332 Scarcity and Surfeit
water points in most parts of the country, as nomads rely primarily on wells
rather than on surface water catchments. Rainfall is unpredictable and often
comes in heavy downpours, leading to recurrent periods of drought and
flo0ding.2~
Somalia borders the Gulf of Aden to the north and the Indian Ocean to the
east and south. Hugging the tip of the Horn of Africa, Somalia borders Ethiopia
to the west, Kenya to the south-west and Djibouti to the north-west. The coun-
try has a long coastline extending for 3 025 kilometres, but has few natural har-
bours. A sandy coastal plain straddles the Gulf of Aden in the north. A series
of mountains ranging in elevation between 915 and 2 135 metres dominate the
northern part of the country. To the south, the interior consists of a rugged
plateau. A wide coastal plain bordering the Indian Ocean dominates the land-
scape in the south of the country. Somalia has two major rivers, the Jubba and
Shabelle, which cross the southern plateau and the south central region of the
country. Both rivers originate in the Ethiopian highland^?^ There are also two
major streams in the north, the Nugal and Darroor.
The climate of Somalia ranges from tropical to subtropical and from arid
to semi-arid. Temperatures usually average 2S°C (82OF), but may be as low as
O°C (32T) in the mountain areas and as high as 47°C (116°F) along the coast.
The monsoon winds coincide with a dry season lasting from March to May.
Somalia is entirely situated within the arid and semi-arid zones and has a
rainfall varying from a maximum of 600 to 700 millimetres in the south and
less than 100 millimetres on the northern coastal plains.2s The average rain-
fall is only 280 millimetres. There are two wet seasons, both of which bring
erratic rainfall, lasting from April to June and October to December.
Vegetation in Somalia consists chiefly of coarse grass and stunted thorn
and acacia trees. Aromatic flora, including frankincense and myrrh, are
indigenous to the mountain slopes. Eucalyptus, euphorbia, and mahogany
trees are found in southern Somalia. Wildlife, including crocodiles, elephants,
giraffes, leopards, lions, zebras, and many poisonous snakes, is abundant in
S0malia.2~
Resources and UsesNatural resources form the basis of rural livelihoods in Somalia, as elsewhere
in sub-Saharan Af~ica.~' Examples include water for domestic use, watering
livestock, and for irrigation; pasture for grazing livestock; medicinal and edi-
ble plants; fish, and trees for fuel wood and building timber. Pastoralism is
the principal land use in Somalia. Accuracy of aggregate data on livestock is
dubious at best. Nonetheless, in 1999 it was estimated that Somalia had 19.7
million goats, 13.2 million sheep, 4.8 million cattle and over 6.6 million
~arnels.2~ Distribution of herds is variable. Somalia's chief export is livestock
and this makes land for livestock grazing critical to the sustainability of pas-