Population: 6,709,161 (July 1991), growth rate 3.3% (1991)

Birth rate: 46 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate: 13 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Infant mortality rate: 116 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Life expectancy at birth: 56 years male, 56 years female (1991)

Total fertility rate: 7.2 children born/woman (1991)

Nationality: noun--Somali(s); adjective--Somali

Ethnic divisions: Somali 85%, rest mainly Bantu; Arabs 30,000, Europeans 3,000, Asians 800

Religion: almost entirely Sunni Muslim

Language: Somali (official); Arabic, Italian, English

Literacy: 24% (male 36%, female 14%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Labor force: 2,200,000; very few are skilled laborers; pastoral nomad 70%, agriculture, government, trading, fishing, handicrafts, and other 30%; 53% of population of working age (1985)

Organized labor: General Federation of Somali Trade Unions is controlled by the government

NOTE: The information regarding Somalia on this page is re-published from the 1991 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Somalia People 1991 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Somalia People 1991 should be addressed to the CIA.