Somalia: Introduction

Somalia is a country in Africa bordered by Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Gulf of Yemen, and the Indian Ocean. Somalia has a strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb and routes through Red Sea and Suez Canal. The geography consists of semi-desert, mountains, and highlands. The government system is a transitional, parliamentary government. The chief of state is the Federal President, or Sheikh, and the head of government is the Prime Minister. Somalia has a traditional economic system in which the majority of the population engages in subsistence livestock and agriculture. Somalia is a member of the African Union (AU), African Economic Community (AEC), and the Council of Arab Economic Unity (CAEU).