Somalia

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

mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north

Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia

3,025 km

2,000 sq km (2012)

Ogaden-Juba Basin

Africa

recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer; floods during rainy season

strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal

uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas, likely oil reserves

almost five times the size of Alabama; slightly smaller than Texas

10 00 N, 49 00 E

distribution varies greatly throughout the country; least densely populated areas are in the northeast and central regions, as well as areas along the Kenyan border; most populated areas are in and around the cities of Mogadishu, Marka, Boorama, Hargeysa, and Baidoa, as shown on this population distribution map