Somalia has lacked a recognizedgovernment since 1991-an unusually long time. In extremelydifficult conditions the private sector has demonstrated itsmuch-vaunted capability to make do. To cope with the absenceof the rule of law, private enterprises have been usingforeign jurisdictions or institutions to help with sometasks, operating within networks of trust to strengthenproperty rights, and simplifying transactions until theyrequire neither. Somalia's private sector experiencesuggests that it may be easier than is commonly thought forbasic systems of finance and some infrastructure services tofunction where government is extremely weak or absent.