1982 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1982 (Wikisource)
Geography
Area
637,140 km2; 13% arable (0.3% cultivated), 32% grazing, 14% scrub and forest, 41% mainly desert, urban, or other
Coastline
3,025 km
Land boundaries
2,263 km WATER
Limits of territorial waters (claimed)
200 nm
People and Society
Ethnic divisions
85% Hamitic, rest mainly Bantu; 30,000 Arabs, 3,000 Europeans, 800 Asians
Labor force
965,000 (1968 est.); very few are skilled laborers; 70% pastoral nomads, 30% agriculturists, government employees, traders, fishermen, handicraftsmen, other
Language
Somali (written form instituted by government in 1972); Arabic, Italian, English
Literacy
5-10%
Nationality
noun—Somali(s); adjective—Somali
Organized labor
General Federation of Somali Trade Unions, a government-controlled organization, established in 1977
Population
6,124,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 3.5%
Religion
almost entirely Muslim
Government
Capital
Mogadishu
Communists
probably some Communist sympathizers in the government hierarchy
Government leader
President Maj. Gen. MOHAMED Siad Barre Political party and leader: the Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party (SRSP), created on 1 July 1976, is sole legal party; Maj. Gen. Mohamed Siad Barre is general secretary of the SRSP
Member of
AFDB, Arab League, EAMA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMCO, IMF, ISCON, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
National holiday
21 October
Official name
Somali Democratic Republic
Organization
executive authority is exercised by the Supreme Revolutionary Council, composed of military officers and headed by President Siad
Political subdivisions
16 regions, 60 districts
Type
republic
Economy
Agriculture
mainly a pastoral country, raising livestock; crops—bananas, sugarcane, cotton, cereals
Budget
(1981) revenues $400 million, current expenditures $381 million, development expenditures $50 million
Electric power
90,000 kW capacity (1980); 100 million kWh produced (1980), 20 kWh per capita
Exports
$137 million (f.o.b., 1980); livestock, hides, skins, and bananas
External debt
$700 million (1980); external debt service payments, 5%
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$411.1 million (1978 est.), $187.0 per capita
Imports
$463 million (c.i.f., 1980); textiles, cereals, transport equipment, machinery, construction materials and equipment, petroleum products; also military materiel in 1977
Major industries
a few small industries, including a sugar refinery, tuna and beef canneries, textiles, iron rod plant, and petroleum refining
Major trade partners
Arab countries and Italy; $21.4 million imports from Communist countries (1975 est.)
Monetary conversion rate
6.295 Somali shillings=US$1
Communications
Airfields
50 total, 41 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 6 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 16 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
8 major transport aircraft
Highways
15,215 km total; 2,335 km bituminous surface, 2880 km gravel, and 10,000 km unimproved earth, crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil, remainder improved or unimproved earth (est.)
Pipelines
15 km crude oil
Ports
3 major (Mogadishu, Berbera, Chisimaio)
Railroads
none
Telecommunications
fair telephone and telegraph service; radio-relay system centered on Mogadishu connects a few towns; 6,000 telephones (0.2 per 100 popl.); 1 INTELSAT ground station; 2 AM stations, no FM or TV stations
Military and Security
Military manpower
males 15-49, 1,176,000; 634,000 fit for military service; no conscription