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Compare Western Sahara (2005) - Somalia (2008)

Compare Western Sahara (2005) z Somalia (2008)

 Western Sahara (2005)Somalia (2008)
 Western SaharaSomalia
Administrative divisions none (under de facto control of Morocco) 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: NA


15-64 years: NA


65 years and over: NA
0-14 years: 44.4% (male 2,031,682/female 2,019,629)


15-64 years: 53% (male 2,423,602/female 2,410,126)


65 years and over: 2.6% (male 97,932/female 135,802) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads) bananas, sorghum, corn, coconuts, rice, sugarcane, mangoes, sesame seeds, beans; cattle, sheep, goats; fish
Airports 11 (2004 est.) 67 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2004 est.)
total: 7


over 3,047 m: 4


2,438 to 3,047 m: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 8


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 3 (2004 est.)
total: 60


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 3


1,524 to 2,437 m: 20


914 to 1,523 m: 29


under 914 m: 7 (2007)
Area total: 266,000 sq km


land: 266,000 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 637,657 sq km


land: 627,337 sq km


water: 10,320 sq km
Area - comparative about the size of Colorado slightly smaller than Texas
Background Morocco virtually annexed the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara (formerly Spanish Sahara) in 1976, and the rest of the territory in 1979, following Mauritania's withdrawal. A guerrilla war with the Polisario Front contesting Rabat's sovereignty ended in a 1991 UN-brokered cease-fire; a UN-organized referendum on final status has been repeatedly postponed. Britain withdrew from British Somaliland in 1960 to allow its protectorate to join with Italian Somaliland and form the new nation of Somalia. In 1969, a coup headed by Mohamed SIAD Barre ushered in an authoritarian socialist rule that managed to impose a degree of stability in the country for a couple of decades. After the regime's collapse early in 1991, Somalia descended into turmoil, factional fighting, and anarchy. In May 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 and continues efforts to establish a constitutional democracy, including holding municipal, parliamentary, and presidential elections. The regions of Bari, 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 toward 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. A two-year peace process, led by the Government of Kenya under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), concluded in October 2004 with the election of Abdullahi YUSUF Ahmed as President of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia and the formation of an interim government, known as the Somalia Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs). The Somalia TFIs include a 275-member parliamentary body, known as the Transitional Federal Assembly (TFA), a transitional Prime Minister, Nur "Adde" Hassan HUSSEIN, and a 90-member cabinet. The TFIs are based on the Transitional Federal Charter, which outlines a five-year mandate leading to the establishment of a new Somali constitution and a transition to a representative government following national elections. While its institutions remain weak, the TFG continues to reach out to Somali stakeholders and work with international donors to help build the governance capacity of the TFIs and work towards national elections in 2009. In June 2006, a loose coalition of clerics, business leaders, and Islamic court militias known as the Council of Islamic Courts (CIC) defeated powerful Mogadishu warlords and took control of the capital. The Courts continued to expand militarily throughout much of southern Somalia and threatened to overthrow the TFG in Baidoa. Ethiopian and TFG forces, concerned over links between some CIC factions and the al-Qaida East Africa network and the al-Qaida operatives responsible for the bombings of the US embassies in Tanzania and Kenya in 1998, intervened in late December 2006, resulting in the collapse of the CIC as an organization. However, the TFG continues to face violent resistance from extremist elements, such as the al-Shabaab militia previously affiliated with the now-defunct CIC.
Birth rate NA births/1,000 population 44.6 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: NA


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


expenditures: $NA
Capital none name: Mogadishu


geographic coordinates: 2 04 N, 45 22 E


time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew principally desert; northeast monsoon (December to February), moderate temperatures in north and hot in south; southwest monsoon (May to October), torrid in the north and hot in the south, irregular rainfall, hot and humid periods (tangambili) between monsoons
Coastline 1,110 km 3,025 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
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Western Sahara


former: Spanish Sahara
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Somalia


