Topic: Photos of Somalia

Topic: Introduction
Background: Ancient Egypt trade expeditions along the northeastern coast of Africa - including today's Eritrea, Djibouti, and Somalia - occurred at various times between the 25th and 12th centuries B.C. Between A.D. 800 and 1100, immigrant Muslim Arabs and Persians set up coastal trading posts along the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, solidifying Somalia’s close trading relationship with the Arab Peninsula. In the late 19th century, Britain and Italy established colonies in the Somali Peninsula, where they remained until 1960, when British Somaliland gained independence and joined with Italian Somaliland to form the Republic of Somalia. The country functioned as a parliamentary democracy until 1969, when General Mohamed SIAD Barre took control in a coup, beginning a 22-year authoritarian socialist dictatorship. In an effort to centralize power, SIAD called for the eradication of the clan, the key cultural and social organizing principle in Somali society. Resistance to SIAD’s socialist leadership, which was causing a rapid deterioration of the country, prompted allied clan militias to overthrow SIAD in early 1991, resulting in state collapse. Subsequent fighting between rival clans for resources and territory overwhelmed the country, resulting in a manmade famine and prompting international intervention. Beginning in 1993, the UN spearheaded a humanitarian mission supported by international forces, but the international community largely withdrew by 1995 following Black Hawk Down - an incident in which two American Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters were shot down in Mogadishu, killing 21 international forces and wounding 82.

International peace conferences in the 2000s resulted in a number of transitional governments that operated outside of Somalia. Left largely to themselves, Somalis in the country established alternative governance structures; some areas formed their own administrations, such as Somaliland and Puntland, while others developed localized institutions. Many local populations turned to using sharia courts, an Islamic judicial system that implements religious law. Several of these courts came together in 2006 to form the Islamic Courts Union (ICU). The ICU established order in many areas of central and southern Somalia, including Mogadishu, but was forced out when Ethiopia intervened militarily in December 2006 on behalf of the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG). While the TFG settled in the capital, the ICU fled to rural areas or from Somalia altogether, reemerging less than a year later as the Islamic insurgent and terrorist movement al-Shabaab, which is still active today. In January 2007, the African Union (AU) established the AU Mission in Somalia peacekeeping force, which allowed Ethiopia to withdraw its forces, took over security responsibility for the country, and gave the TFG space to develop Somalia’s new government. By 2012, Somali powerbrokers agreed on a provisional constitution with a loose federal structure and established the central government in Mogadishu. Since then, four interim regional administrations have been established and there have been two presidential elections. However, significant and fundamental governance and security problems remain.

Ancient Egypt trade expeditions along the northeastern coast of Africa - including today's Eritrea, Djibouti, and Somalia - occurred at various times between the 25th and 12th centuries B.C. Between A.D. 800 and 1100, immigrant Muslim Arabs and Persians set up coastal trading posts along the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, solidifying Somalia’s close trading relationship with the Arab Peninsula. In the late 19th century, Britain and Italy established colonies in the Somali Peninsula, where they remained until 1960, when British Somaliland gained independence and joined with Italian Somaliland to form the Republic of Somalia. The country functioned as a parliamentary democracy until 1969, when General Mohamed SIAD Barre took control in a coup, beginning a 22-year authoritarian socialist dictatorship. In an effort to centralize power, SIAD called for the eradication of the clan, the key cultural and social organizing principle in Somali society. Resistance to SIAD’s socialist leadership, which was causing a rapid deterioration of the country, prompted allied clan militias to overthrow SIAD in early 1991, resulting in state collapse. Subsequent fighting between rival clans for resources and territory overwhelmed the country, resulting in a manmade famine and prompting international intervention. Beginning in 1993, the UN spearheaded a humanitarian mission supported by international forces, but the international community largely withdrew by 1995 following Black Hawk Down - an incident in which two American Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters were shot down in Mogadishu, killing 21 international forces and wounding 82.

International peace conferences in the 2000s resulted in a number of transitional governments that operated outside of Somalia. Left largely to themselves, Somalis in the country established alternative governance structures; some areas formed their own administrations, such as Somaliland and Puntland, while others developed localized institutions. Many local populations turned to using sharia courts, an Islamic judicial system that implements religious law. Several of these courts came together in 2006 to form the Islamic Courts Union (ICU). The ICU established order in many areas of central and southern Somalia, including Mogadishu, but was forced out when Ethiopia intervened militarily in December 2006 on behalf of the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG). While the TFG settled in the capital, the ICU fled to rural areas or from Somalia altogether, reemerging less than a year later as the Islamic insurgent and terrorist movement al-Shabaab, which is still active today. In January 2007, the African Union (AU) established the AU Mission in Somalia peacekeeping force, which allowed Ethiopia to withdraw its forces, took over security responsibility for the country, and gave the TFG space to develop Somalia’s new government. By 2012, Somali powerbrokers agreed on a provisional constitution with a loose federal structure and established the central government in Mogadishu. Since then, four interim regional administrations have been established and there have been two presidential elections. However, significant and fundamental governance and security problems remain.

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Topic: 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: almost five times the size of Alabama; slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries: total: 2,385 km

border countries (3): Djibouti 61 km; Ethiopia 1,640 km; Kenya 684 km
Coastline: 3,025 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 200 nm; note: the US does not recognize this claim

exclusive economic zone: 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: highest point: Mount Shimbiris 2,460 m

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m

mean elevation: 410 m
Natural resources: uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas, likely oil reserves
Land use: agricultural land: 70.3% (2018 est.)

arable land: 1.8% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 68.5% (2018 est.)

forest: 10.6% (2018 est.)

other: 19.1% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land: 2,000 sq km (2012)
Major aquifers: Ogaden-Juba Basin
Population distribution: distribution varies greatly throughout the country; least densely populated areas are in the northeast and central regions, as well as areas along the Kenyan border; most populated areas are in and around the cities of Mogadishu, Marka, Boorama, Hargeysa, and Baidoa as shown on this population distribution map
Natural hazards: recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer; floods during rainy season
Geography - note: strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal
Map description: Somalia map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden.Somalia map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden.

Topic: People and Society
Population: 12,386,248 (2022 est.)

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
Nationality: noun: Somali(s)

adjective: Somali
Ethnic groups: Somali 85%, Bantu and other non-Somali 15% (including 30,000 Arabs)
Languages: Somali (official, according to the 2012 Transitional Federal Charter), Arabic (official, according to the 2012 Transitional Federal Charter), Italian, English

major-language sample(s):
Buugga Xaqiiqda Aduunka, waa laga maarmaanka macluumaadka assasiga. (Somali)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions: Sunni Muslim (Islam) (official, according to the 2012 Transitional Federal Charter)
Demographic profile: Somalia scores very low for most humanitarian indicators, suffering from poor governance, protracted internal conflict, underdevelopment, economic decline, poverty, social and gender inequality, and environmental degradation. Despite civil war and famine raising its mortality rate, Somalia’s high fertility rate and large proportion of people of reproductive age maintain rapid population growth, with each generation being larger than the prior one. More than 60% of Somalia’s population is younger than 25, and the fertility rate is among the world’s highest at almost 6 children per woman – a rate that has decreased little since the 1970s.A lack of educational and job opportunities is a major source of tension for Somalia’s large youth cohort, making them vulnerable to recruitment by extremist and pirate groups. Somalia has one of the world’s lowest primary school enrollment rates – just over 40% of children are in school – and one of world’s highest youth unemployment rates. Life expectancy is low as a result of high infant and maternal mortality rates, the spread of preventable diseases, poor sanitation, chronic malnutrition, and inadequate health services.During the two decades of conflict that followed the fall of the SIAD regime in 1991, hundreds of thousands of Somalis fled their homes. Today Somalia is the world’s third highest source country for refugees, after Syria and Afghanistan. Insecurity, drought, floods, food shortages, and a lack of economic opportunities are the driving factors.As of 2016, more than 1.1 million Somali refugees were hosted in the region, mainly in Kenya, Yemen, Egypt, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Uganda, while more than 1.1 million Somalis were internally displaced. Since the implementation of a tripartite voluntary repatriation agreement among Kenya, Somalia, and the UNHCR in 2013, nearly 40,000 Somali refugees have returned home from Kenya’s Dadaab refugee camp – still houses to approximately 260,000 Somalis. The flow sped up rapidly after the Kenyan Government in May 2016 announced its intention to close the camp, worsening security and humanitarian conditions in receiving communities in south-central Somalia. Despite the conflict in Yemen, thousands of Somalis and other refugees and asylum seekers from the Horn of Africa risk their lives crossing the Gulf of Aden to reach Yemen and beyond (often Saudi Arabia). Bossaso in Puntland overtook Obock, Djibouti, as the primary departure point in mid-2014.Somalia scores very low for most humanitarian indicators, suffering from poor governance, protracted internal conflict, underdevelopment, economic decline, poverty, social and gender inequality, and environmental degradation. Despite civil war and famine raising its mortality rate, Somalia’s high fertility rate and large proportion of people of reproductive age maintain rapid population growth, with each generation being larger than the prior one. More than 60% of Somalia’s population is younger than 25, and the fertility rate is among the world’s highest at almost 6 children per woman – a rate that has decreased little since the 1970s.A lack of educational and job opportunities is a major source of tension for Somalia’s large youth cohort, making them vulnerable to recruitment by extremist and pirate groups. Somalia has one of the world’s lowest primary school enrollment rates – just over 40% of children are in school – and one of world’s highest youth unemployment rates. Life expectancy is low as a result of high infant and maternal mortality rates, the spread of preventable diseases, poor sanitation, chronic malnutrition, and inadequate health services.During the two decades of conflict that followed the fall of the SIAD regime in 1991, hundreds of thousands of Somalis fled their homes. Today Somalia is the world’s third highest source country for refugees, after Syria and Afghanistan. Insecurity, drought, floods, food shortages, and a lack of economic opportunities are the driving factors.As of 2016, more than 1.1 million Somali refugees were hosted in the region, mainly in Kenya, Yemen, Egypt, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Uganda, while more than 1.1 million Somalis were internally displaced. Since the implementation of a tripartite voluntary repatriation agreement among Kenya, Somalia, and the UNHCR in 2013, nearly 40,000 Somali refugees have returned home from Kenya’s Dadaab refugee camp – still houses to approximately 260,000 Somalis. The flow sped up rapidly after the Kenyan Government in May 2016 announced its intention to close the camp, worsening security and humanitarian conditions in receiving communities in south-central Somalia. Despite the conflict in Yemen, thousands of Somalis and other refugees and asylum seekers from the Horn of Africa risk their lives crossing the Gulf of Aden to reach Yemen and beyond (often Saudi Arabia). Bossaso in Puntland overtook Obock, Djibouti, as the primary departure point in mid-2014.
Age structure: 0-14 years: 42.38% (male 2,488,604/female 2,493,527)

15-24 years: 19.81% (male 1,167,807/female 1,161,040)

25-54 years: 30.93% (male 1,881,094/female 1,755,166)

55-64 years: 4.61% (male 278,132/female 264,325)

65 years and over: 2.27% (2020 est.) (male 106,187/female 161,242)
Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio: 96.3

youth dependency ratio: 90.6

elderly dependency ratio: 5.7

potential support ratio: 17.6 (2020 est.)
Median age: total: 18.5 years

male: 18.7 years

female: 18.3 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.42% (2022 est.)
Birth rate: 37.98 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Death rate: 11.62 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Net migration rate: -2.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Population distribution: distribution varies greatly throughout the country; least densely populated areas are in the northeast and central regions, as well as areas along the Kenyan border; most populated areas are in and around the cities of Mogadishu, Marka, Boorama, Hargeysa, and Baidoa as shown on this population distribution map
Urbanization: urban population: 47.3% of total population (2022)

rate of urbanization: 4.2% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population: 2.497 million MOGADISHU (capital), 1.079 million Hargeysa (2022)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1.08 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.56 male(s)/female

total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2022 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio: 829 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 86.53 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 96.18 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 76.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 55.72 years

male: 53.39 years

female: 58.12 years (2022 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.31 children born/woman (2022 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate: 6.9% (2018/19)
Drinking water source: improved: urban: 96.4% of population

rural: 73.7% of population

total: 84.2% of population

unimproved: urban: 3.6% of population

rural: 26.3% of population

total: 15.8% of population (2020 est.)
Current Health Expenditure: NA
Physicians density: 0.02 physicians/1,000 population (2014)
Hospital bed density: 0.9 beds/1,000 population (2017)
Sanitation facility access: improved: urban: 82.4% of population

rural: 33.8% of population

total: 56.2% of population

unimproved: urban: 17.6% of population

rural: 66.2% of population

total: 43.8% of population (2020 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: (2020 est.) <.1%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 8,700 (2020 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: (2020 est.) <500
Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and Rift Valley fever

water contact diseases: schistosomiasis

animal contact diseases: rabies

note: on 21 March 2022, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Africa; Somalia is currently considered a high risk to travelers for circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV); vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) is a strain of the weakened poliovirus that was initially included in oral polio vaccine (OPV) and that has changed over time and behaves more like the wild or naturally occurring virus; this means it can be spread more easily to people who are unvaccinated against polio and who come in contact with the stool or respiratory secretions, such as from a sneeze, of an “infected” person who received oral polio vaccine; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, the CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine
Obesity - adult prevalence rate: 8.3% (2016)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 23% (2009)
Child marriage: women married by age 15: 16.8%

women married by age 18: 35.5%

men married by age 18: 5.6% (2020 est.)
Education expenditures: NA
Literacy: total population: NA

male: NA

female: NA

Topic: Environment
Environment - current issues: water scarcity; contaminated water contributes to human health problems; improper waste disposal; deforestation; land degradation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban
Air pollutants: particulate matter emissions: 29.51 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 0.65 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 20.13 megatons (2020 est.)
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
Land use: agricultural land: 70.3% (2018 est.)

arable land: 1.8% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 68.5% (2018 est.)

forest: 10.6% (2018 est.)

other: 19.1% (2018 est.)
Urbanization: urban population: 47.3% of total population (2022)

rate of urbanization: 4.2% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and Rift Valley fever

water contact diseases: schistosomiasis

animal contact diseases: rabies

note: on 21 March 2022, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Africa; Somalia is currently considered a high risk to travelers for circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV); vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) is a strain of the weakened poliovirus that was initially included in oral polio vaccine (OPV) and that has changed over time and behaves more like the wild or naturally occurring virus; this means it can be spread more easily to people who are unvaccinated against polio and who come in contact with the stool or respiratory secretions, such as from a sneeze, of an “infected” person who received oral polio vaccine; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, the CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine
Food insecurity: exceptional shortfall in aggregate food production/supplies: due to drought conditions and internal conflict - an estimated 4.15 million people are facing severe food insecurity between February and March 2022, mainly as a result of consecutive poor rainy seasons since late 2020, which severely affected crop and livestock production, and due to heightened conflict since early 2021; two consecutive poor rainy seasons resulted in significant crop and livestock production shortfalls, while food access has been severely affected in recent months by declining employment opportunities in rural areas and by the escalation of conflict (2022)
Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually: 2,326,099 tons (2016 est.)
Major aquifers: Ogaden-Juba Basin
Total water withdrawal: municipal: 15 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial: 2 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural: 3.281 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 14.7 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Government
Country name: conventional long form: Federal Republic of Somalia

conventional short form: Somalia

local long form: Jamhuuriyadda Federaalka Soomaaliya (Somali)/ Jumhuriyat as Sumal al Fidiraliyah (Arabic)

local short form: Soomaaliya (Somali)/ As Sumal (Arabic)

former: British Somaliland, Italian Somaliland, Somali Republic, Somali Democratic Republic

etymology: "Land of the Somali" (ethnic group)
Government type: federal parliamentary republic
Capital: name: Mogadishu

