Somalia - Transportation

Geography - People - Economy - Government - Communications - Transportation - Military - Transnational Issues

Somalia is located Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia. The climate is 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. The terrain is mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north.

Airports

This entry gives the total number of airports or airfields recognizable from the air. The runway(s) may be paved (concrete or asphalt surfaces) or unpaved (grass, earth, sand, or gravel surfaces) but may include closed or abandoned installations. Airports or airfields that are no longer recognizable (overgrown, no facilities, etc.) are not included. Note that not all airports have accommodations for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control.
Airports : 67 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways - total : 7
Airports - with paved runways - over 3,047 m : 4
Airports - with paved runways - 2,438 to 3,047 m : 2
Airports - with paved runways - 1,524 to 2,437 m : 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total : 60
Airports - with unpaved runways - over 3,047 m : 1
Airports - with unpaved runways - 2,438 to 3,047 m : 3
Airports - with unpaved runways - 1,524 to 2,437 m : 20
Airports - with unpaved runways - 914 to 1,523 m : 29
Airports - with unpaved runways - under 914 m : 7 (2007)

Roadways

This entry gives the total length of the road network and includes the length of the paved and unpaved portions.
Roadways - total : 22,100 km
Roadways - paved : 2,608 km
Roadways - unpaved : 19,492 km (2000)

Merchant marine

Merchant marine may be defined as all ships engaged in the carriage of goods; or all commercial vessels (as opposed to all nonmilitary ships), which excludes tugs, fishing vessels, offshore oil rigs, etc. This entry contains information in four fields - total, ships by type, foreign-owned, and registered in other countries. *** Total includes the number of ships (1,000 GRT or over), total DWT for those ships, and total GRT for those ships. DWT or dead weight tonnage is the total weight of cargo, plus bunkers, stores, etc., that a ship can carry when immersed to the appropriate load line. GRT or gross register tonnage is a figure obtained by measuring the entire sheltered volume of a ship available for cargo and passengers and converting it to tons on the basis of 100 cubic feet per ton; there is no stable relationship between GRT and DWT. *** Ships by type includes a listing of barge carriers, bulk cargo ships, cargo ships, chemical tankers, combination bulk carriers, combination ore/oil carriers, container ships, liquefied gas tankers, livestock carriers, multifunctional large-load carriers, petroleum tankers, passenger ships, passenger/cargo ships, railcar carriers, refrigerated cargo ships, roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, short-sea passenger ships, specialized tankers, and vehicle carriers. *** Foreign-owned are ships that fly the flag of one country but belong to owners in another. *** Registered in other countries are ships that belong to owners in one country but fly the flag of another.
Merchant marine - total : 1
Merchant marine - by type : cargo 1
Merchant marine - foreign-owned : 1 (UAE 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals

This entry lists major ports and terminals primarily on the basis of the amount of cargo tonnage shipped through the facilities on an annual basis. In some instances, the number of containers handled or ship visits were also considered.
Ports and terminals : Berbera, Kismaayo

Transportation - note

This entry includes miscellaneous transportation information of significance not included elsewhere.
Transportation - note : the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean are high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; numerous vessels, including commercial shipping and pleasure craft, have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; crew, passengers, and cargo are held for ransom

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