Somalia is located on the Horn of Africa, and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the north west and Kenya on its south west. This is a country with a troubled past and the present and future does not look bright either. Civil war, military coups, border disputes and warlords are the general course of events here. The removal of the Islamic Courts from power has created a power vacuum and the situation in Somalia is highly unstable at the moment

The country has been without an effective central government since President Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991. In the main part of the country, a Transitional National Government was elected in July 2000 by representatives of the countrys major clans, political and religious movements. The government is led by Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed and Ali Mohamed Ghedi, who hold the titles of President and Prime Minister respectively. It has UN recognition but, if the 2004 accord holds, will be replaced under a new constitution

Somalia is most emphatically not a tourist destination and not safe for independent travel or sightseeing. Most foreign governments advise against non essential travel. Those visiting for business, research, or international aid purposes should consult with their organization and seek expert guidance before planning a trip.

The simple fact of the matter is that tourism to Somalia is not an option. This is not a country in which tourism can be done with military escorts or carrying guns. This is a country to which tourists should not think about going. The only exception would be the Somaliland area, where travel is possible, although going there still belongs in the bad ideas box.

Subsistence agriculture and livestock rearing occupy most of the working population, although development is hampered by primitive techniques, poor soil and climatic conditions, and a chronic labour shortage. Bananas are the main cash crop and provide nearly half the countrys export earnings, cotton, maize, sorghum and other crops are produced for domestic consumption. Animal products, particularly hides and skins, are another key source of revenue, mainly from Saudi Arabia.

Fishing has dwindled to the level of individual small boats, but there are provisional plans to restore this to full commercial capacity. Oil and gas deposits have been located but their exploitation has been in abeyance due to the lack of an effective central government. There is little industry other than small scale operations to meet domestic needs, mainly food processing and oil refining.

Most economic assets remain in the unstable hands of clan based militias, with frequent competition for control of particular industries.