geographic coordinates: 2 04 N, 45 20 E

time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: several theories attempt to explain the city's name; one of the more plausible is that it derives from "maq'ad-i-shah" meaning "the seat of the shah," reflecting the city's links with Persia
Administrative divisions: 18 regions (plural - gobollo, singular - gobol); Awdal, Bakool, Banaadir, Bari, Bay, Galguduud, Gedo, Hiiraan, Jubbada Dhexe (Middle Jubba), Jubbada Hoose (Lower Jubba), Mudug, Nugaal, Sanaag, Shabeellaha Dhexe (Middle Shabeelle), Shabeellaha Hoose (Lower Shabeelle), Sool, Togdheer, Woqooyi Galbeed
Independence: 1 July 1960 (from a merger of British Somaliland, which became independent from the UK on 26 June 1960, and Italian Somaliland, which became independent from the Italian-administered UN trusteeship on 1 July 1960 to form the Somali Republic)
National holiday: Foundation of the Somali Republic, 1 July (1960); note - 26 June (1960) in Somaliland
Constitution: history: previous 1961, 1979; latest drafted 12 June 2012, adopted 1 August 2012 (provisional)

amendments: proposed by the federal government, by members of the state governments, the Federal Parliament, or by public petition; proposals require review by a joint committee of Parliament with inclusion of public comments and state legislatures’ comments; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote in both houses of Parliament and approval by a majority of votes cast in a referendum; constitutional clauses on Islamic principles, the federal system, human rights and freedoms, powers and authorities of the government branches, and inclusion of women in national institutions cannot be amended; note - in late December 2020, the president signed a decree blocking the approval of amendments
Legal system: mixed legal system of civil law, Islamic (sharia) law, and customary law (referred to as Xeer)
International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt
Citizenship: citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Somalia

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud (since 23 May 2022)

head of government: Prime Minister Hamza Abdi BARRE (since 25 June 2022)

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister, approved by the House of the People

elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by the Federal Parliament by two-thirds majority vote in 2 rounds if needed for a single 4-year term; election last held on 15 May 2022 (next to be held in 2026); prime minister appointed by the president, approved by the House of the People; note - elections were originally scheduled for 10 October 2021 but did not take place; on 13 April 2022, the election of the House of the People representatives was completed and the presidential election date was set for 15 May 2022

election results: 2022: HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud elected president in third round - Federal Parliament vote in the first round - Said ABDULLAHI DENI (Kaah) 20.2%, Mohamed ABDULLAHI Mohamed "Farmaajo" (TPP) 18.3%, HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud (PDP) 16.2%, Hassan Ali KHAYRE (Independent) 14.6%, other 30.7%; Federal Parliament vote in the second round - HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud (PDP) 34.1%, Mohamed ABDULLAHI Mohamed "Farmaajo" (TPP) 25.7%, Said ABDULLAHI DENI (Kaah) 21%, Hassan Ali KHAYRE (Independent) 19.2%; Federal Parliament vote in the third round - HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud (PDP) 66%, Mohamed ABDULLAHI Mohamed "Farmaajo" (TPP) 34%

2017: Mohamed ABDULLAHI Mohamed "Farmaajo" elected president in second round; Federal Parliament vote in the first round - HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud (PDP) 88, Mohamed ABDULLAHI Mohamed "Farmaajo" (TPP) 72, Sheikh SHARIF Sheikh Ahmed (ARS) 49, other 37; Federal Parliament vote in the second round - Mohamed ABDULLAHI Mohamed "Farmaajo" (TPP) 184, HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud (PDP) 97, Sheikh SHARIF Sheikh Ahmed (ARS) 45
Legislative branch: description: bicameral Federal Parliament to consist of:
Senate (54 seats; senators indirectly elected by state assemblies to serve 4-year terms)
House of the People (275 seats; members indirectly elected by electoral colleges, each consisting of 51 delegates selected by the 136 Traditional Elders in consultation with sub-clan elders; members serve 4-year terms)

elections: Senate - first held on 10 October 2016; last held 27 July - 13 November 2021 (next to be held in 2025)
House of the People - first held 23 October - 10 November 2016 (next to be held September - October 2021 but postponed to November 2021 and extended numerous times to April 2022; next to be held in 2026)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 40, women 14, percent of women 25.9%
House of the People - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 225, women 50, percent of women 22.2%; note - total Parliament percent of women 19.5%

note: the inaugural House of the People was appointed in September 2012 by clan elders; in 2016 and 2017, the Federal Parliament became bicameral with elections scheduled for 10 October 2016 for the Upper House - renamed 'Senate' and 23 October to 10 November 2016 for the House of the People; while the elections were delayed, they were eventually held in most regions despite voting irregularities; on 27 December 2016, 41 Upper House senators and 242 House of the People Members of Parliament (MP) were sworn in
Judicial branch: highest courts: the provisional constitution stipulates the establishment of the Constitutional Court (consists of 5 judges, including the chief judge and deputy chief judge); note - under the terms of the 2004 Transitional National Charter, a Supreme Court based in Mogadishu and the Appeal Court were established; yet most regions have reverted to local forms of conflict resolution, either secular, traditional Somali customary law, or Islamic law

judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the president upon proposal of the Judicial Service Commission, a 9-member judicial and administrative body; judge tenure NA

subordinate courts: federal courts; federal member state-level courts; military courts; sharia courts
Political parties and leaders: Cosmopolitan Democratic Party [Yarow Sharef ADEN]
Daljir Party or DP [Hassan MOALIM]
Democratic Green Party of Somalia or DGPS [Abdullahi Y. MAHAMOUD]
Democratic Party of Somalia or DPS [Maslah Mohamed SIAD]
Green Leaf for Democracy or GLED
Hiil Qaran
Justice and Communist Party [Mohamed NUR]
Justice and Development of Democracy and Self-Respectfulness Party or CAHDI [Abdirahman Abdigani IBRAHIM Bile]
Justice Party [SAKARIYE Haji]
Liberal Party of Somalia
National Democratic Party [Abdirashid ALI]
National Unity Party (Xisbiga MIdnimo-Quaran) [Abdurahman BAADIYOW]
Somali Green Party (local chapter of Federation of Green Parties of Africa)
Somali National Party or SNP [Mohammed Ameen Saeed AHMED]
Somali People's Party [Salad JEELE]
Somali Society Unity Party [Yasin MAALIM]
Tayo or TPP [Mohamed Abdullahi MOHAMED]
Tiir Party [Fadhil Sheik MOHAMUD]
Union for Peace and Development Party or PDP [HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud]
United and Democratic Party [FAUZIA Haji]
United Somali Parliamentarians
United Somali Republican Party [Ali TIMA-JLIC]
inactive: Alliance for the Reliberation of Somalia; reportedly inactive since 2009
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, CAEU (candidate), FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Ali Sharif AHMED (since 16 September 2019)

chancery: 1609 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 853-9164

email address and website:
info@somaliembassydc.net

https://somaliembassydc.net/
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Larry E. ANDRE, Jr. (since 9 February 2022)

embassy: Mogadishu, (reopened October 2019 on the grounds of the Mogadishu Airport)

mailing address: P.O. Box 606 Village Market
00621 Nairobi, Kenya

telephone: [254] 20 363-6451

email address and website:
Kenya_ACS@state.gov

https://so.usembassy.gov/
Flag description: light blue with a large white five-pointed star in the center; the blue field was originally influenced by the flag of the UN but today is said to denote the sky and the neighboring Indian Ocean; the five points of the star represent the five regions in the horn of Africa that are inhabited by Somali people: the former British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland (which together make up Somalia), Djibouti, Ogaden (Ethiopia), and the North East Province (Kenya)
National symbol(s): leopard; national colors: blue, white
National anthem: name: "Qolobaa Calankeed" (Every Nation Has its own Flag)

lyrics/music: lyrics/music: Abdullahi QARSHE

note: adopted 2012; written in 1959
Government - note: regional and local governing bodies continue to exist and control various areas of the country, including the self-declared Republic of Somaliland in northwestern Somalia

