10 00 N, 49 00 E

Map references:

Africa

Area:

total: 637,657 sq km land: 627,337 sq km water: 10,320 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Texas

Land boundaries:

total: 2,340 km border countries: Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,600 km, Kenya 682 km

Coastline:

3,025 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 200 nm

Climate:

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

Terrain:

mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Shimbiris 2,416 m

Natural resources:

uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas, likely oil reserves

Land use:

arable land: 1.64% permanent crops: 0.04% other: 98.32% (2005)

Irrigated land:

2,000 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

15.7 cu km (1997)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 3.29 cu km/yr (0%/0%/100%) per capita: 400 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer; floods during rainy season

Environment - current issues:

famine; use of contaminated water contributes to human health problems; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection

Geography - note:

strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal

People
Somalia

Population:

9,558,666 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 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 44.7% (male 2,143,758/female 2,132,869) 15-64 years: 52.8% (male 2,525,562/female 2,516,879) 65 years and over: 2.5% (male 100,655/female 138,943) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 17.5 years male: 17.4 years female: 17.6 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

2.824% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

44.12 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

15.89 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 110.97 deaths/1,000 live births male: 120.17 deaths/1,000 live births female: 101.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 49.25 years male: 47.43 years female: 51.12 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

6.6 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

43,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: