MAF in Somalia
MAF flies into Somalia from its base in neighbouring Kenya
Demographics
- Population: 9,558,666 (UK: 61 million)
- Birth rate: 44.12 births/1,000 population (UK: 11 births/1,000)
- Life expectancy at birth: 49 years (UK: 79 years)
- Population under 15 years: 45% (UK: 17%)
- High infant mortality: more than 1 in 9 die at birth (UK: 1 in 200 die at birth)
- HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate: 1%(UK: 0.2%)
- Literacy rate: 38% (UK: 99%)
Infrastructure
- Area of the country: 246,201 sq miles (UK: 94,525 sq miles)
- 13,732 miles of roads, but only 1,621 miles of paved roads (UK: 241,104 miles – all paved)
- 67 landing strips of which only 7 are paved
Economy
Despite the lack of effective national governance, Somalia has maintained a healthy informal economy, largely based on livestock, remittance/money transfer companies, and telecommunications
- 71% of the population employed in agriculture, fishing and forestry
- Main exports include livestock, bananas, hides, fish, charcoal, scrap metal
Environment
Mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north. Environmental hazard include:
- famine
- use of contaminated water contributes to human health problems;
- deforestation
- overgrazing
- soil erosion
- desertification
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
- frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer
- floods during rainy season
- recurring droughts
Religion
Islam is the official religion. Islamists gained influenced in both the south and Somaliland and seek to enforce Shar’ia law