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At a glance

Capital: Mogadishu

Official language: Somali

Currency: Shilling

Continent: East Africa

The state that doesn’t exist

Extreme caution is advised when traveling to Somalia as it is in a permanent state of emergency. Somaliland is the only safe region!

Location

According to Countryaah, Somalia is a state in eastern Africa, which is located on the Red Sea. Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya border the country.

Background

Since its independence in 1960 Somalia has been in a state of civil war again and again. The country is divided into three regions: Somaliland, Puntland and Somalia proper in the south. We strongly advise against traveling to Somalia and Puntland, as the region is destabilized, without state order and in a permanent state of emergency. By contrast, the
autonomous region of Somaliland is considered to be relatively stable. It has its own currency, its own parliament and its own university.

Entry and Security

If you want to enter the country, we recommend crossing the border with Ethiopia. Many guides offer their services for this, but be careful when making your selection and it is best to book with a travel company.
If you should ever come to Somalia by car, which is not advisable, leave your doors locked and do not stop them under any circumstances – not even at red lights!

Important facts

Capital: Mogadishu

Official language: Somali

Currency

Currency (sub-unit)

Shilling (100 centesimi)

ISO 4217 code

SOS / 706

Geography

Continent: Africa

Region: east

Geo coordinates: N 5 ° 9 ‘7.7 ” E 46 ° 11’ 58.6″

Highest mountain: Shimbriris (2,416 m)

Total area: 637,657 km²

Mainland: 637,337 km²

National border: 2,366 km

Coastline: 3,025 km

Politics

Dependency: Great Britain until 1960

UN member since: 1960

Other political affiliation: Arab League

Form of government: Presidential Republic

Houses of Parliament: unikameral

Party system: Multi-party system

State building: decentralized

Political culture: Civic culture

Economy

Export goods: Cattle, hides, hides, bananas

GDP purchasing power parity: $ 5,130,000,000

Economic growth: 2.5%

Export: $ 355,000,000

Import: $ 662,000,000

Electricity consumption: 268 million KWh

Gas reserves: 5,663 million m³

Oil consumption: 6,600 million m³

Cultivation area: 1.68%

Sheep: 13,500,000 pieces

Fishing: 25,000 t

Demographic data

Residents: 8,863,400

Residents in cities: 3,079,900

Minorities: Hungarians, Roma, Czechs

Average age: 17.6 years

0-14 years: 44.4%

15-64 years: 53%

> 65 years: 2.6%

Population growth: 2.85%

Birth rate: 45.13 / 1,000 residents

Death rate: 16.63 / 1,000 residents

Ratio men / women: 1

Fertility: 6.76 children / woman

Infant mortality: 114.89 ‰

Life expectancy men: 46.71 years

Life expectancy women: 50.28 years

Country codes and abbreviations

ISO 3166 Alpha 2: SO

ISO 3166 Alpha 3: SOM

ISO 3166 numeric: 706

Top Level Domain: so

IOC country code: SOM

UN / LOCODE: SO

Source: Abbreviationfinder

Communication

TV: 72,000

Computer: 22,000

Transportation

Paved roads: 2,369 km

Cars: 14,000

Health

Number of doctors: 390

Daily food intake: 1,660 kcal / resident

HIV- infected people: 53,000

Education

Illiteracy: 62%

History

Foundation: 1960

Last sovereign since: 1960

Religion

Main religious group: Muslims

Distribution of religions: Roman Catholic

Defense Spending: $ 23,270,000

GETTING THERE

Arriving by plane

Jubba Airlines (3O) (Internet: www.jubba-airways.com) and Daallo Airways (D3) fly from Dubai, Paris and London to Mogadishu. Mogadishu (MGQ) can also be reached from Djibouti, Sharjah (United Arab Emirates) and Jeddah (Saudi Arabia).

Departure fee

US $ 20 or equivalent. Transit travelers and children under 2 years of age are exempt.

Arrival by car

Connecting roads to Djibouti and Kenya. The border crossings to Ethiopia are currently closed. The roads are bad and a desert-ready 4-wheel drive vehicle is highly recommended.

Arrival by ship

The main ports are Mogadishu, Kismayo, Berbera and Marka.

ON THE GO

On the way by car / bus

Road use outside of Mogadishu can be difficult. Roads lead from the capital to Burao and Baidoa. The paved roads between Mogadishu and Kismayo and between Mogadishu and Hargeisa are in poor condition. Passengers are almost exclusively carried on trucks, cars and buses are less numerous. Bus connections exist between major cities in the south.

Taxis are available in the larger cities.

Rent a car in Mogadishu. They are often older and are in poor technical condition. The customer often has to pay for any repairs himself.

Documentation: International driver’s license.

Traveling in the city

Minibuses and shared taxis operate in Mogadishu (Sat-Thu 7 a.m.-2 p.m.).

Out and about by ship

Somalia consists predominantly of a wide, desert-like coastal strip. Coastal shipping is particularly important in freight and passenger transport. There is a risk of piracy in the waters off the Somali coast.