Land area

637,600 sq km

Population

9.1m (2009 UN mid-year estimate)

Main towns

Population (2009 World Gazetteer estimates)

Mogadishu (capital): 1.6m

Hargeisa: 436,232

Bossasso: 108,016

Gaalka'yo: 85,252

Berbera: 71,151

Borama: 68,851

Kismayu: 66,921

Laascaanood: 40,579

Garoe: 38,636

Climate

Hot and dry

Weather in Mogadishu (altitude 12 metres)

Hottest month, April, 26-32°C; coldest months, July and August, 23-28°C; driest months, January and February, 1 mm average rainfall; wettest month, June, 97 mm average rainfall

Languages

Somali; also Arabic, Italian (in the south) and English (in the north)

Measures

Metric system

Currency

Somali shilling (SoSh); estimated average exchange rate in 2010: SoSh1,564:US$1; the self-styled Somaliland Republic has its own currency, the Somaliland shilling (SolSh); estimated average exchange rate for the Somaliland shilling in 2008: SolSh7,240:US$1

Time

3 hours ahead of GMT

Public holidays

January 1st (New Year's Day), Id al-Fitr, Id al-Adha, Ashura, May 1st (Labour Day), June 26th (Independence Day), July 1st (Foundation of the Republic); all Islamic holidays are observed in accordance with the lunar calendar; this may mean that the following dates are approximate: Mawlid al-Nabi (the birthday of the Prophet, February 15th); Eid al-Fitr (end of Ramadan, August 30th); Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice, November 6th); Islamic New Year (November 26th)