Law

There are three legal structures in Somalia which are civil, religious, and traditional clan law.
The legal system was mostly destroyed but has now been reconstructed and administered under regional governments. There is a charter that affirms the primacy of Islamic law, but mainly this is applied to civil and family issues. Human rights are guaranteed as is judicial independence. The system has three tiers, which are a supreme court, court of appeals, and courts of first instance.
Islamic law has played a part in Somali society and has been the basis for all Somali constitutions. Islamic law is technically the primary system in Somalia.
Customary law, called Xeer, has been practiced for centuries. In this system, no single agent determines what the law is or how it should be interpreted. It is truly indigenous to the Horn of Africa and dates from the 7th century.

Regions and Districts


Before the civil war, the country was divided into 18 regions, which were further divided into districts. Somalia is now divided among the quasi-independent states of Somaliland, Puntland, Galmudug, Hirshabelle, Southwest, and Jubbaland.

Geography and Climate

Somalia has a total area of 637,549 sq. km. It occupies what is known as the Horn of Africa. It has Africa’s longest coastline.
A mountain range, Cal Madow, is in the northeast. The Karkaar Mountains lie off the Gulf of Aden coast.
The mildest season in Mogadishu is from May to October. The periods between the two monsoons are hot and humid.
The southwest monsoon, a sea breeze, makes the period from about May to October the mildest season in Mogadishu. The December to February period of the northeast monsoon is also relatively mild, although prevailing climatic conditions in Mogadishu are rarely pleasant. The tangambili periods that intervene between the two monsoons (October–November, and March-May) are hot and humid.

Health

The Ministry of Health oversaw the healthcare sector until the government’s collapse in 1991. Despite the destruction of much of the system, living conditions have generally improved. Informal providers have filled the gap left by the government.
The life expectancy is 49.58 years for males, and 53.65 years for females, with an infant mortality rate of 100.14 deaths for every 1,000 live births.

Education

After the civil war began, local communities took over school administration. Access by rural children is a large problem. The country is trying to put policies in place to reconstruct the system.
Most higher education is private. Despite harsh environments, several universities are ranked as some of the best in Africa.
Qu’ranic schools are the main system for religious instruction. They are widely supported in the community. These schools are often the only ones accessible to rural children

Economy

Somalia’s economy is projected to grow at an annual rate of 3–4 percent, according to the third Somalia Economic Update (SEU) published by the World Bank. Titled “Rapid Growth in Mobile Money: Stability or Vulnerability?”, the SEU assesses Somalia’s vibrant mobile money market and provides concrete recommendations on introducing mobile money regulation that can boost a secure system for widespread financial inclusion.
There is a healthy informal economy in Somalia. It mostly relies on livestock, telecommunications, and money transfer companies. Statistics are difficult to locate. Private investment is occurring and is replacing the government-run industrial sector that was in place before the civil war.
Per capita GDP is at $600, with a 2.6 percent growth rate.  Agriculture, the most important sector, accounts for nearly 60 percent of GDP, with services accounting for 33.5 percent. There is a trade deficit with imports exceeding exports. Many Somalis live overseas and send money back to the country.
There is a modest industrial sector that is based on agricultural products. There are private airline firms that operate commercial flights to international locations.

Payment System

The Central Bank is in the process of assuming the tasks of monetary policy in Somalia.
The US dollar is accepted widely due to a lack of confidence in the local currency. Inflation is a problem, but this is expected to end once the Central Bank takes control of monetary policy.
Private money transfer firms, hawala system, are a large Somalian industry. Somalis overseas use this system to transfer money back to the country. Once the Central Bank assumes control, some of the companies are expected to attempt to be licensed as full banks.

Energy and Resources

Privatizing electrical supply has allowed the private sector to provide cities with electricity.
There are underdeveloped reserves of iron ore, uranium, tin, bauxite, gypsum, copper, salt, and natural gas. Due to the neighboring country’s oil reserves, Somalia is believed to be a potential oil source.
The Buurhakaba region has large reserves of uranium. No long term mining has taken place.

Telecommunications and Media

The country’s internet and telecommunications are some of the most advanced in the world. The phone services, set up with help from China, Europe, and Korea, are affordable and more advanced than those in most other parts of the continent. Internet access is easy to locate.

Military

Prior to the civil war, Somalia’s military was the largest in Africa due to its partnership with both the U.S.S.R. and the U.S.

Environment

Local organizations have been founded to promote awareness about ecological problems. Bans on ivory and charcoal exports were implemented in the past.

Demographics

There are approximately 15,513,213 million (2018) people in Somalia. Ethnic Somalis are 85 percent of the total. Other ethnic groups are the Benadiri, Bantus, Bravanese, Banjuni, Ethiopians, Indians, Persians, Italians, and Britons.
The population growth stands at 1.75 percent. The infant mortality rate is 100.14 deaths for every 1,000 live births. Life expectancy is 49.58 years for males, and 53.65 years for females.

Languages

Somali is the official language. It is part of the Cushitic branch in the Afro-Asiatic language. Saho and Afar are their closest relatives. There are three main dialects, which are northern, Benadir, and Maay. Somali does not have a writing script, so other systems have been used to transcribe the language.
Arabic is an additional official language and many Somalis speak it due to the country's close ties with the Arab World, English is also widely used by the diaspora returnees mainly from western countries.