Somalia was named the worst country in the world by The Economist, which observed that even "calling [it] a country is a stretch." Somalia's failed-nation status is one reason it leads the world in piracy.

Somalia's problems are familiar in many parts of Africa, where corrupt or ineffective governments have resulted in wars, refugees, plundering of natural resources and extreme poverty. Nigeria, Congo, Zimbabwe, Eritrea, Djibouti and Sudan, to name a few, have been plunged into deadly cycles of violence and anarchy. Yemen may be the area's next failed state, according to some observers. The African Union and others work to bring stability to these conflict zones, but much of the chaos is beyond the ability or political will of the international community to quell.

Piracy in Somalia began when the country fell apart in the early 1990s. Somalia's principal "industry" grew to 174 attacks between Jan. 1 and Oct. 20, 2009, according to the ICC International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Center. Thirty-five vessels were hijacked and 587 crewmembers taken hostage. The most notorious incident last year was doubtless the attempted seizure of the Maersk Alabama, whose captain was held hostage in a lifeboat, prompting the U.S. Navy to respond with gunboat diplomacy courtesy of SEAL snipers on the fantail of the USS Bainbridge. The SEALs ended the crisis by killing three pirates who were threatening the merchant ship's captain.

As big a business as piracy seems, only 0.2% of ships sailing near Somalia were hijacked in 2008, according to Wired magazine. Piracy garners news coverage and calls for action, and warships from 16 nations have deployed to protect shipping. But the fact remains that it's cheaper to pay the occasional ransom than to police the Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean. Though there is more private security on commercial vessels that navigate the area, that option was until recently regarded as too expensive.

Antipiracy intelligence operations are all but nonexistent. One CIA agent told Harper's magazine, "We need to deal with this problem from the beach side, in concert with the ocean side, but we don't have an embassy in Somalia and limited, ineffective intelligence operations. We need to work in Somalia and in Lebanon, where a lot of the ransom money has changed hands. But our operations in Lebanon are a joke . . ."

Combined Task Force 151 of the Combined Maritime Force coalition leads antipiracy efforts. The force has about 12 ships from 10 nations. NATO also has seven ships in the area, and the European Union Naval Force of about 15 ships has a U.N. mandate to protect food aid shipments and combat piracy. China and Russia have also sent warships to the region.

One challenge facing military efforts is the sanctuary pirates find in Somali waters. Since Somalia cannot prosecute pirates, they find refuge under its "sovereignty." Another hindrance are rules of engagement that hamper effectiveness when fighting criminals who mix with civilians.

Pirate operations are increasingly sophisticated. They launch in small skiffs from motherships that range far from shore. The amount of ocean to patrol makes interdiction difficult. GPS units and satellite phones have become standard pirate equipment.

There is little hope for improvement of Somalia's piracy problem. When Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore worked together to eliminate piracy in the Straits of Malacca, it took the concerted effort of three viable nations. Somalia is a failed state with no change in sight. Little improvement can be expected until security improves. Without security, not much aid can be given to the many people there who live in poverty. Somalia's largest legitimate source of income has been remittances from emigres, but the global recession curbed that.

The quasi-government in Mogadishu is protected by African Union peacekeepers. Outside the capital, two violent, radical Muslim groups, Hizbul Islam (Party of Islam) and al-Shabab (the Youth), have the run of the country. Piracy is no more dangerous than living in Mogadishu, and can yield high returns.

As with Afghanistan's poppy production and coca farming in South America, until there is a more attractive economic alternative, piracy will continue to thrive in Somalia. The same applies to many African countries. But with Somalia, conditions on land must improve before sea lanes will become safer.

Scan Eagle footage of Maersk Alabama lifeboat: US Navy