Geography of Somalia
country located in the Horn of Africa
Somalia is a country in the Horn of Africa. There are five federal member states: Galmudug, Hirshabelle, Jubaland, South West, Puntland and the municipality of Benadir. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, the Gulf of Aden to the north, the Somali Sea and Guardafui Channel to the east, and Kenya to the southwest. It has a land area of 637,657 square kilometers. The terrain consists mainly of plateaus, plains and highlands. The coastline is more than 3,333 kilometers long, the longest of mainland Africa.[1] It has been described as being roughly shaped "like a tilted number seven".
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In the far north, the rugged east–west ranges of the Ogo Mountains lie at varying distances from the Gulf of Aden coast. Hot conditions prevail year-round, along with periodic monsoon winds and irregular rainfall. There are probably valuable mineral deposits.
Climate change
| Climate data for Somalia | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 25 (77) |
28 (82) |
35 (95) |
38 (100) |
35 (95) |
24 (75) |
26 (79) |
30 (86) |
30 (86) |
30 (86) |
29 (84) |
30 (86) |
33 (91) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 15 (59) |
15 (59) |
25 (77) |
15 (59) |
25 (77) |
17 (63) |
12 (54) |
15 (59) |
15 (59) |
20 (68) |
25 (77) |
15 (59) |
12 (54) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 40 (1.6) |
40 (1.6) |
40 (1.6) |
40 (1.6) |
40 (1.6) |
40 (1.6) |
50 (2.0) |
50 (2.0) |
40 (1.6) |
40 (1.6) |
40 (1.6) |
40 (1.6) |
500 (19.7) |
| Source: Country Studies - Somalia | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Mogadishu (1961-1990 normals) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 39.5 (103.1) |
39.5 (103.1) |
37.3 (99.1) |
39.8 (103.6) |
34.9 (94.8) |
33.0 (91.4) |
34.3 (93.7) |
36.0 (96.8) |
36.0 (96.8) |
37.0 (98.6) |
39.0 (102.2) |
37.3 (99.1) |
39.8 (103.6) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 30.2 (86.4) |
30.2 (86.4) |
30.9 (87.6) |
32.2 (90.0) |
31.2 (88.2) |
29.6 (85.3) |
28.6 (83.5) |
28.6 (83.5) |
29.4 (84.9) |
30.2 (86.4) |
30.6 (87.1) |
30.8 (87.4) |
30.2 (86.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 26.6 (79.9) |
26.9 (80.4) |
28.0 (82.4) |
28.9 (84.0) |
28.2 (82.8) |
26.7 (80.1) |
25.4 (77.7) |
25.9 (78.6) |
26.5 (79.7) |
27.3 (81.1) |
27.5 (81.5) |
26.9 (80.4) |
27.1 (80.8) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 23.0 (73.4) |
23.4 (74.1) |
24.9 (76.8) |
25.6 (78.1) |
24.9 (76.8) |
23.7 (74.7) |
23.1 (73.6) |
23.0 (73.4) |
23.4 (74.1) |
24.3 (75.7) |
24.2 (75.6) |
23.5 (74.3) |
23.9 (75.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 19.0 (66.2) |
19.2 (66.6) |
19.4 (66.9) |
18.0 (64.4) |
18.4 (65.1) |
18.0 (64.4) |
16.8 (62.2) |
18.0 (64.4) |
18.0 (64.4) |
17.5 (63.5) |
16.2 (61.2) |
16.5 (61.7) |
16.2 (61.2) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 0 (0) |
0 (0) |
8 (0.3) |
61 (2.4) |
61 (2.4) |
82 (3.2) |
64 (2.5) |
44 (1.7) |
25 (1.0) |
32 (1.3) |
43 (1.7) |
9 (0.4) |
428 (16.9) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 4.8 | 6.7 | 12.7 | 13.3 | 10.2 | 4.9 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 1.5 | 63.0 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 78 | 78 | 77 | 77 | 80 | 80 | 81 | 81 | 81 | 80 | 79 | 79 | 79 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 266.6 | 251.4 | 282.1 | 261.0 | 272.8 | 219.0 | 226.3 | 254.2 | 264.0 | 266.6 | 261.0 | 257.3 | 3,082.3 |
