By: Michael Vito

Somalia

Map and Flag

This is a map of Somalia

Somalia is located on the east coast of Africa

The Somalia Flag(light blue influenced by the flag and color of the U.N.) With a five pointed star in the middle

CultureCapital Literacy Rate

Population Holidays

Ethnic Groups Politics

Religion Languages

Birth Rate

Death Rate

MogadishuMogadishu is the largest city in Somalia and is the nation’s capital

Mogadishu has been run by competing warlords up until 2006

Also with the collapse of the central government in 1991, Mogadishu has been the stage for 17 years of fighting between rival militias. Bakaara Market

Is the main market inMogadishu. (also hasbeen called the Heart of Mogadishu)

Languages/ Ethnic Groups/ Religion• Languages• Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English

• Ethnic GroupsEthnic Groups• Somali, and also a small minority of non-

Somali (mostly Bantu and Arabs).

• Religion• 99.9% Muslim

Birth Rate/ Death Rate/ Literacy Rate

• Birth Rate-114.9/1,000 live births.• This means that 114.9 kids will die within the infant

part of his/her life

• Death Rate- 48.7 yrs• This means that when you are born you are only

expected to lie for 48.7 years.

• Literacy Rate- The total population that can read and write is only 37.8% from that 49.7% is male, and 25.8% is female.

Politics/ Holidays Somalia’s economy is pastoral and agricultural, with livestock--principally

camels, cattle, sheep, and goats--representing the main form of wealth. There are no railways in Somalia; internal transportation is by truck and bus.

The national road system nominally comprises 13,702 miles of roads that include about 1,612 miles of all-weather roads, although most roads have received little maintenance for years and have fallen apart.

With the absence of a central government authority the Somali shilling has decreased to 1 U.S. dollar is worth 30,000 Somali shillings.

A small fishing industry exists in the north where tuna, shark, and other warm-water fish are caught, although fishing production is seriously affected by poaching. Aromatic woods--frankincense and myrrh--from a small and diminishing forest also contribute to the country's exports. Minerals, including uranium and deposits of petroleum and natural gas, are found throughout the country. With the help of foreign aid, small industries such as textiles, handicrafts, meat processing, and printing are being established.

Government• Type: Transitional government, known as the Transitional Federal Government

(TFG)• Suffrage: 18 years of age (no nationwide elections).

• Central government budget: N/A.

• Defense: N/A.

• National holiday: July 1 (June 26 in Somaliland).

• Political parties: None

Economy• GDP (2008 est.): U.S. $5.756 billion.

• Annual growth rate (2008 est.): 2.6%.

• Per capita GDP (2008 est.): $600.

• Avg. inflation rate: N/A.

• Natural resources: Largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, • uranium, copper, and salt; likely petroleum and natural gas reserves.

• Agriculture: Products--livestock, fish, bananas, corn, sorghum, sugar. Arable land--13%, of • which 2% is cultivated.

• Industry: Types--Telecommunications, livestock, fishing, textiles, transportation, and limited • financial services. Somalia's surprisingly innovative private sector has continued to function • despite the lack of a functioning central government since 1991.

• Trade: Exports--$241 million (f.o.b., 2004 est.): livestock, bananas, hides, fish, charcoal, scrap • metal. Major markets--United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Oman. Imports--$576 million (f.o.b., • 2004 est.): food grains, animal and vegetable oils, petroleum products, construction materials, • manufactured products, qat. Major suppliers--Djibouti, Kenya, Brazil, India, United Arab • Emirates, Oman.

• Aid disbursed: N/A. Primary donors--United States, European Union, Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, • Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom.

• Remittances (2008 est.): $1 billion.

Geography

• Somalia is located on the east coast of Africa on and north of the Equator and, with Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, and Kenya, is often referred to as the Horn of Africa.

People

• Today, about 60% of all Somalis are nomadic or semi-nomadic pastoralists who raise cattle, camels, sheep, and goats. About 25% of the population is settled farmers who live mainly in the fertile agricultural zone between the Juba and Shabelle Rivers in southern Somalia. The remainder of the population (15%-20%) is urban

• Sizable ethnic groups in the country include Bantu agricultural workers, several thousand Arabs and some hundreds of Indians and Pakistanis. Nearly all inhabitants speak the Somali language, which remained unwritten until October 1973.

• Somali is now the language of instruction in schools, although Arabic, English, and Italian also are used extensively.

Other Information• Area: 637,657 sq. km. (slightly smaller than Texas)• Terrain: Mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to

hills in the north.• Nationality: Noun--Somali(s). Adjective--Somali.

Population (2006 est., no census exists): 8.8 million (of which an estimated 2 million in Somaliland).Annual growth rate (2006 est.): 2.85%.

Bibliography• radiocaptivity.files.wordpress.com(Somalia Flag)• www.internationalimagegallery.com Somalia

624 x 400 - 39k - gifgo.hrw.com ... central government in Somalia!254 x 260 - 79k - jpgmises.org somalia ...390 x 280 - 32k - jpgwww.florida-cracker.org Somalia1078 x 1292 - 203k - jpgwww.iss.co.za[ More from www.iss.co.za ] ... Recovery in Northern Somalia;400 x 300 - 49k - jpgwww.oxfam.ca In Somalia, Those Who Feed Off ...600 x 300 - 78k - jpgwww.nytimes.com Who Are Somalia's Al Shabab?500 x 333 - 130k - jpgwarisboring.com

Pirates

Somalia has been hijacking boats off of the Gulf of Yemen and has hijacked about 3 U.S. ships.Lately the U.S. has had a Captain Richard Phillips held as a prisoner and had 3 U.S. Navy Seals Snipers shoot and kill the Somalia Pirates