Somalia is a sovereign country in Eastern Africa, in the wider region of Africa. Treaties and official documents call it Federal Republic of Somalia. Its seat of government is Mogadishu.
It covers 637,657 km², which ranks it 43rd of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind Afghanistan and just ahead of the Central African Republic. Put next to a country most people can picture, it is a little larger than Kenya.
It is home to roughly 19.0 million people, placing it 68th of 250 by population — between Romania above it and Senegal below. Within Eastern Africa alone it is the 5th largest of 20 and the 9th most populous.
Somalia on the map
The coordinates the dataset gives are 10.0° N, 49.0° E, which puts it in the northern hemisphere, roughly 1,113 km from the equator, in what geographers would call tropical latitudes.
Nigeria, Venezuela and Ivory Coast sit at almost exactly the same latitude on other parts of the globe.
3 countries share a land border with it: Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya. The largest of them by area is Ethiopia, which is also the most populous. Together those neighbours hold about 189.7 million people.
With both a coast and land borders, it has the trade options a landlocked country does not.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Who lives in Somalia
Spread across 637,657 km², that works out at about 30 people per square kilometre, which makes it less crowded than the typical entry on this list. For comparison, the median entry on this list sits near 90 per square kilometre.
It recognises 2 languages: Arabic and Somali. Somali is listed for no other entry in this dataset, which makes it effectively unique to Somalia. Arabic, the first listed, is shared with 24 other entries worldwide.
Someone from Somalia is a Somali.
Against Africa as a whole it is the 24th most populous of 59 entries, and it accounts for 3.9% of everyone living in Eastern Africa.
Money, codes and practical details
Money there is the Somali shilling (Sh, SOS). It is issued for Somalia alone.
Mogadishu is the seat of government and the answer most quizzes are looking for.
Websites there use the .so domain. The international dialling code is +252. Standard country codes: so and SOM.
Somalia is one of the 193 UN member states in this dataset. The other 57 entries are territories, dependencies or observers, which is why totals on this site run to 250 rather than the familiar 195.
Neighbouring countries
Somalia shares borders with 3 countries:
Fun facts about Somalia
- Websites based there use the .so domain.
- In land area it is a little larger than Kenya.
- It shares land borders with 3 countries: Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya.
- Its capital city is Mogadishu.
- Arabic is official here and in 24 other entries worldwide.
- The Somali shilling is used here and nowhere else on this list.
- Somali is listed as an official language for no other entry in this dataset.
Somalia — frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of Somalia?
- The capital of Somalia is Mogadishu.
- How big is Somalia?
- Somalia covers 637,657 km², ranking 43rd of 250 by land area. That makes it a little larger than Kenya.
- Which countries border Somalia?
- Somalia borders 3 countries: Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya. Ethiopia is the largest of them by area.
- Where is Somalia located?
- Somalia is in Eastern Africa, part of Africa. Its reference coordinates are 10.0° north and 49.0° east, roughly 1,113 km from the equator in tropical latitudes.
- What currency does Somalia use?
- Somalia uses the Somali shilling, written Sh (currency code SOS). No other entry in this dataset uses it.
- Is Somalia a country?
- Yes. Somalia is a sovereign state and one of the 193 UN members listed on this site.
- What is the population of Somalia?
- Somalia has a population of about 19.0 million, which makes it the 68th most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. Romania sits just above it and Senegal just below.
- What language is spoken in Somalia?
- Somalia lists 2 official languages: Arabic and Somali. Somali does not appear as an official language anywhere else in this dataset.
