[Max Flatow]

Thanks for the 411. My curiosity got to me after my last post, so I did a search to see what has been up with that country since 1993. Seems that the place is still in total anarchy. Warloards still run the country with no central government, no currency, no infrastructure to speak of. Parts of the country have broken off into separatists nation-like countries, such as Somililand. Abdullahi Yusuf was elected president of Puntland who is considered to be the only recognizable person of a central government though his election is suspicious at best. The northern part of the country has seen a growth in economic activity due to no laws, no taxes and the opportunity of a capitalist environment. Telecommunications seem to be the largest economic activity in Somalia. But the warloads instill a sense of unstability and unpredictablity in any activity in the country that can change from day to day.

So it seems that until one central government can rule without civil war, the country wil always be a hot bed of poverty and infighting.

[inquest]

Well now you got my curiosity going. The CIA paints a somewhat less gloomy picture (quoting in part):

Economic life continues, in part because much activity is local and relatively easily protected. Agriculture is the most important sector, with livestock normally accounting for about 40% of GDP and about 65% of export earnings, but Saudi Arabia's recent ban on Somali livestock, because of Rift Valley Fever concerns, has severely hampered the sector. Nomads and semi-nomads, who are dependent upon livestock for their livelihood, make up a large portion of the population. Livestock, hides, fish, charcoal, and bananas are Somalia's principal exports, while sugar, sorghum, corn, qat, and machined goods are the principal imports. Somalia's small industrial sector, based on the processing of agricultural products, has largely been looted and sold as scrap metal. Despite the seeming anarchy, Somalia's service sector has managed to survive and grow. Telecommunication firms provide wireless services in most major cities and offer the lowest international call rates on the continent. In the absence of a formal banking sector, money exchange services have sprouted throughout the country, handling between $500 million and $1 billion in remittances annually. Mogadishu's main market offers a variety of goods from food to the newest electronic gadgets. Hotels continue to operate, and militias provide security. The ongoing civil disturbances and clan rivalries, however, have interfered with any broad-based economic development and international aid arrangements. In 2004 Somalia's overdue financial obligations to the IMF continued to grow. Statistics on Somalia's GDP, growth, per capita income, and inflation should be viewed skeptically.