Somalia
is bounded on the north by the Gulf of Aden, on the
east and south by the Indian Ocean, on the southwest by
Kenya, on the west by Ethiopia, and on the northwest by
Djibouti. The total area is 637,657 sq km (about 246,200
sq mi). The northern part of Somalia is known as Somaliland and is a semi-autonomous region.
Mogadishu is the capital and largest city of the country. Most travelers will find that it is the most convenient place to start their trip to this fascinating country. It's the only place with an Internet Cafe, for example.
Somalia
has a long coastline, extending for about 3025 km (about
1880 mi), but it has few natural harbors. A sandy coastal
plain borders on the Gulf of Aden in the north. A series
of mountain ranges, with average elevations between about
915 and 2135 m (about 3000 and 7000 ft), dominates the
northern part of the country. To the south, the interior
consists of a rugged plateau, ranging in elevation from
about 500 m (about 1640 ft) in the north to less than 180
m (less than 600 ft) in the south. In the south, a wide
coastal plain, which has many sand dunes, borders on the
Indian Ocean. The country's two major rivers are found on
the southern plateau, the Jubba in the southern part and
the Shabeelle in the south central section.
The climate of Somalia ranges from tropical to
subtropical and from arid to semiarid. Temperatures
usually average 28° C (82° F), but may be as low as 0°
C (32° F) in the mountain areas and as high as 47° C
(116° F) along the coast. The monsoon winds bring a dry
season from September to December and a rainy season from
March to May. The average annual rainfall is only about
280 mm (about 11 in).
Vegetation in Somalia consists chiefly of
coarse grass and stunted thorn and acacia trees. Aromatic
flora, producing frankincense and myrrh, are indigenous
to the mountain slopes. In southern Somalia, eucalyptus,
euphorbia, and mahogany trees are found. Wildlife is
abundant and includes crocodiles, elephants, giraffes,
leopards, lions, zebras, and many poisonous snakes.
The vast majority of the population consists
of Somali, a Cushitic people. A small minority of
Bantu-speaking people live in the southern part of the
country. Other minority groups include Arabs, Indians,
Italians, and Pakistanis. Some 70 percent of the people
are nomadic or seminomadic pastoralists. The remainder
are either crop farmers or inhabitants of the few urban
centers.
Islam is the state religion in Somalia, and
most of the people are Sunni Muslims. The official
languages are Somali and Arabic; English and Italian are
also used.
Getting around in Somalia can be tough. The country has no railroads; of about 22,500 km
(about 14,000 mi) of roads, about 25 percent are paved or
gravel. Mogadishu is the leading port. A government-owned
airline provides international service. Until the early
1990s, two government-owned radio stations broadcast in
Arabic, English, Italian, Somali, and several other
languages, but the collapse of Somalia's infrastructure
because of the civil war has caused much of the country's
telecommunications to be disrupted. Three of the
competing factions provide some broadcasting.
