the UN withdrew in 1995, having suffered
significant casualties, order still had not been restored.

@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: 637,657 sq km
land: 627,337 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 2,416 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; 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: 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: 7,253,137
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 2000 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 44% (male 1,610,945; female 1,608,209)
15-64 years: 53% (male 1,938,263; female 1,892,752)
65 years and over: 3% (male 90,717; female 112,251) (2000 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.9% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 47.7 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 18.69 death