Somalia Travel Information

Travel Alert Status

Level 4: Do Not Travel

Time Difference

UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Travel Climate

Climate is the primary factor in much of Somali life. For the large nomadic population, the timing and amount of rainfall are crucial determinants of the adequacy of grazing and the prospects of relative prosperity. During droughts such as in 1974-75 and 1984-85, starvation can occur.

Somalis recognize four seasons, two rainy (gu and day) and two dry (jiilaal and hagaa). The

gu rains begin in April and last until June, producing a fresh supply of pasture and turning the desert into a flowering garden for a brief period. Lush vegetation covers most of the land, especially the central grazing plateau, where grass grows tall. The gu season is followed by the drought (July-September) and the hagaa by the day rains (October-November). Next is jiilaal (December-March), the harshest season for pastoralists and their herds.

Most of the country receives less than 500 millimeters of rain annually, and a large area encompassing the northeast and much of northern Somalia gets as little as 50 to 150 millimeters. However, certain higher areas in the north record more than 500 millimeters a year, as do some coastal sites. The southwest receives 330 to 500 millimeters. Generally, rainfall takes the form of showers or localized torrential rains and is highly variable.

Mean daily maximum temperatures throughout the country range from 30° C to 40° C, except at higher elevations and along the Indian Ocean coast. Mean daily minimum temperatures vary from 20° C to more than 30° C. Northern Somalia experiences the most significant temperature extremes, ranging from below-freezing in the highlands in December to more than 45° C in July in the coastal plain skirting the Gulf of Aden. The north's relative humidity ranges from about 40 percent in midafternoon to 85 percent at night, varying somewhat with the season. During the colder months, December to February, fog often restricts visibility at higher elevations.

Temperatures in the south are less extreme, ranging from about 20° C to 40° C. The hottest months are February through April. Coastal readings are usually five to ten degrees cooler than those inland. The coastal zone's relative humidity usually remains about 70 percent, even during the dry seasons.

Travel Currency

Somali shilling (SOS)

Language Spoken

Standard Somali with its diverse scripts based on clan affiliation, is now written in Latin script. Literacy has increased dramatically. English, Italian and Arabic are spoken by educated Somali. The Somali language stems from the Cushitic language family.

Languages

Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English

Ethnic Groups

Somali 85%, Bantu and other non-Somali 15% (including Arabs 30,000)

National Holiday

Foundation of the Somali Republic, 1 July (1960); note - 26 June (1960) in Somaliland

Geographic Coordinates

10 00 N, 49 00 E

Location

Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia

Airports

Somalia Weather

Somalia Currency Exchange

Currency Converter

Somalia Travel Video

THIS IS SOMALIA! | A Rich Heritage & A Bright Future | SOMALI ENTERPRISE

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