. .
|
Somalia Geography 1999
Location: Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia Geographic coordinates: 10 00 N, 49 00 E Map references: Africa
Area:
Areacomparative: slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries:
Coastline: 3,025 km
Maritime claims:
Climate: principally desert; December to Februarynortheast monsoon, moderate temperatures in north and very hot in south; May to Octobersouthwest monsoon, torrid in the north and hot in the south, irregular rainfall, hot and humid periods (tangambili) between monsoons Terrain: mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north
Elevation extremes:
Natural resources: uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt
Land use:
Irrigated land: 1,800 sq km (1993 est.) Natural hazards: recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer Environmentcurrent issues: famine; use of contaminated water contributes to human health problems; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Environmentinternational agreements:
Geographynote: strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal
|