land: 627,337 sq km
water: 10,320 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries:
total: 2,340 km
border countries: Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,600 km, Kenya 682 km
Coastline:
3,025 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 200 nm
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
Terrain:
mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Shimbiris 2,416 m
Natural resources:
uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum,
bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas, likely oil reserves
Land use:
arable land: 1.64%
permanent crops: 0.04%
other: 98.32% (2005)
Irrigated land:
2,000 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
15.7 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 3.29 cu km/yr (0%/0%/100%)
per capita: 400 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in
summer; floods during rainy season
Environment - current issues:
famine; use of contaminated water contributes to human health
problems; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of
the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
Geography - note:
strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to
Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal
People
Somalia
Population:
9,558,666
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 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 44.7% (male 2,143,758/female 2,132,869)
15-64 years: 52.8% (male 2,525,562/female 2,516,879)
65 years and over: 2.5% (male 100,655/female 138,943) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 17.5 years
male: 17.4 years
female: 17.6 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.824% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
44.12 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
15.89 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 110.97 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 120.17 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 101.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 49.25 years
male: 47.43 years
female: 51.12 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.6 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
43,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and Rift Valley fever
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
animal contact disease: rabies (2008)
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
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 37.8%
male: 49.7%
female: 25.8% (2001 est.)
Education expenditures:
NA
Government
Somalia
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,
Jubbada Hoose, Mudug, Nugaal, Sanaag, Shabeellaha Dhexe, Shabeellaha
Hoose, Sool, Togdheer, Woqooyi Galbeed
Independence:
1 July 1960 (from a merger of British Somaliland, which became
independent from the UK on 26 June 1960, and Italian Somaliland,
which 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 Abdullahi YUSUF Ahmed
(since 14 October 2004); 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
head of government: Prime Minister Nur "Adde" HASSAN Hussein (since
24 November 2007)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister and approved by the
Transitional Federal Assembly
election results: Abdullahi YUSUF Ahmed, the former leader of the
semi-autonomous Puntland region of Somalia, was elected president by
the Transitional Federal Assembly
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly
note: unicameral Transitional Federal Assembly (TFA) (275 seats; 244
members appointed by the four major clans (61 for each clan), 31
seats allocated to smaller clans and subclans)
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 TFG 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:
light blue with a large white five-pointed star in the center; blue
field influenced by the flag of the UN
Government - note:
although an interim government was created in 2004, other regional
and local governing bodies continue to exist and control various
regions of the country, including the self-declared Republic of
Somaliland in northwestern Somalia and the semi-autonomous State of
Puntland in northeastern Somalia
Economy
Somalia
Economy - overview:
Despite the lack of effective national governance, Somalia has
maintained a healthy informal economy, largely based on livestock,
remittance/money transfer companies, and telecommunications.
Agriculture is the most important sector, with livestock normally
accounting for about 40% of GDP and about 65% of export earnings.
Nomads and semi-pastoralists, who are dependent upon livestock for
their livelihood, make up a large portion of the population.
Livestock, hides, fish, charcoal, and bananas are Somalia's
principal exports, while sugar, sorghum, corn, qat, and machined
goods are the principal imports. Somalia's small industrial sector,
based on the processing of agricultural products, has largely been
looted and sold as scrap metal. Somalia's service sector also has
grown. Telecommunication firms provide wireless services in most
major cities and offer the lowest international call rates on the
continent. In the absence of a formal banking sector, money exchange
services have sprouted throughout the country, handling between $500
million and $1 billion in remittances annually. Mogadishu's main
market offers a variety of goods from food to the newest electronic
gadgets. Hotels continue to operate and are supported with
private-security militias. Somalia's arrears to the IMF continued to
grow in 2006-07. Statistics on Somalia's GDP, growth, per capita
income, and inflation should be viewed skeptically. In late December
2004, a major tsunami caused an estimated 150 deaths and resulted in
destruction of property in coastal areas.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$5.387 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$2.509 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.6% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$600 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 65%
industry: 10%
services: 25% (2000 est.)
