omon Islands National
Reconnaissance and Surveillance Force; Royal Solomon Islands Police
(RSIP)

Manpower availability:
males age 15-49: NA
males fit for military service: NA

Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP

======================================================================

@Somalia
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Map
---

Location: 10 00 N, 49 00 E -- Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf
of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia

Flag
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Description: 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)

Geography
---------

Location: Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the
Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia

Geographic coordinates: 10 00 N, 49 00 E

Map references: Africa

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
border countries: 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: 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

Terrain: mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Shimbiris 2,450 m

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: famine; use of contaminated water contributes to
human 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

Geographic note: strategic location on Horn of Africa along