Country guide - Somalia  

 
 

Introduction: Somalia is bounded to the north by the Gulf of Aden, to the south and west by Kenya, to the west by Ethiopia and to the northwest by Djibouti. To the east lies the Indian Ocean.

Official Name: Somali Democratic Republic
Area: 637,140 Sq Km (246,000 Sq Miles)
Population: 8,025,000
Continent: Africa
Density per square mile: 33
Capital City: Mogadishu
Religions: 99.8% Sunni Muslims

Language: Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English
Government: No permanent national government; transitional, parliamentary national government

Currency: Somali shilling
GDP: $4.1 billion
GDP Per Head: $550

Natural Resources: uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas, likely oil reserves
Land Use: Arable Land 1.66%
Agriculture: Bananas, beans, cattle, sheep, goats; sorghum, corn, coconuts, rice, sugarcane, mangoes, sesame seeds & fish.
Industry: A few light industries, including sugar refining, textiles, petroleum refining (mostly shut down), wireless communication

Tourism: The British & Foreign Commonwealth Office advise against all travel to Southern Somalia, including the north eastern area of Puntland, as well as the Sool and Sanaag regions of the self-declared republic of Somaliland. There is a high general threat from terrorism in Somalia. You should be particularly vigilant in public places, including tourist sites.

Natural Hazards: Recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer; floods during rainy season
Health Risks: malaria prophylactics

Climate:There are four seasons. The Jilal starts around January and is the harshest period, hot and very dry. Gu is the first rainy season lasting from March to June. Hagaa, during August, is a time of dry monsoon winds and dust clouds. The second rainy season is from September to December and is called Dayr. Most of the country has an average annual rainfall of less than 20 inches with severe droughts quite common. Average temperature ranges in Mogadishu are from 23 - 33 degrees Celsius throughout the year.

Time: GMT/UTC + 11 hours
National Days: June 26 Independence Day

Visas: Visas are required by all foreign nationals. The Somali Embassy in London is closed due to the civil war, please refer to FCO website for updated entry requirements.

British Embassy Details

 

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