10 Facts You Never Knew About Somalia

Officially known as the Federal Republic of Somalia, Somalia is a sovereign state located in the horn of Africa. Somalia has a hot year-round climate, with irregular rainfall and periodic monsoon winds. The country's estimated population stands at 14.3 million (2016 estimate). Its official languages are Somali and Arabic. Italian is also spoken in Somalia. Islam is the main religion in Somalia and the currency used is the Somali shilling (SOS). Somalia's form of government is a Federal parliamentary republic. Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed is Somalia's President, while Hassan Ali Khayre is Somalia's prime minister. Read the most striking facts about Somalia below.

1. Somalia had no central government for a 15-year period - in the 1990s and 2000s. During this period, it was ripped apart by clan militias, pirate gangs and extremist militant groups (like Al-Shabaab).

2. The biggest masjid/mosque in the Horn of Africa, The Mosque of Islamic Solidarity, is located in Mogadishu, the capital city of Somalia. It can accommodate up to 10,000 worshipers.

3. Somalia has the cheapest mobile call rates in Africa; some companies charge less than a cent per minute.

4. Somalia is one of the least developed countries in Africa, with a significant lack of basic infrastructure. Only around half of Somalia's population has access to fresh drinking water. This number is much lower in rural areas.

5. About 73% of Somalis live on less than $2 a day, with about 24% living on less than $1 a day.

6. Somalia has extremely high malnutrition rates, with one in eight children under five being acutely malnourished.

7. Somalia has the largest population of camels in the world. Of the world's 14 million camels, Somalia has more than seven million, which is the highest number in the world.

8. Somalia has the longest coastline (3,300 kilometers/1,879 miles) on Africa's mainland.

9. Somalia is the first African nation that was used for flying warplanes by the British.

10. Somalia has the seventh lowest literacy rate in the world, with a literacy rate of just 37.8%.

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