| Somalia is located on the Horn of Africa, and is | | | | Somalia is not an option. This is not a country in which |
| bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the north | | | | tourism can be done with military escorts or carrying |
| west and Kenya on its south west. This is a country | | | | guns. This is a country to which tourists should not think |
| with a troubled past and the present and future does | | | | about going. The only exception would be the |
| not look bright either. Civil war, military coups, border | | | | Somaliland area, where travel is possible, although |
| disputes and warlords are the general course of | | | | going there still belongs in the bad ideas box. |
| events here. The removal of the Islamic Courts from | | | | Subsistence agriculture and livestock rearing occupy |
| power has created a power vacuum and the situation | | | | most of the working population, although development |
| in Somalia is highly unstable at the moment | | | | is hampered by primitive techniques, poor soil and |
| The country has been without an effective central | | | | climatic conditions, and a chronic labour shortage. |
| government since President Siad Barre was | | | | Bananas are the main cash crop and provide nearly |
| overthrown in 1991. In the main part of the country, a | | | | half the countrys export earnings, cotton, maize, |
| Transitional National Government was elected in July | | | | sorghum and other crops are produced for domestic |
| 2000 by representatives of the countrys major clans, | | | | consumption. Animal products, particularly hides and |
| political and religious movements. The government is | | | | skins, are another key source of revenue, mainly from |
| led by Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed and Ali Mohamed | | | | Saudi Arabia. |
| Ghedi, who hold the titles of President and Prime | | | | Fishing has dwindled to the level of individual small |
| Minister respectively. It has UN recognition but, if the | | | | boats, but there are provisional plans to restore this to |
| 2004 accord holds, will be replaced under a new | | | | full commercial capacity. Oil and gas deposits have |
| constitution | | | | been located but their exploitation has been in |
| Somalia is most emphatically not a tourist destination | | | | abeyance due to the lack of an effective central |
| and not safe for independent travel or sightseeing. | | | | government. There is little industry other than small |
| Most foreign governments advise against non essential | | | | scale operations to meet domestic needs, mainly food |
| travel. Those visiting for business, research, or | | | | processing and oil refining. |
| international aid purposes should consult with their | | | | Most economic assets remain in the unstable hands of |
| organization and seek expert guidance before planning | | | | clan based militias, with frequent competition for control |
| a trip. | | | | of particular industries. |
| The simple fact of the matter is that tourism to | | | | |