Resources and Geographic location
Somalia is that part of the northeast Africa sometimes termed as the Horn of Africa. The country has a land area of 637,540 square kilometers, a coastal line of 3,025 kilometers long, and a population of about 7 to 8 million. Hot, arid to semiarid climate prevails in most of the country with a rainfall less than 600 mm/year. The natural resources of the country can be generally divided into 1) Marine resources (fish and salt) 2) surface resources (e.g., forests, wild life, frankincense and Myrrh, surface water, etc), and subsurface resources (e.g., rocks and minerals, fossil fuels, and groundwater).
Rocks and minerals that are known to exist and available for exploitation include Tin in the Majiyahan - Dhalan area (south of Bosaso - Ceelayo costal strip), Uranium in the Galgadud and Bur Hakaba areas, Sepiolites of Ceel Bur, Iron-ore in the Dinsor district, quartz, granite, marble, limestone and gypsum in different regions of the country. These natural resources include primary row materials for various kinds of industry, e.g, cement industry, industry for prefabricated walls, roofing, floor and wall tiles, aggregates and concrete production, and industrial minerals.
Minerals with high potential include gold, zinc, lead, manganese, aluminum, and graphite. Existence of good petroleum indicators has been known for a while, and recent data highly encourage the exploration potential of the country. Water resources are the most need commodity in
Somalia, and many areas with promising considerable groundwater accumulation have been identified.
Brain-gain
Since we have so many surface, subsurface, and marine resources, then why are we starving?
The answer could be summarized as follows:
1- Lack of technology, security, and political stability.
2- Scarcity of professionals and skilled people, and struggle for survival for those few available
professionals;
3- Mismanagement and/or lack of sincere, capable, and responsible administration.
To the Somalis:
1- TRUST THAT WE HAVE AMPLE NATURAL RESOURCES;
2- IMPROVE OUR SKILLS AND PERFECT OUR PROFESSIONS;
3- INFORM OUR RICHNESS & THE NEED FOR A GOOD GOVERNANCE;
4- DATA COLLECTION FOR THE COUNTRY OVERALL.
Anybody that wants to add something to this discussion?