| Mean daily sunshine hours | 8.6 | 8.9 | 9.1 | 8.7 | 8.8 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 8.2 | 8.8 | 8.6 | 8.7 | 8.3 | 8.4 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 72 | 74 | 73 | 71 | 72 | 59 | 59 | 67 | 72 | 72 | 72 | 70 | 69 |
| Source 1: Deutscher Wetterdienst[2] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Food and Agriculture Organization: Somalia Water and Land Management (percent sunshine)[3] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Kismayo | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 31.8 (89.2) |
33.1 (91.6) |
34.0 (93.2) |
37.8 (100.0) |
34.0 (93.2) |
34.0 (93.2) |
32.3 (90.1) |
32.4 (90.3) |
30.3 (86.5) |
31.5 (88.7) |
32.2 (90.0) |
33.0 (91.4) |
37.8 (100.0) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 29.6 (85.3) |
29.9 (85.8) |
31.0 (87.8) |
31.8 (89.2) |
30.4 (86.7) |
28.6 (83.5) |
28.0 (82.4) |
28.3 (82.9) |
28.6 (83.5) |
29.5 (85.1) |
30.5 (86.9) |
30.5 (86.9) |
29.7 (85.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 27.1 (80.8) |
27.3 (81.1) |
28.2 (82.8) |
28.6 (83.5) |
27.3 (81.1) |
26.1 (79.0) |
25.6 (78.1) |
25.7 (78.3) |
26.0 (78.8) |
26.8 (80.2) |
27.5 (81.5) |
27.5 (81.5) |
27.0 (80.6) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 24.2 (75.6) |
24.5 (76.1) |
25.4 (77.7) |
25.8 (78.4) |
24.8 (76.6) |
23.5 (74.3) |
23.1 (73.6) |
23.3 (73.9) |
23.3 (73.9) |
24.0 (75.2) |
24.5 (76.1) |
24.4 (75.9) |
24.2 (75.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 21.0 (69.8) |
22.0 (71.6) |
23.0 (73.4) |
21.3 (70.3) |
20.0 (68.0) |
21.0 (69.8) |
19.0 (66.2) |
21.0 (69.8) |
22.0 (71.6) |
22.4 (72.3) |
22.5 (72.5) |
22.0 (71.6) |
19.0 (66.2) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 1 (0.0) |
1 (0.0) |
3 (0.1) |
39 (1.5) |
111 (4.4) |
89 (3.5) |
52 (2.0) |
21 (0.8) |
21 (0.8) |
15 (0.6) |
17 (0.7) |
3 (0.1) |
374 (14.7) |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 43 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 77 | 76 | 76 | 77 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 79 | 78 | 78 | 77 | 77 | 78 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 235.6 | 226.0 | 248.0 | 210.0 | 257.3 | 207.0 | 192.2 | 251.1 | 225.0 | 248.0 | 225.0 | 217.0 | 2,742.2 |
| Mean daily sunshine hours | 7.6 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 8.3 | 6.9 | 6.2 | 8.1 | 7.5 | 8.0 | 7.5 | 7.0 | 7.5 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 64 | 73 | 69 | 62 | 59 | 57 | 56 | 62 | 64 | 66 | 66 | 66 | 64 |
| Source 1: Deutscher Wetterdienst[4] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Food and Agriculture Organization: Somalia Water and Land Management (percent sunshine)[5] | |||||||||||||
References change
- ↑ "Country Summary", The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, retrieved 2023-05-19
- ↑ "Klimatafel von Mogadischu (Mogadiscio) / Somalia" (PDF). Baseline climate means (1961–1990) from stations all over the world (in German). Deutscher Wetterdienst. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 March 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
- ↑ "Long term mean monthly sunshine fraction in Somalia". Food and Agriculture Organization. Archived from the original on 2016-10-05. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
- ↑ "Klimatafel von Chisimaio (Kismayu) / Somalia" (PDF). Baseline climate means (1961–1990) from stations all over the world (in German). Deutscher Wetterdienst. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
- ↑ "Long term mean monthly sunshine fraction in Somalia". Food and Agriculture Organization. Archived from the original on 5 October 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016.