Country Guide • Somalia
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 | 637,140km² (246,000mile²) |
| Population | 8,025,000 |
| Continent | Africa |
| Population per mile² | 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 and fish |
| Industry | A few light industries, including sugar refining, textiles, petroleum refining (mostly shut down), wireless communication |
| Tourism | The British and 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°C 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 | Embassy Details |
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