Coll 54/2 'Middle East (Official) Committee: Working Party' [‎92r] (183/642)

Ill SOMALIA
(I) General
1. Somalia has a population of about 1,000,000 inhabitants
of which 3*000 are Europeans, mainly Italians, domiciled for the
most part in the town of Mogadishu, The natural resources
of the Territory, the economic life of which is mainly
dependent on pastoral and agricultural produce, are very
limited and the standard of living of the local inhabitants is
poor. In the past, recurring tribal wars, famine and disease
limited the rate of increase of the population*
2,^ During the Italian regime, which ended with the
occupation of the Territory by British Forces in February, 1941*
there was some development both social and economic, but the
social services provided for the indigenes was on a very
limited scale and the primary object of activities in the
economic field was the promotion of Italian colonisation.
The indigenes did, of course, derive some benefit from the
employment provided on Italian farms in the Genale and Juba
aioas, by the S.Ael.S. sugar factory An East India Company trading post. and plantations, by the
Dante Salt Works, by Italian tunny fishing concerns snd in
other ways directly and Indirectly from Italian activities*
3. War and preparations for war (italian-Sthiopian)
brought a degree of spurious prosperity to the country and a
widening gap between imports and exports was met from Italian
expenditure in the country in preparing for, and during the
conduct of, their Ethiopian campaign* In the period of
British Occupation, from February, 1941* to the present time,
the gap has persisted and has been covered mainly by British
Administration and British Military expenditure in the country.
(II) Present Fin ancial Position»
British Administration has done everything possible,
care and maintenance policy and in face of world
shortages and the general disorganisation of trade resulting
from the war, to improve the economic life of the Territory,
and to achieve limited development. The external trade
of the country has steadily increased as the following figures
show:- °
Imports
£
1942
341,180
1945
770,249
1948
1 ? 113*423
- Sports and
Trade
Ip-exports*
Deficit
£
£
110,474
230,706
230,266
539,983
777,397
336,026
o X oood t £1®000!000! h ' t ^ th ° CnrrJnt y ° ar t0tal 3x P° rts