Somalia is on the easternmost part of Africa. It has the Indian Ocean to the east, Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, the Gulf of Aden with Yemen to the north, and Kenya to the southwest. Its total area is 246,200 square miles. It has an estimated population of 10 million.
Mogadishu is the capital of Somalia. It is located in the coastal region of Benadir and has been an important port for centuries. The name is thought to be derived from the Arabic word Maq'ad-u-Shah, meaning the seat of shah.
What is the religion of Somalia?
Almost all Somalis are Sunni Muslims, although there are a small number of Christians as well. Most Christians in Somalia are from the Bantu ethnic group. There is only one Catholic diocese for the whole country, the Diocese of Mogadishu.
What is the literacy rate in Somalia?
The literacy rate in Somalia is 24%.
What is the currency of Somalia?
The currency of Somalia is Somali Shilling or SOS, in use since 1962.According to the 2010 exchange rates, one US dollar was equal to 33,300 SOS.
Which is the largest city in Somalia?
The capital Mogadishu is the largest city in Somalia. Since the outbreak of civil war in Somalia, the city has seen a number of battles.
When is the national day of Somalia celebrated?
Somalia celebrates July 1 as its national day. On this day in 1960 Somalia was united to form a republic.
Who is the leader of Somalia?
Somalia was divided into parts, north and south Somalia, until 1960. In 1960 both parts were united and an independent Somali Republic was formed under a civilian government. Mohamed Said Barre came to power in 1969 and established the Somali Democratic Republic. In 1991 the civilian government collapsed and Somali Civil War broke out.
On January 30, 2009 Sharif Sheikh Ahmed became the president, while Abdiweli Mohamed Ali assumed office (June 19, 2011) as the prime minister of Somalia.
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The official languages of Somalia are Somali and Arabic. Somali belongs to the East Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family.
What is the economy of Somalia like? The economy of Somalia is informal, relying mainly on livestock, money-transfer companies and telecommunications. Agriculture is the most important economic sector, constituting 65% of the GDP.
Due to the outbreak of civil war, it has been difficult to calculate the growth of the economy. By 2009, CIA estimated that the GDP had grown to 5.731 billion USD.
Somalia's main import partners are Djibouti, Kenya, India, USA, Oman and Yemen. Its main export partners are UAE, Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
Which areas have been affected most by the Somali civil war?
Since the Somali Civil war, the pirates have become a great menace not only for Somalia but for the entire international community. It has greatly affected the ship route and shipping expenses. There has been numerous attacks and hijacking of hundreds of vessels in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean region.
