao (CNP) 0.13% |
chief of state:
ABDIKASSIM Salad Hassan (since 26 August 2000); note - Interim President ABDIKASSIM was chosen for a three-year term by a 245-member National Assembly serving as a transitional government; the present political situation is still unstable, particularly in the south, with interclan fighting and random banditry head of government: ALI Khalifa Galaydh, appointed by the president 8 October 2000 cabinet: appointed by the prime minister and sworn in on 20 October 2000 election results: ABDIKASSIM Salad Hassan was elected president of an interim government at the Djibouti-sponsored Arta Peace Conference on 26 August 2000 by a broad representation of Somali clans that comprised a transitional National Assembly. |
Exports | $148.38 billion (f.o.b., 2000) | $186 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) |
Exports - commodities | machinery and electrical equipment 51%, metals, textiles, plastics, chemicals | livestock, bananas, hides, fish (1999) |
Exports - partners | US 23.5%, Hong Kong 21.1%, Europe 16%, ASEAN 12.2%, Japan 11.2% (2000) | Saudi Arabia 53%, Yemen 19%, UAE 14%, Italy 5%, Pakistan 2% (1999) |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June (up to FY98/99); 1 July 1999 - 31 December 2000 for FY00; calendar year (after FY00) | NA |
Flag description | red with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays | light blue with a large white five-pointed star in the center; design based on the flag of the UN (Italian Somaliland was a UN trust territory) |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $386 billion (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $4.3 billion (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
3% industry: 33% services: 64% (1999 est.) |
agriculture:
60% industry: 10% (largely shut down in 2000) services: 30% (2000 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $17,400 (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $600 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 6.3% (2000 est.) | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 23 30 N, 121 00 E | 10 00 N, 49 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 |
Heliports | 3 (2000 est.) | - |
Highways | total:
34,901 km paved: 31,271 km (including 538 km of expressways) unpaved: 3,630 km (1998 est.) |
total:
22,100 km paved: 2,608 km unpaved: 19,492 km (1996) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | transit point for heroin and methamphetamine; major problem with domestic consumption of methamphetamine and heroin | - |
Imports | $140.01 billion (c.i.f., 2000) | $314 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and electrical equipment 51%, minerals, precision instruments | manufactures, petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials (1995) |
Imports - partners | Japan 27.5%, US 17.9%, Europe 13.6% (2000) | Djibouti 24%, Kenya 14%, Brazil 13%, Saudi Arabia 10%, India 9% (1999) |
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) |
Industrial production growth rate | 8% (2000 est.) | NA% |
Industries | electronics, petroleum refining, chemicals, textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement, food processing | a few small industries, including sugar refining, textiles, petroleum refining (mostly shut down), wireless communication |
Infant mortality rate | 6.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | 123.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.3% (2000 est.) | over 100% (businesses print their own money) (2000 est.) |
International organization participation | APEC, AsDB, BCIE, ICC, ICFTU, IFRCS, IOC, WCL, WTrO (observer) | ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 8 (2000) | 1 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 1,800 sq km (1993 est.) |
Judicial branch | Judicial Yuan (justices appointed by the president with the consent of the National Assembly; note - beginning in 2003, justices will be appointed by the president with the consent of the Legislative Yuan) | following the breakdown of national government, most regions have reverted to Islamic (Shari'a) law with a provision for appeal of all sentences |
Labor force | 9.8 million (2000 est.) | 3.7 million (very few are skilled laborers) (1993 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | services 55%, industry 37%, agriculture 8% (1999 est.) | agriculture (mostly pastoral nomadism) 71%, industry and services 29% |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total:
2,366 km border countries: Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,626 km, Kenya 682 km |
Land use | arable land:
24% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 5% forests and woodland: 55% other: 15% |
arable land:
2% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 69% forests and woodland: 26% other: 3% (1993 est.) |
Languages | Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects | Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English |
Legal system | based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations | NA |
Legislative branch | unicameral Legislative Yuan (225 seats - 168 elected by popular vote, 41 elected on the basis of the proportion of nationwide votes received by participating political parties, eight elected from overseas Chinese constituencies on the basis of the proportion of nationwide votes received by participating political parties, eight elected by popular vote among the aboriginal populations; members serve three-year terms) and unicameral National Assembly (300 seats, note - total number of seats has been reduced from 334 to 300 since the last election; members are elected by proportional representation based on the election of the Legislative Yuan and serve four-year terms)
elections: Legislative Yuan - last held 5 December 1998 (next to be held NA December 2001); National Assembly - last held 23 March 1996 (next to be held NA June 2002) election results: Legislative Yuan - percent of vote by party - KMT 46%, DPP 29%, CNP 7%, independents 10%, other parties 8%; seats by party - KMT 123, DPP 70, CNP 11, independents 15, other parties 6; subsequent to the election there have been some changes in the distribution of seats in the Legislative Yuan due to new party formation and party defections, the new distribution is as follows - KMT 114, DPP 66, PFP 17, NP 9, other/independent 19; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - KMT 55%, DPP 30%, CNP 14%, other 1%; seats by party - KMT 183, DPP 99, CNP 46, other 6 |
unicameral People's Assembly or Golaha Shacbiga
note: fledgling parliament; a transitional 245-member National Assembly began to meet on 13 August 2000 in the town of Arta, Djibouti and is now based in Mogadishu |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
