Some of the Facts About Somalia

Somalia is located in the Horn of Africa. It borders the Indian Ocean to the east, the Gulf of Aden to the north, Djibouti and Ethiopia to the north-west and Kenya to the west. The coastline stretches for 3,300 km on the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. Only 13 percent of Somalia’s land area is cultivatable and 45 percent suitable for livestock raising. Most of the land is semi-arid or arid shrub and grassland.

• Population: 10.7 million (UN, 2005)
• Infant mortality rate (IMR) : 125 per 1,000 live births
• Child (U-5)mortality rate : 211 per 1,000 live births
• Maternal mortality rate(MMR): 1,600 per 10,000 live births
• Capital: Mogadishu
• Area: 637,657sq km (246,201 sq miles)
• Major languages: Somali, Arabic, Italian, English
• Major religion: Islam
• Life expectancy: 45 years (men), 47 years (women)
• Monetary unit: 1 Somali shilling = 100 cents
• Main exports: Livestock, bananas, hides, fish
• Internet domain: .so
• International dialling code: +252
• Climate: Arid tropical with insufficient rainfall.