local long form: Jamhuuriyada Demuqraadiga Soomaaliyeed


local short form: Soomaaliya


former: Somali Republic, Somali Democratic Republic
Death rate NA deaths/1,000 population 16.28 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external NA $3 billion (2001 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US none the US does not have an embassy in Somalia; US interests are represented by the US Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya at United Nations Avenue, Nairobi; mailing address: Unit 64100, Nairobi; APO AE 09831; telephone: [254] (20) 363-6000; FAX [254] (20) 363-6157
Diplomatic representation in the US none Somalia does not have an embassy in the US (ceased operations on 8 May 1991); note - the TFG is represented in the United States through its Permanent Mission to the United Nations
Disputes - international Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, whose sovereignty remains unresolved - UN-administered cease-fire has remained in effect since September 1991, administered by the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), but attempts to hold a referendum have failed and parties thus far have rejected all brokered proposals Ethiopian forces invaded southern Somalia and routed Islamist Courts from Mogadishu in January 2007; "Somaliland" secessionists provide port facilities in Berbera to landlocked Ethiopia and have established commercial ties with other regional states; "Puntland" and "Somaliland" "governments" seek international support in their secessionist aspirations and overlapping border claims; the undemarcated former British administrative line has little meaning as a political separation to rival clans within Ethiopia's Ogaden and southern Somalia's Oromo region; Kenya works hard to prevent the clan and militia fighting in Somalia from spreading south across the border, which has long been open to nomadic pastoralists
Economic aid - recipient NA $236.4 million (2005 est.)
Economy - overview Western Sahara depends on pastoral nomadism, fishing, and phosphate mining as the principal sources of income for the population. The territory lacks sufficient rainfall for sustainable agricultural production, and most of the food for the urban population must be imported. All trade and other economic activities are controlled by the Moroccan Government. Moroccan energy interests in 2001 signed contracts to explore for oil off the coast of Western Sahara, which has angered the Polisario. Incomes and standards of living in Western Sahara are substantially below the Moroccan level. Despite the lack of effective national governance, Somalia has maintained a healthy informal economy, largely based on livestock, remittance/money transfer companies, and telecommunications. Agriculture is the most important sector, with livestock normally accounting for about 40% of GDP and about 65% of export earnings. Nomads and semi-pastoralists, 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. Somalia's service sector also has grown. 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 are supported with private-security militias. Somalia's arrears to the IMF continued to grow in 2006-07. Statistics on Somalia's GDP, growth, per capita income, and inflation should be viewed skeptically. In late December 2004, a major tsunami caused an estimated 150 deaths and resulted in destruction of property in coastal areas.
Electricity - consumption 83.7 million kWh (2002) 251.1 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2002) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2002) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 90 million kWh (2002) 270 million kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m


highest point: unnamed location 463 m
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: Shimbiris 2,416 m
Environment - current issues sparse water and lack of arable land 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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
Ethnic groups Arab, Berber Somali 85%, Bantu and other non-Somali 15% (including Arabs 30,000)
Exchange rates Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 8.868 (2004), 9.5744 (2003), 11.0206 (2002), 11.303 (2001), 10.6256 (2000) Somali shillings per US dollar - NA (2007), 1,438.3 (2006) official rate; the unofficial black market rate was about 23,000 shillings per dollar as of February 2007


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 none chief of state: Transitional Federal President Abdullahi YUSUF Ahmed (since 14 October 2004); note - a transitional governing entity with a five-year mandate, known as the Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs), was established in October 2004; the TFIs relocated to Somalia in June 2004


head of government: Prime Minister Nur "Adde" Hassan HUSSEIN (since 24 November 2007) State requested addition of "Adde" Feb '08


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister and approved by the Transitional Federal Assembly


election results: Abdullahi YUSUF Ahmed, the former leader of the semi-autonomous Puntland region of Somalia, was elected president by the Transitional Federal Assembly
Exports NA 0 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities phosphates 62% livestock, bananas, hides, fish, charcoal, scrap metal
Exports - partners Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts UAE 49.6%, Yemen 21.4%, Oman 5.9% (2006)
Fiscal year calendar year NA
Flag description - light blue with a large white five-pointed star in the center; blue field influenced by the flag of the UN
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: NA


industry: NA


services: 40% (1996 est.)
agriculture: 65%


industry: 10%


services: 25% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - NA -
GDP - real growth rate NA 2.6% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates 24 30 N, 13 00 W 10 00 N, 49 00 E
Geography - note the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal
Government - note - although an interim government was created in 2004, other regional and local governing bodies continue to exist and control various regions of the country, including the self-declared Republic of Somaliland in northwestern Somalia and the semi-autonomous State of Puntland in northeastern Somalia
Highways total: 6,200 km


