t marine: none

Airports: 32 (1997 est.)

Airports-with paved runways:
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1997 est.)

Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 30
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 20 (1997 est.)

@Solomon Islands:Military

Military branches: no regular military forces; Solomon Islands
National Reconnaissance and Surveillance Force; Royal Solomon Islands
Police (RSIP)

Military expenditures-dollar figure: $NA

Military expenditures-percent of GDP: NA%

@Solomon Islands:Transnational Issues

Disputes-international: none

______________________________________________________________________

SOMALIA

@Somalia:Geography

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

Geographic coordinates: 10 00 N, 49 00 E

Map references: Africa

Area:
total: 637,660 sq km
land: 627,340 sq km
water: 10,320 sq km

Area-comparative: slightly smaller than Texas

Land boundaries:
total: 2,366 km
border countries: Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,626 km, Kenya 682 km

Coastline: 3,025 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 200 nm

Climate: principally desert; December to February-northeast monsoon,
moderate temperatures in north and very hot in south; May to
October-southwest monsoon, 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 2,450 m

Natural resources: uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron
ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt

Land use:
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 69%
forests and woodland: 26%
other: 3% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 1,800 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern
plains in summer

Environment-current issues: famine; use of contaminated water
contributes to human health problems; deforestation; overgrazing; soil
erosion; desertification

Environment-international agreements:
party to: Endangered Species, Law of the Sea
signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban

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

@Somalia:People

Population: 6,841,695 (July 1998 est.)
note: this esti