76.54 years male: 73.81 years female: 79.51 years (2001 est.) |
total population:
46.6 years male: 44.99 years female: 48.25 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 86% (1980 est.); note - literacy for the total population has reportedly increased to 94% (1998 est.) male: 93% (1980 est.) female: 79% (1980 est.) |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 24% male: 36% female: 14% (1990 est.) |
Location | Eastern Asia, islands bordering the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, South China Sea, and Taiwan Strait, north of the Philippines, off the southeastern coast of China | Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Africa |
Maritime claims | exclusive economic zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea:
200 NM |
Merchant marine | total:
167 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,768,145 GRT/7,508,941 DWT ships by type: bulk 45, cargo 29, combination bulk 1, container 65, petroleum tanker 17, refrigerated cargo 8, roll on/roll off 2 (2000 est.) |
none (2000 est.) |
Military branches | Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force, Coastal Patrol and Defense Command, Armed Forces Reserve Command, Combined Service Forces | A Somali National Army is being reformed under the interim government; numerous factions and clans maintain independent militias, and the Somaliland and Puntland regional governments maintain their own security and police forces |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $8.042 billion (FY98/99) | $NA |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 2.8% (FY98/99) | NA% |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49:
6,575,689 (2001 est.) |
males age 15-49:
1,825,302 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49:
5,025,856 (2001 est.) |
males age 15-49:
1,011,400 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | 19 years of age | - |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males:
198,766 (2001 est.) |
- |
National holiday | Republic Day (Anniversary of the Chinese Revolution), 10 October (1911) | Foundation of the Somali Republic, 1 July (1960) |
Nationality | noun:
Chinese (singular and plural) adjective: Chinese |
noun:
Somali(s) adjective: Somali |
Natural hazards | earthquakes and typhoons | recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer; floods during rainy season |
Natural resources | small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos | uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt |
Net migration rate | -0.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 5.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Pipelines | petroleum products 3,400 km; natural gas 1,800 km (1999) | crude oil 15 km |
Political parties and leaders | Chinese New Party or CNP [HAU Lang-bin]; Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [Frank HSIEH, chairman]; Kuomintang or KMT (Nationalist Party) [LIEN Chan, chairman]; New Party or NP [LI Ching-hwa]; People First Party or PFP [James SOONG, chairman]; other minor parties | none |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Taiwan independence movement, various business and environmental groups
note: debate on Taiwan independence has become acceptable within the mainstream of domestic politics on Taiwan; political liberalization and the increased representation of opposition parties in Taiwan's legislature have opened public debate on the island's national identity; a broad popular consensus has developed that Taiwan currently enjoys de facto independence and - whatever the ultimate outcome regarding reunification or independence - that Taiwan's people must have the deciding voice; advocates of Taiwan independence oppose the stand that the island will eventually reunify with mainland China; goals of the Taiwan independence movement include establishing a sovereign nation on Taiwan and entering the UN; other organizations supporting Taiwan independence include the World United Formosans for Independence and the Organization for Taiwan Nation Building |
numerous clan and subclan factions are currently vying for power |
Population | 22,370,461 (July 2001 est.) | 7,488,773
note: this estimate was derived from an official census taken in 1975 by the Somali Government; population counting in Somalia is complicated by the large number of nomads and by refugee movements in response to famine and clan warfare (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 1% (1999 est.) | NA% |
Population growth rate | 0.8% (2001 est.) | 3.48% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Chi-lung (Keelung), Hua-lien, Kao-hsiung, Su-ao, T'ai-chung | Bender Cassim (Boosaaso), Berbera, Chisimayu (Kismaayo), Merca, Mogadishu |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 218, FM 333, shortwave 50 (1999) | AM 0, FM 0, shortwave 4 (1988) |
Radios | 16 million (1994) | 470,000 (1997) |
Railways | total:
4,600 km (519 km electrified) narrow gauge: 4,600 km 1.067-m note: only 1,108 km of route length (including the electrified part) is used in common carrier service by the Taiwan Railway Administration; the remaining 3,492 km is dedicated to industrial use (1999) |
0 km |
Religions | mixture of Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%, other 2.5% | Sunni Muslim |
Sex ratio | at birth:
1.09 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.09 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.1 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | 20 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment:
provides telecommunications service for every business and private need domestic: thoroughly modern; completely digitalized international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); submarine cables to Japan (Okinawa), Philippines, Guam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe (1999) |
general assessment:
the public telecommunications system was completely destroyed or dismantled by the civil war factions; all relief organizations depend on their own private systems domestic: recently, local cellular telephone systems have been established in Mogadishu and in several other population centers international: international connections are available from Mogadishu by satellite |
Telephones - main lines in use | 12.49 million (September 2000) | NA |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 16 million (September 2000) | NA |
Television broadcast stations | 29 (plus two repeaters) (1997) | 1 (1997) |
Terrain | eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in west | mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north |
Total fertility rate | 1.76 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 7.11 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 3% (2000 est.) | NA% |
Waterways | NA | none |