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26. SOMALIA (Br. & Italian) Pop.: 2,000,000. Size: 246,000 sq. mi. Literacy: 10%. School attendance: Under 5%. College graduates: 100. Moslems: nearly 100%. Nomadic peoples are mostly illiterate. British and Italians educated small cadre to take over government. Few savage customs.
Political parties: 3. Voters: 90%. Despite such heroically padded election figures, there is little interest in politics. Ruling, radical Somali Youth League is run by Moslems who could hold their own in Chicago-style politics, have wheedled mighty loans from East and West.
Exports: Bananas, livestock products. Per capita income: $42. U.S. aid (1961): $4,200,000. Somalis of Arabian origin, hope to annex ethnically linked areas of Ethiopia, Kenya, French Somaliland into "Greater Somalia." Strong resistance to Communism.
27. MALAGASY REPUBLIC (F.) Pop.: 5,487,000. Size: 227,800 sq. mi. Literacy: 20%. School attendance: 50%. Graduates: 150 plus. Christians: 20%. Nation (formerly Madagascar) boasts old civilization; 10,000 were literate in 1835. Africans in remote uplands practice savage rites.
Political parties: 7. Voters: 76%. Keen racial-political rivalry between Africans and old, elite Hova tribe from Malaya. Conservative, democratic President Philibert Tsiranana is one of ex-French Africa's ablest leaders.
Exports: Coffee, vanilla, rice. Per capita income: $75. U.S. aid (1961): $500,000. World's fourth largest island, it is seriously underdeveloped, underpopulated. Staunchly anti-Communist nation is key member of moderate Brazzaville group.
* Percentage of eligible children attending primary schools. Br.: Formerly British-ruled. F.: Formerly French-ruled. Bel.: Formerly Belgian-ruled. **Estimated. † Percentage of registered voters participating at last national election.