Introduction
Somalia is a country located in the Horn of Africa. On the East, it is bordered by the Indian Ocean, Kenya to the South West, Ethiopia to the West, The Red Sea to the North and Djibouti to the North West. For over two decades, the country was experiencing a civil war. During this time, the political systems grinded into a halt and the country degenerated into anarchy. However, a new government has been installed in the country. As such, many government departments were revived. This paper looks at tourism in Somalia. Irrespective of the turbulent past that the country has experienced in the past, it is still a very good place in which to invest as is discussed below.
Discussion
According to statistics posted by the Central Bank of Somalia in 2010, the gross domestic product for the country was established at 5.896 billion dollars. In the same year, the Central Bank established the per capita income at six hundred dollars. The gross national product per capita was established at six hundred dollars. The primary sector industries in Somalia are majorly in the agricultural sector. These include sugar refining, meat canning, leather tanning and processing of oil seeds. The manufacturing industries are also thriving in the country despite the perceived instability.
Of importance is the fact that most of the manufacturing enterprises use agriculture as their sources of their raw materials. The secondary sector industries in the country are telecommunications and the mining industries. The mining industry in Somalia produces small amounts of salt and gemstones other key minerals exploited by this industry include uranium, natural gas, iron ore, limestone and uranium. The telecommunications industry boasts the cheapest call rates in the continent. The tertiary sector industries in the country include making of handcrafts and printing.
According to a report carried out by the World Bank in 2010, the population density in Somalia was 14.87 people for every square kilometer. The life expectancy at birth in Somalia was estimated at 49.22 for males, 53.23 for women and 51.19 for the entire population. The total infant mortality rate is recorded at 101.19 deaths/live births, 110.74 deaths for every 1000 live births. The infant mortality rate for males and females was 110.74 and 92.82 respectively (Mundi Index, 2013).
. In terms of urbanization, over 37.7% of the entire population lives in urban areas with the rate of urbanization being recorded at 3.79% annual rate as recorded in 2011. With regards to literacy levels, 49.7% of the males could read and write compared to 25.8 % for females (Mundi Index, 2013). The availability of health service is hard and painstaking especially because the facilities are dispersed. After the installation of the new government, tourism in the country has taken off and is developing exponentially. The major attractions in the country include beaches, national parks, waterfalls, historical sites and mountain ranges.
Somalia is a country with great potential for investors. Despite reeling under civil war for a long time, its infrastructure is still good. Telecommunication costs in the country are the cheapest in the continent. There is an expansion of the manufacturing industry in the country, especially because of the good performance in the mining industry. Additionally, global conglomerates have also invested in the country, thereby speaking of the potential fo the country. For instance, Coca Cola has a bottling plant in Mogadishu.
Conclusion
Although the country has not gotten back in track, there are good opportunities for investors in Somalia that if exploited can be beneficial from an economic point of view.
Reference
Mundi Index, (2013). Somalia Country Profile. Available at> http://www.indexmundi.com/ Somalia/ economy_profile.html
