Country	Somalia
Capital	Mogadishu
Continent	Africa
Currency	Somali Shilling(SOS)
Languages	Somali, Arabic, Italian & English

Locaion

Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia

Geographic Co ordinates

10 00 N, 49 00 E

Land Boundries

Total:2,340 km
Border countries:Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,600 km, Kenya 682 km

Geography - note

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

Population

10,112,453
Country comparison to the world:82
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 2010 est.)

Nationality

Noun:Somali(s)
Adjective:Somali

Ethnic groups

Somali 85%, Bantu and other non-Somali 15% (including Arabs 30,000)

Religions

Sunni Muslim

Languages

Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English

Country Name

Conventional long form:none
Conventional short form:Somalia
Local long form:Jamhuuriyada Demuqraadiga Soomaaliyeed
Local short form:Soomaaliya
Former:Somali Republic, Somali Democratic Republic

Government Type

no permanent national government; transitional, parliamentary federal government

Capital

Name:Mogadishu
Geographic coordinates:2 04 N, 45 22 E
Time difference:UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions

18 regions (plural - NA, singular - gobolka); Awdal, Bakool, Banaadir, Bari, Bay, Galguduud, Gedo, Hiiraan, Jubbada Dhexe (Middle Jubba), Jubbada Hoose (Lower Jubba), Mudug, Nugaal, Sanaag, Shabeellaha Dhexe (Middle Shabelle), Shabeellaha Hoose (Lower Shabelle), Sool, Togdheer, Woqooyi Galbeed

Independence

1 July 1960 (from a merger of British Somaliland that became independent from the UK on 26 June 1960 and Italian Somaliland that became independent from the Italian-administered UN trusteeship on 1 July 1960 to form the Somali Republic)

National Holiday

Foundation of the Somali Republic, 1 July (1960); note - 26 June (1960) in Somaliland

Constitution

25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979
note: the formation of transitional governing institutions, known as the Transitional Federal Government, is currently ongoing

Legal system

no national system; a mixture of English common law, Italian law, Islamic sharia, and Somali customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

Chief of state:Transitional Federal President Sheikh SHARIF Sheikh Ahmed (since 31 January 2009); note - a transitional governing entity with a five-year mandate, known as the Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs), was established in October 2004; the TFIs relocated to Somalia in June 2004; in 2009, the TFI's were given a two-year extension to October 2011
Head of government:Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali SHARMARKE (since 13 February 2009)
Cabinet:Cabinet appointed by the prime minister and approved by the Transitional Federal Assembly
(For more information visit the World Leaders website)
Elections:Sheikh SHARIF Sheikh Ahmed elected president by the expanded Transitional Federal Assembly in Djibouti

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly
note:unicameral Transitional Federal Assembly (TFA) (550 seats; 475 members appointed according to the 4.5 clan formula, with the remaining 75 seats reserved for civil society and business persons)

Judicial branch

following the breakdown of the central government, most regions have reverted to local forms of conflict resolution, either secular, traditional Somali customary law, or sharia (Islamic) law with a provision for appeal of all sentences

Political Parties and Leaders

none

Political pressure groups and leaders

Other: numerous clan and sub-clan factions exist both in support and in opposition to the transitional government

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in the US

Somalia does not have an embassy in the US (ceased operations on 8 May 1991); note - the Transitional Federal Government is represented in the United States through its Permanent Mission to the United Nations

Diplomatic representation from the US

the US does not have an embassy in Somalia; US interests are represented by the US Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya at United Nations Avenue, Nairobi; mailing address: Unit 64100, Nairobi; APO AE 09831; telephone: [254] (20) 363-6000; FAX [254] (20) 363-6157

Flag description

Three light blue with a large white five-pointed star in the center; blue field influenced by the flag of the UN

Video

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Government - Government - Somalia President - Somalia Ministry Of Education
Newspapers -  Aayaha AllPuntland Banadir Garowe Online - Somalia Hiiraan Online
                              HornAfrik Inside Somalia PuntlandPost Somali Press SomaliNet
                              Somaliweyn Wardheernews Ayaamaha Balcad Goobjoog
                              Radio Banadir Shabelle
Tourism -         Ministry Of Tourism

Google News

Violence in Somalia scares investors, aid workers - Al-Arabiya BBC News Violence in Somalia scares investors, aid workers Al-Arabiya People walk outside Somalia's central Bank in Hamarwayne district, south of capital Mogadishu. Attacks by Islamist insurgents are forcing investors, businessmen and aid workers to have second thoughts about expanding in the Somali capital. (File photo: ... AU's 50th Anniversary Marked in MogadishuAllAfrica.com Mogadishu culture shock for diaspora SomalisBBC News all 3 news articles » The Gulf of Guinea - The Economist The Gulf of Guinea The Economist THE MV City of Xiamen, a container ship flagged in Antigua and Barbuda, was about 160km (100 miles) off the Nigerian coast in the evening of April 25th when 14 pirates, armed to the teeth, boarded her and broke into the ship's safe room. They made off ... Somalia Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the OAU in Mogadishu - AllAfrica.com Economic Times Somalia Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the OAU in Mogadishu AllAfrica.com Mogadishu, 23 May 2013 - The President of the Federal Republic os Somalia, H.E. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud attended a ceremony in Mogadishu to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Organization of the African Union (OAU). Dignitaries present in the event ... African peacekeeping: challenge of budgets, bureaucracyCapital FM Kenya The OAU: Fifty years onBBC News all 108 news articles » Outside View: Somalia's Jubaland - UPI.com Outside View: Somalia's Jubaland UPI.com Recent reporting on events across Somalia has delivered piecemeal information but provides little context for those who haven't been carefully following the complex developments and relationships taking shape within in the nascent state of Somalia. Kenya cautioned over new crisis in SomaliaThe Standard Digital News all 1 news articles » Canadian sisters on front lines of rebuilding Somalia - Toronto Star Toronto Star Canadian sisters on front lines of rebuilding Somalia Toronto Star MOGADISHU, SOMALIA—The Elman sisters are bathed in the honey glow of Somalia's late afternoon sun, the only sounds coming from an iPhone in a pink case that chirps continuously and the bursts of chatter from women upstairs. A sign in the corner of the ... and more » PM Welcomes Progress in Parliament and Outlines Road Ahead On Jubaland ... - AllAfrica.com PM Welcomes Progress in Parliament and Outlines Road Ahead On Jubaland ... AllAfrica.com They recognized that this would be a step backwards towards the chaos of the past, at the same time as providing a negative image for Somalia. They came to the right decision." The Prime Minister congratulated Somalis for making their voice heard ... Mystical branch of Islam has resurgence in Somalia - KXAN.com KOKH FOX25 Mystical branch of Islam has resurgence in Somalia KXAN.com Sufism, a mystical branch of Islam, is having a major comeback since al-Shabab, an armed militant Islamic group, was pushed out of Somalia's capital in August 2011. The Sunni insurgents had banned Sufis from gathering and prevented them from ... Local Aid Works Better in SomaliaISN (blog) all 4 news articles » Somalia: A Terrorist-Piracy Nexus? - Huffington Post Somalia: A Terrorist-Piracy Nexus? Huffington Post Significant strides have been made in recent years towards combating piracy, especially off the coast of Somalia, but a robust international grand strategy is urgently needed in order to forestall an ever more dangerous global threat as pirates develop ... and more » Puntland Court Issues Death Sentences for Islamic Mufti's Killers - AllAfrica.com Puntland Court Issues Death Sentences for Islamic Mufti's Killers AllAfrica.com Garowe — The Puntland military court in northern Somalia has convicted 7 persons of committing acts of terrorism and has sentenced them to death, Garowe Online reports. The Puntland military court for Nugal, Mudug, Sool, and Ayn regions convened the ... and more » Polio Cases Found in Kenya and Somalia, WHO Says - ABC News Polio Cases Found in Kenya and Somalia, WHO Says ABC News The World Health Organization says the Horn of Africa is experiencing an outbreak of polio with cases confirmed in Kenya and Somalia. WHO said Wednesday that a 4-year-old girl near the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya and two of her contacts tested ...