Somalia
- (1995 est. pop. 7,348,000), 246,200 sq mi (637,657 sq km), E Africa, directly south of the Arabian Peninsula across the Gulf of Aden, also bordered by Ethiopia and Kenya (W), Djibouti (NW), and the Indian Ocean (E). Mogadishu is the capital; other large cities are Hargeisa, Berbera, and Kismayo. The country is arid and semidesert, with a barren coastal lowland rising to the great interior plateau (generally 3,000 ft/910 m high), which stretches to the northern and western highlands. Pastoralism is the dominant mode of life, and herding (both nomadic and sedentary) of cattle, sheep, goats, and camels is the principal occupation. Livestock, charcoal, bananas, hides, and fish make up the bulk of exports. The major cash crops are bananas, mangoes, and sugarcane; subsistence crops include sorghum and corn. Processing of raw materials constitutes the bulk of the small industry. The most valuable mineral resource is uranium; many other minerals are largely unexploited. Petroleum deposits have been found, and a refinery was built in 1979. However, much industry has been shut down due to civil strife. The Somali, who are the vast majority of the population, are divided into many clans and subclans. There are Italian, Indian, and Pakistani minorities. Islam is the state religion. Somali is the official language, but Arabic, English, and Italian are in wide use. |