Labor force:
3.7 million (few skilled laborers) (1975)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 71%
industry and services: 29% (1975)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA
Fiscal year:
NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
NA%; note - businesses print their own money, so inflation rates
cannot be easily determined
Agriculture - products:
bananas, sorghum, corn, coconuts, rice, sugarcane, mangoes, sesame
seeds, beans; cattle, sheep, goats; fish
Industries:
a few light industries, including sugar refining, textiles, wireless
communication
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
280 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
260.4 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
5,040 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
4,772 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
5.663 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)
Exports:
$300 million f.o.b. (2006)
Exports - commodities:
livestock, bananas, hides, fish, charcoal, scrap metal
Exports - partners:
UAE 50.7%, Yemen 21%, Oman 6.1% (2007)
Imports:
$798 million f.o.b. (2006)
Imports - commodities:
manufactures, petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction
materials, qat
Imports - partners:
Djibouti 34.4%, India 9.1%, Kenya 9%, Oman 6%, UAE 5.6%, Yemen 5.5%
(2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$236.4 million (2005 est.)
Debt - external:
$3 billion (2001 est.)
Currency (code):
Somali shilling (SOS)
Currency code:
SOS
Exchange rates:
Somali shillings (SOS) per US dollar - NA (2007), 1,438.3 (2006)
official rate; the unofficial black market rate was about 23,000
shillings per dollar as of February 2007
note: the Republic of Somaliland, a self-declared independent
country not recognized by any foreign government, issues its own
currency, the Somaliland shilling
Communications
Somalia
Telephones - main lines in use:
100,000 (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
600,000 (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: the public telecommunications system was almost
completely destroyed or dismantled during the civil war; private
wireless companies offer service in most major cities and charge the
lowest international rates on the continent
domestic: local cellular telephone systems have been established in
Mogadishu and in several other population centers
international: country code - 252; international connections are
available from Mogadishu by satellite (2001)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 0, FM 11 (also 1 station each in Puntland and Somaliland),
shortwave 1 (in Mogadishu) (2001)
Radios:
470,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
4 (2 in Mogadishu and 2 in Hargeisa) (2001)
Televisions:
135,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.so
Internet hosts:
1 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
3 (one each in Boosaaso, Hargeisa, and Mogadishu) (2000)
Internet users:
98,000 (2007)
Transportation
Somalia
Airports:
67 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 7
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 60
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 20
914 to 1,523 m: 29
under 914 m: 7 (2007)
Roadways:
total: 22,100 km
paved: 2,608 km
unpaved: 19,492 km (2000)
Merchant marine:
total: 1
by type: cargo 1
foreign-owned: 1 (UAE 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Berbera, Kismaayo
Transportation - note:
the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and
offshore waters in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean are high risk
for piracy and armed robbery against ships; numerous vessels,
including commercial shipping and pleasure craft, have been attacked
and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; crew, passengers,
and cargo are held for ransom
Military
Somalia
Military branches:
no national-level armed forces (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,181,050
females age 16-49: 2,125,558 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,274,783
females age 16-49: 1,317,991 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 95,446
female: 95,339 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.9% of GDP (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues
Somalia
Disputes - international:
Ethiopian forces invaded southern Somalia and routed Islamist Courts
from Mogadishu in January 2007; "Somaliland" secessionists provide
port facilities in Berbera to landlocked Ethiopia and have
established commercial ties with other regional states; "Puntland"
and "Somaliland" "governments" seek international support in their
secessionist aspirations and overlapping border claims; the
undemarcated former British administrative line has little meaning
as a political separation to rival clans within Ethiopia's Ogaden
and southern Somalia's Oromo region; Kenya works hard to prevent the
clan and militia fighting in Somalia from spreading south across the
border, which has long been open to nomadic pastoralists
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 1.1 million (civil war since 1988, clan-based competition for
resources) (2007)
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@South Africa
Introduction
South Africa
Background:
Dutch traders landed at the southern tip of modern day South Africa
in 1652 and established a stopover point on the spice route between
the Netherlands and the East, founding the city of Cape Town. After
the British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806, many of the
Dutch settlers (the Boers) trekked north to found their own
republics. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred
wealth and immigration and intensified the subjugation of the native
inhabitants. The Boers resisted British encroachments but were
defeated in the Boer War (1899-1902); however, the British and the
Afrikaners, as the Boers became known, ruled together under the
Union of South Africa. In 1948, the National Party was voted into
power and instituted a policy of apartheid - the separate
development of the races. The first multi-racial elections in 1994
brought an end to apartheid and ushered in black majority rule.
