Somaliland

Graeme Villeret

8 years ago

Official name	Republic of Somaliland
Name in local language	Jamhuuriyadda Soomaaliland (so) ; جمهورية أرض الصومال (ar)
Continent	Africa
Subcontinent	East Africa
Population (ranking: 127^e)	4,979,218 inhabitants (2018)
Population growth	3.14 % / year
Area	176,119 km²
Density	28.27 inhabitants / km²
GDP (ranking: 194^e)	2.573 billions $USD (2017)
GDP/capita (ranking)	675 $USD (2017)
GDP growth	-10.00 % / year (2017)
Life expectancy (ranking)	50.40 years (2014)
Birth rate	0.00 ‰ (2018)
Fertility rate	5.40 children / woman (2011)
Death rate (ranking)	1.32 ‰ (2010)
Infant mortality rate (ranking)	76.00 ‰ (2014)
Literacy rate	48.00 % (2014)
Official languages	Somali (Arabic and English are often used)
Currency	Somaliland shilling (SLSH)
HDI (ranking: n.c.)	0.000 / 1 (2017)
EPI (ranking)	0.00 (2018)
Government	Presidential constitutional republic
Head of State	President Muse Bihi Abdi
National Day	18 May (independence from Somalia in 1991)
ISO Codes	,
Demonym	Somalilander

An unrecognized but functioning country

Somaliland is an ancient territory of Somalia located in the Horn of Africa. Its self-declared independence in 1991 from Somalia and its Constitution of 30 April 2000 (partly based on Sharia law) are not recognized by the international community. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the west and south, Djibouti to the northwest, Puntland to the east, and faces Yemen on the other side of the Gulf of Aden. Its capital and main city is Hargeisa.

Hargeisa, capital of Somaliland. Photo: Retlaw Snellac

Port of Berbera, Somaliland. Photo: Lakmi

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Urban areas (2018)

Urban areas	Population
Hargeisa Maps: Hargeisa – routière Hargeisa – satellite	1,061,029 inhabitants
Burao	350,211 inhabitants
Berbera	267,918 inhabitants
Borama	215,616 inhabitants
Erigavo	114,846 inhabitants

See all urban areas

Administrative divisions

Regions	Population	Area
Awdal	673,263 inhabitants	21,374 km²
Sahil	360,000 inhabitants	0 km²
Sanaag	677,000 inhabitants	53,374 km²
Sool	718,000 inhabitants	25,036 km²
Togdheer	941,000 inhabitants	38,663 km²
Woqooyi Galbeed	2,400,000 inhabitants	28,836 km²