Forming the Horn of Africa, Somalia has a coastline with the Gulf of Aden to the north and with the Indian Ocean to the east and south. Ethiopia lies to the west, Djibouti to the north-west and Kenya to the south-west. Somalia'’s landscape is mainly rolling bushland rising in altitude from the Indian Ocean coast towards the west. In the north a range of largely treeless mountains rising to 240mm lies parallel to the Gulf of Aden coast. The climate is semi-arid in the south and north to arid in the central ranges.
Population
11.10 million (2002)
Area
637,660 sq.km
Ethnicity/ Race
Somali , Bantu, Arabs
Major Languages
Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English
Religion
Muslim:100.0%
Capital City
Mogadishu (Muqdisho)
Major Cities
Hargeisa, Boroma, Kismayu, Berbera, Burao
Currency
1 Somali shilling = 100 cents, 1 US Dollar (USD) = 2,620.00 Somali Shilling (SOS)
