Travel and Tourism

Travel and Tourism in Somalia

Travel alerts, currency, climate, transit, health, and safety information for visitors to Somalia.

Practical Information

Travel alert status, currency, climate, and transit details.

Travel Alert Status: Level 4: Do Not Travel
Time Difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Currency: Somali shilling (SOS)
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.
Language(s) 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.
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: 60

Health and Safety

Medical facilities, vaccinations, disease risk, and sanitation conditions.

Medical Facilities and Care

Medical Facilities and Health Information: Medical facilities in Somalia are extremely limited. Travelers should carry personal supplies of medications with them, as many of the health clinics in Somalia lack a doctor or a nurse and carry substandard supplies. Malaria is endemic in Somalia; chemoprophylaxis is recommended for all travelers without contraindications. There have been cholera outbreaks in Mogadishu, Kismayo in the south, and Puntland in the northeast. Presently there is a Polio out-break in Somalia. The majority of cases have been reported in the region of Benadir, including Mogadishu.
Accessibility: While in Somalia, individuals with disabilities may find accessibility and accommodation very different from what one finds in the United States. There is no legislation in Somalia mandating access to transportation, communication, or public buildings for persons with disabilities.

Disease Risk

Degree of Risk: very high
Animal-Contact Diseases: rabies
Food and Waterborne Diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne Diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and Rift Valley fever
Water-Contact Diseases: schistosomiasis

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