Introduction
Background
Several powerful Somali states dominated the Indian Ocean trade from the 13th century onward. In the late 19th century, the area that would become Somalia was colonized by Britain in the north and Italy in the south. The two colonies merged in 1960 to form the new nation of Somalia. Since 1991, civil war and political instability have resulted in the country being split into several regional governments.
Geography
Area
total: 637,657 sq km
land: 627,337 sq km
water: 10,320 sq km
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
Natural resources
uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas, likely oil reserves
People and Society
Population
12,693,796 (2023 est.)
Ethnic groups
Somali 85%, Bantu and other non-Somali 15% (including 30,000 Arabs)
Languages
Somali (official, according to the 2012 Transitional Federal Charter), Arabic (official, according to the 2012 Transitional Federal Charter), Italian, English
Religions
Sunni Muslim (Islam) (official, according to the 2012 Transitional Federal Charter)
Population growth rate
2.49% (2023 est.)
Government
Government type
federal parliamentary republic
Capital
name: Mogadishu
Executive branch
chief of state: President HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud (since 23 May 2022)
head of government: Prime Minister Hamza Abdi BARRE (since 25 June 2022)
Legislative branch
description: bicameral Federal Parliament to consist of:
Senate (54 seats; senators indirectly elected by state assemblies to serve 4-year terms)
House of the People (275 seats; members indirectly elected by electoral colleges, each consisting of 51 delegates selected by the 136 Traditional Elders in consultation with sub-clan elders; members serve 4-year terms)
Economy
Economic overview
low-income African Horn economy; 30 years of war and instability crippled economic potential; high remittances for basic survival; new fiscal federalism approach; cleared some unsustainable debt; environmentally fragile; digitally driven urbanization efforts
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$19.399 billion (2021 est.)
$18.644 billion (2020 est.)
$18.191 billion (2019 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$1,100 (2021 est.)
$1,100 (2020 est.)
$1,100 (2019 est.)
Agricultural products
camel milk, milk, sheep milk, goat milk, sugar cane, fruit, sorghum, cassava, vegetables, maize
Industries
light industries, including sugar refining, textiles, wireless communication
Remittances
25.21% of GDP (2020 est.)
24.32% of GDP (2019 est.)
25.31% of GDP (2018 est.)
Exports
$819 million (2014 est.)
$779 million (2013 est.)
Exports - partners
United Arab Emirates 47%, Saudi Arabia 19%, India 5%, Japan 5% (2019)
Exports - commodities
gold, sheep, goats, sesame seeds, insect resins, cattle (2019)
Imports
$94.43 billion (2018 est.)
$80.07 billion (2017 est.)
Imports - partners
United Arab Emirates 32%, China 20%, India 17%, Turkey 7% (2019)
Imports - commodities
cigarettes, raw sugar, rice, broadcasting equipment, textiles (2019)
Exchange rates
Somali shillings (SOS) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
23,960 (2016 est.)
Page last updated: Tuesday, December 19, 2023
