POPULATION: 9,491,000 (estimate 1995).

POPULATION DENSITY: 14.9 per sq km.

CAPITAL: Mogadishu. Population: 9,000,000 (1990).

GEOGRAPHY: Somalia is bounded to the north by the Gulf of Aden, to the south and west by Kenya, to the west by Ethiopia and to the northwest by Djibouti. To the east lies the Indian Ocean. Somalia is an arid country and the scenery includes mountains in the north, the flat semi-desert plains in the interior and the subtropical region in the south. Separated from the sea by a narrow coastal plain, the mountains slope south and west to the central, almost waterless plateau which makes up most of the country. The beaches are protected by a coral reef that runs from Mogadishu to the Kenyan border in the south. They are among the longest in the world. There are only two rivers, the Jubba and the Shabeelle, and both rise in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia. Along their banks is most of the country's agricultural land. The Somali population is concentrated in the coastal towns, in the wetter, northern areas and in the south near the two rivers. A large nomadic population is scattered over the interior, although drought in recent years has led to many settling as farmers or fishermen in newly-formed communities.

LANGUAGE: Somali and Arabic are the official languages. Swahili is spoken, particularly in the south. English and Italian are also widely spoken.

RELIGION: The state religion is Islam and the majority of Somalis are Sunni Muslims. There is a a Christian minority (mostly Roman Catholic).

TIME: GMT + 3.

ELECTRICITY: 220 volts AC, 50Hz.

COMMUNICATIONS: Telephone: IDD is available. Country code: 252. Outgoing international calls must be made via the operator. Telegram: There are limited facilities in the capital, but the main Post Office in Mogadishu, opposite the Hotel Juba, offers services. Post: Airmail to Europe takes up to two weeks. Press: No English-language dailies are published.

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