Irrigated land:
2,000 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:
recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in
summer; floods during rainy season
Environment - current issues:
famine; use of contaminated water contributes to human health
problems; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone
Layer Protection
Geography - note:
strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to
Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal
People Somalia
Population:
8,863,338
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 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 44.4% (male 1,973,294/female 1,961,083)
15-64 years: 53% (male 2,355,861/female 2,342,988)
65 years and over: 2.6% (male 97,307/female 132,805) (2006 est.)
Median age:
total: 17.6 years
male: 17.5 years
female: 17.7 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.85% (2006 est.)