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Geography of Somalia

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: 2,340 km
border countries: Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,600 km, Kenya 682 km
Coastline:3,025 km
Maritime claims:territorial sea: 200 nm
Climate:principally desert; northeast monsoon (December to February), moderate temperatures in north and hot in south; southwest monsoon (May to October), 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, natural gas, likely oil reserves
Land use:arable land: 1.64%
permanent crops: 0.04%
other: 98.32% (2005)
Irrigated land:2,000 sq km (2003)
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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
Geography - note:strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal

Somalia Quickstats

  • Population: 9,118,773
  • Area: 637,657 sq km
  • Density: 13 /km² (198th)
  • GDP (total): $5.023 billion (160th)
  • GDP (per capita): $600 (not ranked)
  • Literacy: 37.8%

Languages of Somalia

Useful to know

  • Currency: Somali shilling (SOS)
  • Dial code: +252

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