Somalia 
Facts
Population: 9,118,773
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 2007 est.).
Age structure: 0-14 years: 44.4% (male 2,031,682/female 2,019,629)
15-64 years: 53% (male 2,423,602/female 2,410,126)
65 years and over: 2.6% (male 97,932/female 135,802) (2007 est.).
Population growth rate: 2.832% (2007 est.).
Birth rate: 44.6 births/1,000 population (2007 est.).
Death rate: 16.28 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.).
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.).
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.006 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.006 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.721 male(s)/female
total population: 0.997 male(s)/female (2007 est.).
Infant mortality rate: total: 113.08 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 122.29 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 103.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.).
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 48.84 years
male: 47.06 years
female: 50.69 years (2007 est.).
Total fertility rate: 6.68 children born/woman (2007 est.).
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 1% (2001 est.).
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 43,000 (2001 est.).
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA.
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.).
GDP (purchasing power parity): $5.259 billion (2006 est.).
GDP - real growth rate: 2.6% (2006 est.).
GDP - per capita (PPP): $600 (2006 est.).
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 65%
industry: 10%
services: 25% (2000 est.).
Labor force: 3.7 million (few skilled laborers) (1975 est.).
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 71%
industry and services: 29% (1975).
Population below poverty line: NA%.
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%.
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%; note - businesses print their own money, so inflation rates cannot be easily determined.
Unemployment rate: NA%.
Budget: revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA.
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: 269 million kWh (2004).
Electricity - consumption: 250.2 million kWh (2004).
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004).
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004).
Exports: $241 million f.o.b. (2004 est.).
Exports - commodities: livestock, bananas, hides, fish, charcoal, scrap metal.
Exports - partners: UAE 48.3%, Yemen 20.8%, Oman 5.8% (2005).
Imports: $576 million f.o.b. (2004 est.).
Imports - commodities: manufactures, petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials, qat.
Imports - partners: Djibouti 31.8%, India 8.4%, Kenya 8.3%, Brazil 7.9%, Oman 5.6%, UAE 5.2%, Yemen 5.1% (2005).
Debt - external: $3 billion (2001 est.).
Economic aid - recipient: $60 million (1999 est.).
Currency (code): Somali shilling (SOS).
Exchange rates: Somali shillings per US dollar - 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.
Fiscal year: NA.
Statistics: C.I.A. World Factbook. Updated: July 20, 2007.
Somalia in the News
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Ethiopia's "mission" in Somalia—defeating the Union of Islamic Courts, propping up the government and forging a partnership with Washington in the "war on terror"—has not been accomplished.
The Islamic regime, which had progressively taken control of much of Somalia, was overthrown in December by an Ethiopian invasion force backed—financially and militarily—by the United States.
The U.S.-backed warlords' defeat represents a major setback for Washington in the proxy war it has been waging to assert control over Somalia's 8 million inhabitants.
Despite the U.S.'s renewed interest in curbing terrorism in Somalia, peace talks aimed at establishing a government of national unity in the factionalized country are foundering.
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