ands, Defense Forces

Branches:
Police Force
Defense expenditures:
$NA, NA% of GDP

@Somalia, Geography

Location:
Eastern Africa, bordering the northwestern Indian Ocean, south of the
Arabian Peninsula
Map references:
Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
637,660 sq km
land area:
627,340 sq km
comparative area:
slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries:
total 2,366 km, Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,626 km, Kenya 682 km
Coastline:
3,025 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea:
200 nm
International disputes:
southern half of boundary with Ethiopia is a Provisional
Administrative Line; territorial dispute with Ethiopia over the Ogaden
Climate:
desert; northeast monsoon (December to February), cooler southwest
monsoon (May to October); irregular rainfall; hot, humid periods
(tangambili) between monsoons
Terrain:
mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north
Natural resources:
uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum,
bauxite, copper, salt
Land use:
arable land:
2%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
46%
forest and woodland:
14%
other:
38%
Irrigated land:
1,600 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
use of contaminated water contributes to health problems;
deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
natural hazards:
recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer
international agreements:
party to - Endangered Species, Law of the Sea; signed, but not
ratified - Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban
Note:
strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab
el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal

@Somalia, People

Population:
6,666,873 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.24% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
45.97 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
13.53 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
125.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
54.75 years
male:
54.49 years
female:
55.01 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
7.25 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Somali(s)
adjective:
Somali
Ethnic divisions:
Somali 85%, Bantu, Arabs 30,000, Europeans 3,000, Asians 800
Religions:
Sunni Muslim
Languages: