Horn of Africa (Ethiopia: 96.6 million, Somalia: 10.4 million, Eritrea: 6.4 million, and Djibouti: 0.81 million). Regional studies on the Horn of Africa are carried out, among others, in the fields of Ethiopian Studies as well as Somali Studies. This peninsula is known by various names. In ancient and medieval times, the Horn of Africa was referred to as the "Bilad al Barbar" ("Land of the Berbers"). It is also known as the "Somali peninsula", or in the Somali language, "Geeska Afrika", "Jasiiradda Soomaali" or "Gacandhulka Soomaali". In other languages that are local or adjacent to the Horn of Africa, it is known
Horn of Africa the Adal Sultanate with Zeila as its headquarters dates back to at least the 9th or 10th century. According to I.M. Lewis, the polity was governed by local Somali dynasties, who also ruled over the similarly-established Sultanate of Mogadishu in the littoral Benadir region to the south. Adal's history from this founding period forth would be characterized by a succession of battles with neighbouring Abyssinia. Islam was introduced to the region early on from the Arabian peninsula, shortly after the hijra. At Muhammad's urging, a band of persecuted Muslims had fled across the Red Sea into the Horn. There, the