Probably the most prominent example of the failed states in modern times, Somalia has been identified with having many of the components which usually comprise such an environment. Since 1991, after a military coup, according to the BBC News website, Somalia has lacked a strong central government, and in effect, any standard type of law and order. Somalia is currently split into sub-governments. There is a Western-backed democratic government, which has the backing of the United Nations, but yet is also very weak and lacks broad support from across the country. The Northwestern part of Somalia declared itself to be the Independent Republic of Somaliland in 1991 and though it does not have much international recognition, it is perhaps the most stable part of Somalia. Individual warlords control large swaths of territory throughout Somalia and since the past decade an Islamic insurgency has increasingly been on the rise, due in part to the Western backed governments alliance with neighboring Ethiopia.
Years of conflict have made it difficult to fully evaluate the economic situation of Somalia. The country's GDP is estimated to be around 3.3 billion About 65% of the population is engaged in agricultural work, with modern industry only composing 10% of the national GDP. Most Somalis live on less than 1 dollar a day from agrarian work and live in rural areas spread far across the country. Despite these limitations, it has been estimated that, despite years of conflict, Somalia may experiencing an improving economy. Since 2009, Somalia's GDP has approximately risen to 5.7%, with a projected growth rate of about 2.6%, good signs for improved times ahead.
In terms of political efficacy, most Somalis have little to no trust in any form of government. Since a fully functional government has not existed for the past 2 decades, there has been little political socialization imposed on Somali's, specially to create a system of trust and pride in a central government and country. Many Somali's have more loyalty toward tribal heritage then to a government that seems distant from them. Past failures by the government to protect its citizens, from warlords to natural disasters such as the famine which caused widespread suffering in 1992, have cemented the belief of Somalis that central government is ineffective and too weak to serve their interests.
Sources for this blog include:
CIA World Factbook- https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/so.html
BBCNews- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1072592.stm
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