paved: 1,350 km


unpaved: 4,850 km (1991 est)
-
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Imports NA 4,800 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs manufactures, petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials, qat
Imports - partners Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts Djibouti 30.8%, Brazil 8.5%, India 8.2%, Kenya 8.1%, Oman 5.5%, UAE 5.2%, Yemen 5% (2006)
Independence - 1 July 1960 (from a merger of British Somaliland, which became independent from the UK on 26 June 1960, and Italian Somaliland, which became independent from the Italian-administered UN trusteeship on 1 July 1960, to form the Somali Republic)
Industrial production growth rate NA NA%
Industries phosphate mining, handicrafts a few light industries, including sugar refining, textiles, wireless communication
Infant mortality rate total: NA


male: NA


female: NA
total: 113.08 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 122.29 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 103.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) NA NA%; note - businesses print their own money, so inflation rates cannot be easily determined
International organization participation none 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), IPU, ITSO, ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Irrigated land NA sq km 2,000 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch - following the breakdown of the central government, most regions have reverted to local forms of conflict resolution, either secular, traditional Somali customary law, or Shari'a (Islamic) law with a provision for appeal of all sentences
Labor force 12,000 3.7 million (few skilled laborers) (1975)
Labor force - by occupation animal husbandry and subsistence farming 50% agriculture: 71%


industry and services: 29% (1975)
Land boundaries total: 2,046 km


border countries: Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km
total: 2,340 km


border countries: Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,600 km, Kenya 682 km
Land use arable land: 0.02%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 99.98% (2001)
arable land: 1.64%


permanent crops: 0.04%


other: 98.32% (2005)
Languages Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English
Legal system - no national system; a mixture of English common law, Italian law, Islamic Shari'a, and Somali customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Legislative branch - unicameral National Assembly


note: unicameral Transitional Federal Assembly (TFA) (275 seats; 244 members appointed by the four major clans (61 for each clan), 31 seats allocated to smaller clans and subclans)
Life expectancy at birth total population: NA years


male: NA years


female: NA years
total population: 48.84 years


male: 47.06 years


female: 50.69 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: NA


total population: NA%


male: NA%


female: NA%
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 37.8%


male: 49.7%


female: 25.8% (2001 est.)
Location Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia
Map references Africa Africa
Maritime claims contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue territorial sea: 200 nm
Merchant marine - total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 2,659 GRT/2,540 DWT


by type: cargo 1


foreign-owned: 1 (UAE 1) (2007)
Military branches - no national-level armed forces (2007)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 0.9% (2005 est.)
National holiday - Foundation of the Somali Republic, 1 July (1960); note - 26 June (1960) in Somaliland
Nationality noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)


adjective: Sahrawi, Sahrawian, Sahraouian
noun: Somali(s)


adjective: Somali
Natural hazards hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely restricting visibility recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer; floods during rainy season
Natural resources phosphates, iron ore uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas, likely oil reserves
Net migration rate - 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Political parties and leaders - none
Political pressure groups and leaders none numerous clan and sub-clan factions exist both in support and in opposition to the transitional government
Population 273,008 (July 2005 est.) 9,118,773


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 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line NA NA%
Population growth rate NA 2.832% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, Laayoune (El Aaiun) -
Radio broadcast stations AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 0, FM 11 (also 1 station each in Puntland and Somaliland), shortwave 1 (in Mogadishu) (2001)
Religions Muslim Sunni Muslim
Sex ratio NA at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.006 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.006 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.721 male(s)/female


total population: 0.997 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign not yet completed 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: sparse and limited system


domestic: NA


international: country code - 212; tied into Morocco's system by microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and satellite; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) linked to Rabat, Morocco
ngeneral assessment: the public telecommunications system was almost completely destroyed or dismantled during the civil war; 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 (2001)
Telephones - main lines in use about 2,000 (1999 est.) 100,000 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular 0 (1999) 500,000 (2005)
Television broadcast stations NA 4 (2 in Mogadishu and 2 in Hargeisa) (2001)
Terrain mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north
Total fertility rate NA children born/woman 6.68 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate NA NA%
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