Geography
South Africa
Location:
Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa
Geographic coordinates:
29 00 S, 24 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 1,219,912 sq km
land: 1,219,912 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince
Edward Island)
Area - comparative:
slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
total: 4,862 km
border countries: Botswana 1,840 km, Lesotho 909 km, Mozambique 491
km, Namibia 967 km, Swaziland 430 km, Zimbabwe 225 km
Coastline:
2,798 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin
Climate:
mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool
nights
Terrain:
vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Njesuthi 3,408 m
Natural resources:
gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel,
phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium,
salt, natural gas
Land use:
arable land: 12.1%
permanent crops: 0.79%
other: 87.11% (2005)
Irrigated land:
14,980 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
50 cu km (1990)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 12.5 cu km/yr (31%/6%/63%)
per capita: 264 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
prolonged droughts
Environment - current issues:
lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires extensive water
conservation and control measures; growth in water usage outpacing
supply; pollution of rivers from agricultural runoff and urban
discharge; air pollution resulting in acid rain; soil erosion;
desertification
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living
Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine
Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands,
Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely
surrounds Swaziland
People
South Africa
Population:
48,782,756
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 29.2% (male 7,147,151/female 7,120,183)
15-64 years: 65.5% (male 16,057,340/female 15,889,750)
65 years and over: 5.3% (male 1,050,287/female 1,518,044) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 24.2 years
male: 23.8 years
female: 24.6 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.828% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
20.23 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
16.94 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
4.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa
and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 45.11 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 49.47 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 40.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 48.89 years
male: 49.63 years
female: 48.15 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.43 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
21.5% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
5.3 million (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
370,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever and malaria
water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2008)
Nationality:
noun: South African(s)
adjective: South African
Ethnic groups:
black African 79%, white 9.6%, colored 8.9%, Indian/Asian 2.5% (2001
census)
Religions:
Zion Christian 11.1%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2%, Catholic 7.1%,
Methodist 6.8%, Dutch Reformed 6.7%, Anglican 3.8%, Muslim 1.5%,
other Christian 36%, other 2.3%, unspecified 1.4%, none 15.1% (2001
census)
Languages:
IsiZulu 23.8%, IsiXhosa 17.6%, Afrikaans 13.3%, Sepedi 9.4%, English
8.2%, Setswana 8.2%, Sesotho 7.9%, Xitsonga 4.4%, other 7.2% (2001
census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.4%
male: 87%
female: 85.7% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 13 years
male: 13 years
female: 13 years (2004)
Education expenditures:
5.4% of GDP (2006)
Government
South Africa
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of South Africa
conventional short form: South Africa
former: Union of South Africa
abbreviation: RSA
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Pretoria (administrative capital)
geographic coordinates: 25 42 S, 28 13 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
note: Cape Town (legislative capital); Bloemfontein (judicial
capital)
Administrative divisions:
9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal,
Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North-West, Western Cape
Independence:
31 May 1910 (Union of South Africa formed from four British
colonies: Cape Colony, Natal, Transvaal, and Orange Free State); 31
May 1961 (republic declared) 27 April 1994 (majority rule)
National holiday:
Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)
Constitution:
10 December 1996; this new constitution was certified by the
Constitutional Court on 4 December 1996, was signed by then
President MANDELA on 10 December 1996, and entered into effect on 4
February 1997
Legal system:
based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Kgalema MOTLANTHE (since 25 September
2008); Executive Deputy President Baleka MBETE (since 25 September
2008); note - Thabo MBEKI resigned as president effective 25
September 2008; the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Kgalema MOTLANTHE (since 25 September
2008); Executive Deputy President Baleka MBETE (since 25 September
2008)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a
five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on
25 September 2008 (next to be held in April 2009); note - Kgalema
MOTLANTHE is serving out the term of Thabo MBEKI
election results: Kgalema MOTLANTHE elected president; National
Assembly vote - Kgalema MOTLANTHE 269, Joe SEREMANE 50, other 41;
note - Thabo MBEKI resigned as president effective 25 September
2008, Kgalema MOTLANTHE is serving the remainder of his term
Legislative branch: