Part of the Area Handbook Series, this book provides a multidisciplinary description of Somalia's physical environment, social structure, economy, and government. It was prepared by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress for the Department of the Army. The study is designed to foster a basic understanding of Somali society, focusing on the people, their origins, and the issues that divide them.

The volume covers the "dominant historical, social, political, economic, and military aspects" of the country up to the early 1990s. It details the different courses of colonial administration taken by the British and Italians and traces the history of the revolutionary regime under Siad Barre. Special attention is given to the national security systems and the role of the armed forces in national life.

Because research was completed during a period of "virtual anarchy" after the 1991 collapse of the state, the work acknowledges that statistics are often unreliable or nonexistent. It serves as a vital background resource for understanding the tragic civil war and the international intervention efforts that followed.