1988 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1988 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Ethnic divisions
85% Somali, rest mainly Bantu; 30,000 Arabs, 3,000 Europeans, 800 Asians
Infant mortality rate
150/1,000 (1984)
Labor force
about 2.2 million; very few are skilled laborers; 70% pastoral nomad, 30% agriculturists, government employees, traders, fishermen, handicraftsmen, other
Language
Somali (official); Arabic, Italian, English
Life expectancy
43.9
Literacy
60%
Nationality
noun — Somali(s); adjective — Somali
Organized labor
General Federation of Somali Trade Unions, a governmentcontrolled organization, established in 1977
Population
7,741,859 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 3.01%
Religion
almost entirely Sunni Muslim
Government
Administrative divisions
18 regions, 60 districts
Branches
President dominates political system; Cabinet carries out day-to-day government functions; unicameral legislature (National People's Assembly) exists but has little power
Capital
Mogadishu
Communists
probably some Communist sympathizers in the government hierarchy
Elections
parliamentary elections held 31 December 1984; Presidential election held December 1986 and President Siad won 99.92% of the votes in yes/no style election for another seven-year term
Government leader
Maj. Gen. Mohamed SIAD Barre, President and Commander in Chief of the Army (since October 1969) Political party and leader: the Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party (SRSP), created on 1 July 1976, is the 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, IDE— Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAU, QIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
National holiday
21 October
Official name
Somali Democratic Repub-
Type
republic
Economy
Agriculture
mainly a pastoral country, raising livestock; crops — bananas, sugarcane, cotton, cereals
Budget
(1985 est. in percent of GDP) revenues and grants, 10.2%; current expenditures, 8.5%; investment expenditures, 6.8%
Electric power
63,000 kW capacity; 137 million kWh produced, 17 kWh per capita (1986)
Exports
$108 million (f.o.b., 1986 est.); livestock, hides, skins, bananas
External debt
$1.6 billion (1985 est.); external debt service 73% of exports of goods and services
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$1.4 billion, about $200 per capita (1982 est.)
Imports
$407 million (c.i.f., 1986 est.); textiles, cereals, transport equipment, machinery, construction materials and equipment, petroleum products; also military materiel in 1977
Major industries
a few small industries, including sugar refining, tuna, beef canning, textiles, iron rod plant, and petroleum refining
Major trade partners
exports — Saudi Arabia 34.6%, Italy 19.6%; imports— Italy 26%, Saudi Arabia 12%, US 17% (1985)
Monetary conversion rate
official rate — 86.5 Somali shillings=US$l; legal free market— 140 Somali shillings=US$l (November 1986)
Natural resources
uranium, iron, tin, gypsum, bauxite
Communications
Airfields
65 total, 53 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m, 6 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 21 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Branches
Somali National Army (including Navy, Air Force, and Air Defense Force), National Police Force
Civil air
3 major transport aircraft
Highways
21,300 km total; including 2,335 km bituminous surface, 2,880 km gravel, and 12,000 km improved earth or stabilized soil
Military manpower
males 15-49, 1,710,000; 958,000 fit for military service; no conscription
Pipelines
15 km crude oil
Ports
3 major (Mogadishu, Berbera, Chisimayu)
Railroads
none
Telecommunications
poor telephone and telegraph service; radio-relay system centered on Mogadishu connects a few towns; 6,000 telephones (0.1 per 100 popl.); 1 Indian Ocean satellite station; 2 AM, no FM stations; 1 TV station Defense Forces