Capital:Mogadishu
Population:8,591,629
Area:637,657 sq km
Climate:principally desert; December to February - northeast monsoon, moderate temperatures in north and very hot in south; May to October - southwest monsoon, torrid in the north and hot in the south, irregular rainfall, hot and humid periods (tangambili) betwee
Languages:Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English
Currency:Somali shilling (SOS)
Government:transitional, parliamentary federal government
Religions:Sunni Muslim
Source: CIA World Factbook 2007