Topic: Economy
Economic overview: Despite the lack of effective national governance, Somalia maintains an informal economy largely based on livestock, remittance/money transfer companies, and telecommunications. Somalia's government lacks the ability to collect domestic revenue and external debt – mostly in arrears – was estimated at about 77% of GDP in 2017.   Agriculture is the most important sector, with livestock normally accounting for about 40% of GDP and more than 50% of export earnings. Nomads and semi-pastoralists, who are dependent upon livestock for their livelihood, make up a large portion of the population. Economic activity is estimated to have increased by 2.4% in 2017 because of growth in the agriculture, construction and telecommunications sector. Somalia's small industrial sector, based on the processing of agricultural products, has largely been looted and the machinery sold as scrap metal.   In recent years, Somalia's capital city, Mogadishu, has witnessed the development of the city's first gas stations, supermarkets, and airline flights to Turkey since the collapse of central authority in 1991. Mogadishu's main market offers a variety of goods from food to electronic gadgets. Hotels continue to operate and are supported with private-security militias. Formalized economic growth has yet to expand outside of Mogadishu and a few regional capitals, and within the city, security concerns dominate business. Telecommunication firms provide wireless services in most major cities and offer the lowest international call rates on the continent. In the absence of a formal banking sector, money transfer/remittance services have sprouted throughout the country, handling up to $1.6 billion in remittances annually, although international concerns over the money transfers into Somalia continues to threaten these services’ ability to operate in Western nations. In 2017, Somalia elected a new president and collected a record amount of foreign aid and investment, a positive sign for economic recovery.Despite the lack of effective national governance, Somalia maintains an informal economy largely based on livestock, remittance/money transfer companies, and telecommunications. Somalia's government lacks the ability to collect domestic revenue and external debt – mostly in arrears – was estimated at about 77% of GDP in 2017. Agriculture is the most important sector, with livestock normally accounting for about 40% of GDP and more than 50% of export earnings. Nomads and semi-pastoralists, who are dependent upon livestock for their livelihood, make up a large portion of the population. Economic activity is estimated to have increased by 2.4% in 2017 because of growth in the agriculture, construction and telecommunications sector. Somalia's small industrial sector, based on the processing of agricultural products, has largely been looted and the machinery sold as scrap metal. In recent years, Somalia's capital city, Mogadishu, has witnessed the development of the city's first gas stations, supermarkets, and airline flights to Turkey since the collapse of central authority in 1991. Mogadishu's main market offers a variety of goods from food to electronic gadgets. Hotels continue to operate and are supported with private-security militias. Formalized economic growth has yet to expand outside of Mogadishu and a few regional capitals, and within the city, security concerns dominate business. Telecommunication firms provide wireless services in most major cities and offer the lowest international call rates on the continent. In the absence of a formal banking sector, money transfer/remittance services have sprouted throughout the country, handling up to $1.6 billion in remittances annually, although international concerns over the money transfers into Somalia continues to threaten these services’ ability to operate in Western nations. In 2017, Somalia elected a new president and collected a record amount of foreign aid and investment, a positive sign for economic recovery.
Real GDP (purchasing power parity): $13.19 billion (2020 est.)

$13.39 billion (2019 est.)

$13.01 billion (2018 est.)

note: data are in 2017 US dollars
Real GDP growth rate: 2.3% (2017 est.)

4.4% (2016 est.)

3.9% (2015 est.)
Real GDP per capita: $800 (2020 est.)

$900 (2019 est.)

$900 (2018 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars
GDP (official exchange rate): $7.052 billion (2017 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (2017 est.)

-71.1% (2016 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 60.2% (2013 est.)

industry: 7.4% (2013 est.)

services: 32.5% (2013 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption: 72.6% (2015 est.)

government consumption: 8.7% (2015 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 20% (2015 est.)

investment in inventories: 0.8% (2016 est.)

exports of goods and services: 0.3% (2015 est.)

imports of goods and services: -1.6% (2015 est.)
Agricultural products: camel milk, milk, sheep milk, goat milk, sugar cane, fruit, sorghum, cassava, vegetables, maize
Industries: light industries, including sugar refining, textiles, wireless communication
Industrial production growth rate: 3.5% (2014 est.)
Labor force: 4.154 million (2016 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 71%

industry: 29%

industry and services: 29% (1975)
Unemployment rate: NANA
Population below poverty line: NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA

highest 10%: NA
Budget: revenues: 145.3 million (2014 est.)

expenditures: 151.1 million (2014 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): -0.1% (of GDP) (2014 est.)
Public debt: 76.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

93% of GDP (2014 est.)
Taxes and other revenues: 2.1% (of GDP) (2014 est.)
Fiscal year: NA
Current account balance: -$464 million (2017 est.)

-$427 million (2016 est.)
Exports: $819 million (2014 est.)

$779 million (2013 est.)
Exports - partners: United Arab Emirates 47%, Saudi Arabia 19%, India 5%, Japan 5% (2019)
Exports - commodities: gold, sheep, goats, sesame seeds, insect resins, cattle (2019)
Imports: $94.43 billion (2018 est.)

$80.07 billion (2017 est.)
Imports - partners: United Arab Emirates 32%, China 20%, India 17%, Turkey 7% (2019)
Imports - commodities: cigarettes, raw sugar, rice, broadcasting equipment, textiles (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $30.45 million (2014 est.)
Debt - external: $5.3 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
Exchange rates: Somali shillings (SOS) per US dollar -

23,960 (2016 est.)

Topic: Energy
Electricity access: electrification - total population: 18% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 34% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 4% (2019)
Electricity: installed generating capacity: 91,000 kW (2020 est.)

consumption: 311.2 million kWh (2019 est.)

exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)

imports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)

transmission/distribution losses: 35 million kWh (2019 est.)
Electricity generation sources: fossil fuels: 95.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar: 3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind: 1.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Coal: production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum: total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption: 5,900 bbl/day (2019 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 barrels/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 barrels/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum products - production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - imports: 5,590 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Natural gas: production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

proven reserves: 5.663 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 882,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids: 882,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
Energy consumption per capita: 802,000 Btu/person (2019 est.)

Topic: Communications
Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions: 91,000 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2020 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions: 7.119 million (2018)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 48.8 (2019)
Telecommunication systems: general assessment: Somalia’s economic difficulties in recent years have made it difficult for telcos and the government to sustain investment in infrastructure; the government has also had to contend with militant groups which continue on occasion to force the closure of internet services in many areas of the country; in recent years, though, the government has addressed the lack of guidance which had prevailed since 1991, when a dictatorial regime was overthrown; the National Communications Law was passed in October 2017, aimed at setting a legal and regulatory framework for the telecoms sector, while provision was made in the following year to set up a regulatory authority to oversee the telecom sector; more recently, three types of licenses were mandated to provide clarity to operators, and to bring the market closer into line with international standards; all operators were given until August 2020 to secure one of the three license types; given the poor condition of fixed-line infrastructure, operators have concentrated on mobile connectivity; their investment plans have involved the development of LTE services to provide mobile data and broadband services; the telecom market has flourished; tariffs are among the lowest in Africa, and new cable systems coming on stream in the next few years (providing additional connectivity to Asia and Europe), as well as planned investments from local operators to bolster the country’s national fiber backbone, will lead to downward pressure on retail pricing; on the consumer side, spending on telecoms services and devices are under pressure from the financial effect of large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes as the remnants of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic remain and as global events, such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, continue to play out; the market is continuing a positive growth trajectory, supported by a slow economic rebound in the country. (2022)

domestic: seven networks compete for customers in the mobile sector; some of these mobile-service providers offer fixed-lines and Internet services; fixed-line is 0 per 100 and mobile-cellular roughly 51 per 100 (2019)

international: country code - 252; landing points for the G2A, DARE1, PEACE, and EASSy fiber-optic submarine cable system linking East Africa, Indian Ocean Islands, the Middle East, North Africa and Europe (2019)

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services
Broadcast media: 2 private TV stations rebroadcast Al-Jazeera and CNN; Somaliland has 1 government-operated TV station and Puntland has 1 private TV station; the transitional government operates Radio Mogadishu; 1 SW and roughly 10 private FM radio stations broadcast in Mogadishu; several radio stations operate in central and southern regions; Somaliland has 1 government-operated radio station; Puntland has roughly a half-dozen private radio stations; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are available (2019)
Internet country code: .so
Internet users: total: 308,858 (2019 est.)

percent of population: 2% (2019 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total: 119,000 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2020 est.)

Topic: Transportation
National air transport system: number of registered air carriers: 6 (2020)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 7

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 4,486 (2018)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: 6O
Airports: total: 52 (2021)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 8

over 3,047 m: 5

2,438 to 3,047 m: 1

1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2021)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 44

2,438 to 3,047 m: 5

1,524 to 2,437 m: 16

914 to 1,523 m: 22

under 914 m: 1 (2021)
Roadways: total: 15,000 km (2018)
Merchant marine: total: 4

by type: general cargo 1, other 3 (2021)
Ports and terminals: major seaport(s): Berbera, Kismaayo

Topic: Military and Security
Military and security forces: Ministry of Defense: Somali National Army (SNA); Ministry of Internal Security: Somali National Police (SNP, includes a maritime unit and a Turkish-trained commando unit known as Harmacad, or Cheetah) (2022)

note 1: Somalia has numerous militia and regional forces operating throughout the country; these forces include ones that are clan- and warlord-based, semi-official paramilitary and special police forces (aka darwish), and externally-sponsored militias; the SNA is attempting to incorporate some of these militia units

note 2: Somaliland has army and naval forces under the Somaliland Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces
Military expenditures: 5.6% of GDP (2019 est.) (approximately $120 million)

6% of GDP (2018 est.) (approximately $120 million)

5.9% of GDP (2017 est.) (approximately $110 million)

6% of GDP (2016 est.) (approximately $110 million)

5.9% of GDP (2015 est.) (approximately $110 million)
Military and security service personnel strengths: estimates vary widely due to inconsistent data and ongoing efforts to integrate various militias; estimated 10-20,000 active duty SNA personnel (2022)

note 1: in 2017, the Somali Government announced a plan for the SNA to eventually number about 18,000 troops; the same plan called for 32,000 federal and regional police

note 2: as of 2021, there were up to 50,000 militia forces were estimated to be operating in the country
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions: the SNA is lightly armed with an inventory that includes a variety of older, second-hand equipment largely from Italy, Russia, South Africa, and the UK; since 2015, it has received small quantities of second-hand equipment from up to 10 different countries, usually as aid/donations (2021)
Military service age and obligation: 18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscription is authorized, but not currently utilized (2021)
Military - note: as of 2022, large parts of the country remained outside government control and under the control of the insurgent Islamist group al-Shabaab; al-Shabaab contested government control in some other areas (see Appendix T)

as of 2022, a significant portion of the SNA was comprised of militia forces that lacked the discipline, structure, weapons, and overall capabilities for effective military operations; of the SNA’s approximately 13 brigades, the most effective were assessed to be the US-trained Danab ("Lightning") Advanced Infantry Brigade and those of the Turkish-trained Gorgor ("Eagle") Special Division; in 2020-2021, the Danab Brigade conducted most of the SNA’s offensive operations in Somalia and nearly all counterterrorism operations against the al-Shabaab terrorist group; as of 2022, it numbered about 1,500 troops with an eventual projected strength of 3,000, while the Gorgor Division was estimated to have 4,500-5,000 trained troops the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) operated in the country with the approval of the UN from 2007-2022; its peacekeeping mission included assisting Somali forces in providing security for a stable political process, enabling the gradual handing over of security responsibilities from AMISOM to the Somali security forces, and reducing the threat posed by Al-Shabaab and other armed opposition groups; in May 2022, AMISOM was reconfigured and replaced with the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS); the ATMIS mission is to support the Somalia Federal Government (FGS) in implementing the security objectives of the FGS's security transition plan, a comprehensive strategy developed by the FGS and its international partners in 2018 (updated in 2021) to gradually transfer security responsibilities from ATMIS to Somali security forces; ATMIS is projected to gradually reduce staffing from its 2022 level of about 20,000 personnel (civilians, military, and police) to zero by the end of 2024

UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM; established 2013) is mandated by the Security Council to work with the FGS to support national reconciliation, provide advice on peace-building and state-building, monitor the human rights situation, and help coordinate the efforts of the international community

the UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS; established 2015) is responsible for providing logistical field support to AMISOM, UNSOM, the Somali National Army, and the Somali Police Force on joint operations with AMISOM

the European Union Training Mission in Somalia (EUTM-S) has operated in the country since 2010; the EUTM provides advice and training to the Somali military; the US and Turkey maintain separate military training missions in Somalia; the UAE also maintains a military presence in Somalia (Somaliland)as of 2022, large parts of the country remained outside government control and under the control of the insurgent Islamist group al-Shabaab; al-Shabaab contested government control in some other areas (see Appendix T)

as of 2022, a significant portion of the SNA was comprised of militia forces that lacked the discipline, structure, weapons, and overall capabilities for effective military operations; of the SNA’s approximately 13 brigades, the most effective were assessed to be the US-trained Danab ("Lightning") Advanced Infantry Brigade and those of the Turkish-trained Gorgor ("Eagle") Special Division; in 2020-2021, the Danab Brigade conducted most of the SNA’s offensive operations in Somalia and nearly all counterterrorism operations against the al-Shabaab terrorist group; as of 2022, it numbered about 1,500 troops with an eventual projected strength of 3,000, while the Gorgor Division was estimated to have 4,500-5,000 trained troops
Maritime threats: the International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) Piracy Reporting Center (PRC) received one incident of piracy and armed robbery in 2021 for the Horn of Africa; while there were no recorded incidents, the IMB PRC warns that Somalia pirates continue to possess the capacity to carry out attacks in the Somali basin and wider Indian Ocean; in particular, the report warns that, "Masters and crew must remain vigilant and cautious when transiting these waters."; the presence of several naval task forces in the Gulf of Aden and additional anti-piracy measures on the part of ship operators, including the use of on-board armed security teams, contributed to the drop in incidents; the EU naval mission, Operation ATALANTA, continues its operations in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean through 2022; naval units from China, India, Japan, Pakistan, South Korea, the US, and other countries also operate in conjunction with EU forces; China has established a logistical base in Djibouti to support its deployed naval units in the Horn of Africathe International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) Piracy Reporting Center (PRC) received one incident of piracy and armed robbery in 2021 for the Horn of Africa; while there were no recorded incidents, the IMB PRC warns that Somalia pirates continue to possess the capacity to carry out attacks in the Somali basin and wider Indian Ocean; in particular, the report warns that, "Masters and crew must remain vigilant and cautious when transiting these waters."; the presence of several naval task forces in the Gulf of Aden and additional anti-piracy measures on the part of ship operators, including the use of on-board armed security teams, contributed to the drop in incidents; the EU naval mission, Operation ATALANTA, continues its operations in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean through 2022; naval units from China, India, Japan, Pakistan, South Korea, the US, and other countries also operate in conjunction with EU forces; China has established a logistical base in Djibouti to support its deployed naval units in the Horn of Africa

Topic: Terrorism
Terrorist group(s): al-Shabaab; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham – Somalia

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T

Topic: Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: Somalia-Djibouti: none identified Somalia-Ethiopia: Ethiopian forces invaded southern Somalia and routed Islamist Courts from Mogadishu in January 2007; the border between the Ogaden region of eastern Ethiopia, which is inhabited by ethnic Somalis, and Somalia is only partially demarcated under colonial rule and has been the source of tension for decades Somalia-Kenya: Kenya works hard to prevent the clan and militia fighting in Somalia from spreading south across the border, which has long been open to nomadic pastoralists; in 2015, the Kenyan Government began building a wall along the border to prevent the crossborder movement of militant groups; the boundary separates ethnic Somalis; in October 2021, the Somalia-Kenya Indian Ocean boundary dispute was decided by the International Court of Justice; the ruling adjusted the boundary slightly north of Somalia’s claim giving Somalia the majority of the contested maritime territory, which is believed to contain rich oil and natural gas deposits; while the decision is legally binding, it has no enforcement mechanism, and Kenya has said it will not abide by itSomalia-Djibouti: none identifiedSomalia-Ethiopia: Ethiopian forces invaded southern Somalia and routed Islamist Courts from Mogadishu in January 2007; the border between the Ogaden region of eastern Ethiopia, which is inhabited by ethnic Somalis, and Somalia is only partially demarcated under colonial rule and has been the source of tension for decadesSomalia-Kenya: Kenya works hard to prevent the clan and militia fighting in Somalia from spreading south across the border, which has long been open to nomadic pastoralists; in 2015, the Kenyan Government began building a wall along the border to prevent the crossborder movement of militant groups; the boundary separates ethnic Somalis; in October 2021, the Somalia-Kenya Indian Ocean boundary dispute was decided by the International Court of Justice; the ruling adjusted the boundary slightly north of Somalia’s claim giving Somalia the majority of the contested maritime territory, which is believed to contain rich oil and natural gas deposits; while the decision is legally binding, it has no enforcement mechanism, and Kenya has said it will not abide by it
Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 9,208 (Yemen) (2022)

IDPs: 2.968 million (civil war since 1988, clan-based competition for resources; 2011 famine; insecurity because of fighting between al-Shabaab and the Transitional Federal Government's allied forces) (2022)


This entry, which appears only in the World, Geography category, provides basic geographic information about the earth's oceans and continents. The entry also lists all of the countries that compose each continent.


This entry identifies the country's regional location, neighboring countries, and adjacent bodies of water.

Topic: AfghanistanSouthern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran

Topic: AkrotiriEastern Mediterranean, peninsula on the southwest coast of Cyprus

Topic: AlbaniaSoutheastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece to the south and Montenegro and Kosovo to the north

Topic: AlgeriaNorthern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia

Topic: American SamoaOceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand

Topic: AndorraSouthwestern Europe, Pyrenees mountains, on the border between France and Spain

Topic: AngolaSouthern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Namibia and Democratic Republic of the Congo

Topic: AnguillaCaribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico

Topic: Antarcticacontinent mostly south of the Antarctic Circle

Topic: Antigua and BarbudaCaribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico

Topic: Arctic Oceanbody of water between Europe, Asia, and North America, mostly north of the Arctic Circle

Topic: ArgentinaSouthern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Chile and Uruguay

Topic: ArmeniaSouthwestern Asia, between Turkey (to the west) and Azerbaijan; note - Armenia views itself as part of Europe; geopolitically, it can be classified as falling within Europe, the Middle East, or both

Topic: ArubaCaribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela

Topic: Ashmore and Cartier IslandsSoutheastern Asia, islands in the Indian Ocean, midway between northwestern Australia and Timor island; Ashmore Reef is 840 km west of Darwin and 610 km north of Broome; Cartier Islet is 70 km east of Ashmore Reef

Topic: Atlantic Oceanbody of water between Africa, Europe, the Arctic Ocean, the Americas, and the Southern Ocean

Topic: AustraliaOceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean

Topic: AustriaCentral Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia

Topic: AzerbaijanSouthwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia, with a small European portion north of the Caucasus range

Topic: Bahamas, Thechain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba

Topic: BahrainMiddle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia

Topic: BangladeshSouthern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and India

Topic: BarbadosCaribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela

Topic: BelarusEastern Europe, east of Poland

Topic: BelgiumWestern Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands

Topic: BelizeCentral America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico

Topic: BeninWestern Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo

Topic: BermudaNorth America, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, east of South Carolina (US)

Topic: BhutanSouthern Asia, between China and India

Topic: BoliviaCentral South America, southwest of Brazil

Topic: Bosnia and HerzegovinaSoutheastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Croatia

Topic: BotswanaSouthern Africa, north of South Africa

Topic: Bouvet Islandisland in the South Atlantic Ocean, southwest of the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa)

Topic: BrazilEastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean

Topic: British Indian Ocean Territoryarchipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about halfway between Africa and Indonesia

Topic: British Virgin IslandsCaribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico

Topic: BruneiSoutheastern Asia, along the northern coast of the island of Borneo, bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia

Topic: BulgariaSoutheastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey

Topic: Burkina FasoWestern Africa, north of Ghana

Topic: BurmaSoutheastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand

Topic: BurundiCentral Africa, east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, west of Tanzania

Topic: Cabo VerdeWestern Africa, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal

Topic: CambodiaSoutheastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos

Topic: CameroonCentral Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria

Topic: CanadaNorthern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean on the east, North Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Arctic Ocean on the north, north of the conterminous US

Topic: Cayman IslandsCaribbean, three-island group (Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, Little Cayman) in Caribbean Sea, 240 km south of Cuba and 268 km northwest of Jamaica

Topic: Central African RepublicCentral Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Topic: ChadCentral Africa, south of Libya

Topic: ChileSouthern South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Argentina and Peru

Topic: ChinaEastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam

Topic: Christmas IslandSoutheastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia

Topic: Clipperton IslandMiddle America, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, 1,120 km southwest of Mexico

Topic: Cocos (Keeling) IslandsSoutheastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Indonesia, about halfway between Australia and Sri Lanka

Topic: ColombiaNorthern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama

Topic: ComorosSouthern Africa, group of islands at the northern mouth of the Mozambique Channel, about two-thirds of the way between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique

Topic: Congo, Democratic Republic of theCentral Africa, northeast of Angola

Topic: Congo, Republic of theCentral Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and Gabon

Topic: Cook IslandsOceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand

Topic: Coral Sea IslandsOceania, islands in the Coral Sea, northeast of Australia

Topic: Costa RicaCentral America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama

Topic: Cote d'IvoireWestern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Ghana and Liberia

Topic: CroatiaSoutheastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia

Topic: CubaCaribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, 150 km south of Key West, Florida

Topic: CuracaoCaribbean, an island in the Caribbean Sea, 55 km off the coast of Venezuela

Topic: CyprusMiddle East, island in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Turkey; note - Cyprus views itself as part of Europe; geopolitically, it can be classified as falling within Europe, the Middle East, or both

Topic: CzechiaCentral Europe, between Germany, Poland, Slovakia, and Austria

Topic: DenmarkNorthern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, on a peninsula north of Germany (Jutland); also includes several major islands (Sjaelland, Fyn, and Bornholm)

Topic: DhekeliaEastern Mediterranean, on the southeast coast of Cyprus near Famagusta

Topic: DjiboutiEastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Somalia

Topic: DominicaCaribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about halfway between Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago

Topic: Dominican RepublicCaribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti

Topic: EcuadorWestern South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru

Topic: EgyptNorthern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and the Gaza Strip, and the Red Sea north of Sudan, and includes the Asian Sinai Peninsula

Topic: El SalvadorCentral America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras

Topic: Equatorial GuineaCentral Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon and Gabon

Topic: EritreaEastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan

Topic: EstoniaEastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland, between Latvia and Russia

Topic: EswatiniSouthern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa

Topic: EthiopiaEastern Africa, west of Somalia

Topic: European UnionEurope between the North Atlantic Ocean in the west and Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine to the east

Topic: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about 500 km east of southern Argentina

Topic: Faroe IslandsNorthern Europe, island group between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about halfway between Iceland and Norway

Topic: FijiOceania, island group in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Topic: FinlandNorthern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia

Topic: Francemetropolitan France: Western Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay and English Channel, between Belgium and Spain, southeast of the UK; bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Spain; French Guiana: Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Brazil and Suriname; Guadeloupe: Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Puerto Rico; Martinique: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago; Mayotte: Southern Indian Ocean, island in the Mozambique Channel, about halfway between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique; Reunion: Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascarmetropolitan France: Western Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay and English Channel, between Belgium and Spain, southeast of the UK; bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Spain; French Guiana: Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Brazil and Suriname; Guadeloupe: Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Puerto Rico; Martinique: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago; Mayotte: Southern Indian Ocean, island in the Mozambique Channel, about halfway between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique; Reunion: Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar

Topic: French PolynesiaOceania, five archipelagoes (Archipel des Tuamotu, Iles Gambier, Iles Marquises, Iles Tubuai, Society Islands) in the South Pacific Ocean about halfway between South America and Australia

Topic: French Southern and Antarctic Landssoutheast and east of Africa, islands in the southern Indian Ocean, some near Madagascar and others about equidistant between Africa, Antarctica, and Australia; note - French Southern and Antarctic Lands include Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul, Iles Crozet, Iles Kerguelen, Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, and Tromelin Island in the southern Indian Ocean, along with the French-claimed sector of Antarctica, "Adelie Land"; the US does not recognize the French claim to "Adelie Land"

Topic: GabonCentral Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea

Topic: Gambia, TheWestern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and Senegal

Topic: Gaza StripMiddle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Israel

Topic: GeorgiaSouthwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia, with a sliver of land north of the Caucasus extending into Europe; note - Georgia views itself as part of Europe; geopolitically, it can be classified as falling within Europe, the Middle East, or both

Topic: GermanyCentral Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark

Topic: GhanaWestern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo

Topic: GibraltarSouthwestern Europe, bordering the Strait of Gibraltar, which links the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southern coast of Spain

Topic: GreeceSouthern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey

Topic: GreenlandNorthern North America, island between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Canada

Topic: GrenadaCaribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago

Topic: GuamOceania, island in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines

Topic: GuatemalaCentral America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico, and bordering the Gulf of Honduras (Caribbean Sea) between Honduras and Belize

Topic: GuernseyWestern Europe, islands in the English Channel, northwest of France

Topic: GuineaWestern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone

Topic: Guinea-BissauWestern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Senegal

Topic: GuyanaNorthern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela

Topic: HaitiCaribbean, western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Dominican Republic

Topic: Heard Island and McDonald Islandsislands in the Indian Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Madagascar to Antarctica

Topic: Holy See (Vatican City)Southern Europe, an enclave of Rome (Italy)

Topic: HondurasCentral America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Nicaragua and bordering the Gulf of Fonseca (North Pacific Ocean), between El Salvador and Nicaragua

Topic: Hong KongEastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China

Topic: HungaryCentral Europe, northwest of Romania

Topic: IcelandNorthern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the United Kingdom

Topic: IndiaSouthern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan

Topic: Indian Oceanbody of water between Africa, the Southern Ocean, Asia, and Australia

Topic: IndonesiaSoutheastern Asia, archipelago between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean

Topic: IranMiddle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan

Topic: IraqMiddle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait

Topic: IrelandWestern Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain

Topic: Isle of ManWestern Europe, island in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland

Topic: IsraelMiddle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon

Topic: ItalySouthern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia

Topic: JamaicaCaribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba

Topic: Jan MayenNorthern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the Norwegian Sea, northeast of Iceland

Topic: JapanEastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula

Topic: JerseyWestern Europe, island in the English Channel, northwest of France

Topic: JordanMiddle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia, between Israel (to the west) and Iraq

Topic: KazakhstanCentral Asia, northwest of China; a small portion west of the Ural (Oral) River in easternmost Europe

Topic: KenyaEastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania

Topic: KiribatiOceania, group of 32 coral atolls and one raised coral island in the Pacific Ocean, straddling the Equator; the capital Tarawa is about halfway between Hawaii and Australia

Topic: Korea, NorthEastern Asia, northern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan, between China and South Korea

Topic: Korea, SouthEastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea

Topic: KosovoSoutheast Europe, between Serbia and Macedonia

Topic: KuwaitMiddle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia

Topic: KyrgyzstanCentral Asia, west of China, south of Kazakhstan

Topic: LaosSoutheastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam

Topic: LatviaEastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania

Topic: LebanonMiddle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and Syria

Topic: LesothoSouthern Africa, an enclave of South Africa

Topic: LiberiaWestern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone

Topic: LibyaNorthern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria

Topic: LiechtensteinCentral Europe, between Austria and Switzerland

Topic: LithuaniaEastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Latvia and Russia, west of Belarus

Topic: LuxembourgWestern Europe, between France and Germany

Topic: MacauEastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China

Topic: MadagascarSouthern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique

Topic: MalawiSouthern Africa, east of Zambia, west and north of Mozambique

Topic: MalaysiaSoutheastern Asia, peninsula bordering Thailand and northern one-third of the island of Borneo, bordering Indonesia, Brunei, and the South China Sea, south of Vietnam

Topic: MaldivesSouthern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India

Topic: Maliinterior Western Africa, southwest of Algeria, north of Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, and Burkina Faso, west of Niger

Topic: MaltaSouthern Europe, islands in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily (Italy)

Topic: Marshall IslandsOceania, consists of 29 atolls and five isolated islands in the North Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and Australia; the atolls and islands are situated in two, almost-parallel island chains - the Ratak (Sunrise) group and the Ralik (Sunset) group; the total number of islands and islets is about 1,225; 22 of the atolls and four of the islands are uninhabited

Topic: MauritaniaWestern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara

Topic: MauritiusSouthern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, about 800 km (500 mi) east of Madagascar

Topic: MexicoNorth America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, between Belize and the United States and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and the United States

Topic: Micronesia, Federated States ofOceania, island group in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Indonesia

Topic: MoldovaEastern Europe, northeast of Romania

Topic: MonacoWestern Europe, bordering the Mediterranean Sea on the southern coast of France, near the border with Italy

Topic: MongoliaNorthern Asia, between China and Russia

Topic: MontenegroSoutheastern Europe, between the Adriatic Sea and Serbia

Topic: MontserratCaribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto Rico

Topic: MoroccoNorthern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Mauritania

Topic: MozambiqueSoutheastern Africa, bordering the Mozambique Channel, between South Africa and Tanzania

Topic: NamibiaSouthern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and South Africa

Topic: NauruOceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands

Topic: Navassa IslandCaribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, 30 nm west of Tiburon Peninsula of Haiti

Topic: NepalSouthern Asia, between China and India

Topic: NetherlandsWestern Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany

Topic: New CaledoniaOceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia

Topic: New ZealandOceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia

Topic: NicaraguaCentral America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras

Topic: NigerWestern Africa, southeast of Algeria

Topic: NigeriaWestern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon

Topic: NiueOceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga

Topic: Norfolk IslandOceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia

Topic: North MacedoniaSoutheastern Europe, north of Greece

Topic: Northern Mariana IslandsOceania, islands in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines

Topic: NorwayNorthern Europe, bordering the North Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Sweden

Topic: OmanMiddle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf, between Yemen and the UAE

Topic: Pacific Oceanbody of water between the Southern Ocean, Asia, Australia, and the Western Hemisphere

Topic: PakistanSouthern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north

Topic: PalauOceania, group of islands in the North Pacific Ocean, southeast of the Philippines

Topic: PanamaCentral America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica

Topic: Papua New GuineaOceania, group of islands including the eastern half of the island of New Guinea between the Coral Sea and the South Pacific Ocean, east of Indonesia

Topic: Paracel IslandsSoutheastern Asia, group of small islands and reefs in the South China Sea, about one-third of the way from central Vietnam to the northern Philippines

Topic: ParaguayCentral South America, northeast of Argentina, southwest of Brazil

Topic: PeruWestern South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Chile and Ecuador

Topic: PhilippinesSoutheastern Asia, archipelago between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam

Topic: Pitcairn IslandsOceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about midway between Peru and New Zealand

Topic: PolandCentral Europe, east of Germany

Topic: PortugalSouthwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Spain

Topic: Puerto RicoCaribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic

Topic: QatarMiddle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia

Topic: RomaniaSoutheastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Ukraine

Topic: RussiaNorth Asia bordering the Arctic Ocean, extending from Europe (the portion west of the Urals) to the North Pacific Ocean

Topic: RwandaCentral Africa, east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, north of Burundi

Topic: Saint BarthelemyCaribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean; located in the Leeward Islands (northern) group; Saint Barthelemy lies east of the US Virgin Islands

Topic: Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunhaislands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between South America and Africa; Ascension Island lies 1,300 km (800 mi) northwest of Saint Helena; Tristan da Cunha lies 4,300 km (2,700 mi) southwest of Saint Helena

Topic: Saint Kitts and NevisCaribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, about one-third of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago

Topic: Saint LuciaCaribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago

Topic: Saint MartinCaribbean, located in the Leeward Islands (northern) group; French part of the island of Saint Martin in the Caribbean Sea; Saint Martin lies east of the US Virgin Islands

Topic: Saint Pierre and MiquelonNorthern North America, islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, south of Newfoundland (Canada)

Topic: Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesCaribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago

Topic: SamoaOceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand

Topic: San MarinoSouthern Europe, an enclave in central Italy

Topic: Sao Tome and PrincipeCentral Africa, islands in the Gulf of Guinea, just north of the Equator, west of Gabon

Topic: Saudi ArabiaMiddle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen

Topic: SenegalWestern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania

Topic: SerbiaSoutheastern Europe, between Macedonia and Hungary

Topic: Seychellesarchipelago in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar

Topic: Sierra LeoneWestern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia

Topic: SingaporeSoutheastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia

Topic: Sint MaartenCaribbean, located in the Leeward Islands (northern) group; Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin in the Caribbean Sea; Sint Maarten lies east of the US Virgin IslandsCaribbean, located in the Leeward Islands (northern) group; Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin in the Caribbean Sea; Sint Maarten lies east of the US Virgin Islands

Topic: SlovakiaCentral Europe, south of Poland

Topic: Sloveniasouth Central Europe, Julian Alps between Austria and Croatia

Topic: Solomon IslandsOceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea

Topic: SomaliaEastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia

Topic: South AfricaSouthern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa

Topic: South Georgia and South Sandwich IslandsSouthern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of the tip of South America

Topic: South SudanEast-Central Africa; south of Sudan, north of Uganda and Kenya, west of Ethiopia

Topic: Southern Oceanbody of water between 60 degrees south latitude and Antarctica

Topic: SpainSouthwestern Europe, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, Bay of Biscay, and Pyrenees Mountains; southwest of France

Topic: Spratly IslandsSoutheastern Asia, group of reefs and islands in the South China Sea, about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam to the southern Philippines

Topic: Sri LankaSouthern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India

Topic: Sudannorth-eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea

Topic: SurinameNorthern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana

Topic: SvalbardNorthern Europe, islands between the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway

Topic: SwedenNorthern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, Kattegat, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway

Topic: SwitzerlandCentral Europe, east of France, north of Italy

Topic: SyriaMiddle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey

Topic: TaiwanEastern Asia, islands bordering the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, South China Sea, and Taiwan Strait, north of the Philippines, off the southeastern coast of China

Topic: TajikistanCentral Asia, west of China, south of Kyrgyzstan

Topic: TanzaniaEastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Kenya and Mozambique

Topic: ThailandSoutheastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma

Topic: Timor-LesteSoutheastern Asia, northwest of Australia in the Lesser Sunda Islands at the eastern end of the Indonesian archipelago; note - Timor-Leste includes the eastern half of the island of Timor, the Oecussi (Ambeno) region on the northwest portion of the island of Timor, and the islands of Pulau Atauro and Pulau Jaco

Topic: TogoWestern Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Benin and Ghana

Topic: TokelauOceania, group of three atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Topic: TongaOceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Topic: Trinidad and TobagoCaribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela

Topic: TunisiaNorthern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya

Topic: TurkeySoutheastern Europe and Southwestern Asia (that portion of Turkey west of the Bosporus is geographically part of Europe), bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Georgia, and bordering the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and Syria

Topic: TurkmenistanCentral Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan

Topic: Turks and Caicos Islandstwo island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas, north of Haiti

Topic: TuvaluOceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way from Hawaii to Australia

Topic: UgandaEast-Central Africa, west of Kenya, east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Topic: UkraineEastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland, Romania, and Moldova in the west and Russia in the east

Topic: United Arab EmiratesMiddle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia

Topic: United KingdomWestern Europe, islands - including the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland - between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea; northwest of France

Topic: United StatesNorth America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico

Topic: United States Pacific Island Wildlife RefugesOceaniaBaker Island: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 3,390 km southwest of Honolulu, about halfway between Hawaii and Australia; Howland Island: island in the North Pacific Ocean 3,360 km southwest of Honolulu, about halfway between Hawaii and Australia; Jarvis Island: island in the South Pacific Ocean 2,415 km south of Honolulu, about halfway between Hawaii and Cook Islands; Johnston Atoll: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 1,330 km southwest of Honolulu, about one-third of the way from Hawaii to the Marshall Islands; Kingman Reef: reef in the North Pacific Ocean 1,720 km south of Honolulu, about halfway between Hawaii and American Samoa; Midway Islands: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 2,335 km northwest of Honolulu near the end of the Hawaiian Archipelago, about one-third of the way from Honolulu to Tokyo; Palmyra Atoll: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 1,780 km south of Honolulu, about halfway between Hawaii and American SamoaOceaniaBaker Island: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 3,390 km southwest of Honolulu, about halfway between Hawaii and Australia; Howland Island: island in the North Pacific Ocean 3,360 km southwest of Honolulu, about halfway between Hawaii and Australia; Jarvis Island: island in the South Pacific Ocean 2,415 km south of Honolulu, about halfway between Hawaii and Cook Islands; Johnston Atoll: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 1,330 km southwest of Honolulu, about one-third of the way from Hawaii to the Marshall Islands; Kingman Reef: reef in the North Pacific Ocean 1,720 km south of Honolulu, about halfway between Hawaii and American Samoa; Midway Islands: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 2,335 km northwest of Honolulu near the end of the Hawaiian Archipelago, about one-third of the way from Honolulu to Tokyo; Palmyra Atoll: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 1,780 km south of Honolulu, about halfway between Hawaii and American Samoa

Topic: UruguaySouthern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil

Topic: UzbekistanCentral Asia, north of Turkmenistan, south of Kazakhstan

Topic: VanuatuOceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Australia

Topic: VenezuelaNorthern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana

Topic: VietnamSoutheastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, as well as China, Laos, and Cambodia

Topic: Virgin IslandsCaribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico

Topic: Wake IslandOceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to the Northern Mariana Islands

Topic: Wallis and FutunaOceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Topic: West BankMiddle East, west of Jordan, east of Israel

Topic: YemenMiddle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Red Sea, between Oman and Saudi Arabia

Topic: ZambiaSouthern Africa, east of Angola, south of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Topic: ZimbabweSouthern Africa, between South Africa and Zambia


US State Dept Travel Advisory: The US Department of State currently recommends US citizens exercise normal precautions in Angola. Some areas have increased risk. Consult its website via the link below for updates to travel advisories and statements on safety, security, local laws and special circumstances in this country.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html
Passport/Visa Requirements: US citizens should make sure their passport will not expire for at least 6 months after they enter the country even if they do not intend to stay that long. They should also make sure they have at least 1 blank page in their passport for any entry stamp and or visa that will be required. A visa is required. US citizens will need to get in touch with the country’s embassy or nearest consulate to obtain a visa prior to visiting the country.
US Embassy/Consulate: [244] 946440977 or Tel: 222641000; US Embassy in Luanda, Rua Houari Boumediene 32, (in the Miramar area of Luanda), Luanda, Angola, C.P. 6468; https://ao.usembassy.gov/; Consularluanda@state.gov;
Telephone Code: 244
Local Emergency Phone: emergency response number 112, Ambulance: 118; Fire: 118; Police: 110
Vaccinations: An International Certificate of Vaccination for yellow fever is required for all travelers. See WHO recommendations.

http://www.who.int/
Climate: Semiarid in south and along the coast to Luanda; north has cool, dry season (November to April)
Currency (Code): Kwanza (AOA)
Electricity/Voltage/Plug Type(s): 220 V / 50 Hz / plug types(s): C

Major Languages: Portuguese 71.2% (official), Umbundu 23%, Kikongo 8.2%, Kimbundu 7.8%, Chokwe 6.5%, Nhaneca 3.4%, Nganguela 3.1%, and other minority languages
Major Religions: Roman Catholic 41.1%, Protestant 38.1%
Time Difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Potable Water: Opt for bottled water
International Driving Permit: Suggested
Road Driving Side: Right
Tourist Destinations: Luanda; Kissama National Park; Tundavala Gap; Dilolo Lake; Kalandula Falls; Benguela; Maiombe Forest
Major Sports: Soccer, basketball, handball
Cultural Practices: If you are invited to an Angolan's home, bring fruit, flowers, or chocolates to the host.
Tipping Guidelines: If a service charge is not included in the bill, a tip of 10% is acceptable, though is not officially encouraged.
Souvenirs: Wood carvings, pottery, malachite sculptures; tribal masks, weapons, baskets, and drums; precious stone necklaces, woven rugs, tapestries/textilesPlease visit the following links to find further information about your desired destination.

World Health Organization (WHO) - To learn what vaccines and health precautions to take while visiting your destination.

US State Dept Travel Information - Overall information about foreign travel for US citizens.

To obtain an international driving permit (IDP). Only two organizations in the US issue IDPs:
American Automobile Association (AAA) and American Automobile Touring Alliance (AATA)

How to get help in an emergency?
Contact the nearest US embassy or consulate, or call one of these numbers:
from the US or Canada - 1-888-407-4747 or from Overseas - +1 202-501-4444

Page last updated: Monday, April 18, 2022