The Government of Somalia
Overview
- Capital: Mogadishu
- Administrative regions: 18 regions (gobollo) inherited from the pre-1991 state, grouped into five Federal Member States (Puntland, Jubaland, South West State, Galmudug and Hirshabelle) plus the Banadir Regional Administration covering Mogadishu. The federal government also claims the northwestern regions administered by Somaliland, which declared independence in 1991 and was recognised by Israel in December 2025; the African Union and most states continue to regard it as part of Somalia.
- Government & legal system: Federal parliamentary republic under the 2012 Provisional Constitution, amended in March 2026; mixed legal system combining civil law, Islamic law (Sharia) and Somali customary law (xeer). By long-standing informal convention (the “4.5 formula”), parliamentary seats are shared equally among the four major clan families, with a half share for minority groups, and the three top posts (President, Prime Minister and Speaker of Parliament) are distributed among different clan families. (government site)
- Head of state / government: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President (executive head of state who appoints the Prime Minister; in office since May 2022, his second non-consecutive term; his mandate has been disputed since May 15, 2026, after March 2026 constitutional amendments extended presidential and parliamentary terms from four to five years and pushed national elections to 2027); Hamza Abdi Barre, Prime Minister (head of government, in office since June 2022) (official page)
- Official language(s): Somali and Arabic (both official); English and Italian also used in education and administration
- National Day: July 1 (Independence Day, marking the 1960 union of former British Somaliland and the Italian-administered Trust Territory to form the Somali Republic)
- Independence: July 1, 1960 (from the UN Trust Territory under Italian administration); the former British Somaliland Protectorate became independent on June 26, 1960 and joined the union five days later
- Other official holidays: Independence of the North (June 26), Labour Day (May 1), Islamic New Year, Mawlid (Prophet’s Birthday), Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs (official site)
- Regional / international memberships: UN (elected Security Council member 2025–2026), African Union, Arab League, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, IGAD, East African Community (joined 2024)
- Visa / entry requirements: Since September 1, 2025, all foreign visitors must obtain an electronic travel authorisation (eTAS) online before departure through the Immigration and Citizenship Agency’s official portal. Somaliland operates its own separate entry arrangements. (visa info)
- Currency: Somali shilling (SOS) — in practice the US dollar and mobile money dominate daily transactions, and most paper notes in circulation are worn pre-1991 issues or unauthorised reprints. Historic notes depict scenes such as the Central Bank building and National Theatre in Mogadishu, cattle herding, weavers and a camel trader. The Central Bank reported in July 2026 that its long-delayed project to issue new shilling banknotes had reached an advanced stage.
- Flag symbolism: Light blue field with a single white five-pointed star in the centre (the “Star of Somali Unity”), adopted in 1954 — the blue originally honoured the United Nations, which oversaw the trusteeship, and evokes the sky and the Indian Ocean; the star’s five points represent the five areas historically inhabited by Somali people: former Italian Somaliland, former British Somaliland, Djibouti, the Ogaden region of Ethiopia, and the former Northern Frontier District of Kenya.
