Somalia Channel and Indian Ocean to the east, and Ethiopia to the west. It lies between latitudes 2°S and 12°N, and longitudes 41° and 52°E. Strategically located at the mouth of the Bab el Mandeb gateway to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, the country occupies the tip of a region that, due to its resemblance on the map to a rhinoceros' horn, is commonly referred to as the Horn of Africa. Somalia has the longest coastline on the mainland of Africa, with a seaboard that stretches . Its terrain consists mainly of plateaus, plains and highlands. The nation has
Coastline of Somalia meets Djibouti in west and eastern tip meets Kenya in its south. There is a number of Islands in the coastal areas. Ras Caseyr (Cape Guardafui) is easternmost point of Somalia, this point joinins Indian Ocean to Gulf of Aden. Coast of Somalia has different conditions throughout its length. Being second longest in Africa, this coast is easternmost coast of continental Africa, north-western coast of Indian Ocean and nearest coast to Socotra Islands (Yemen). Its continental shelf is spread over 32500 km. Northern coast extends from Djibouti to east, and eastern coast extends from north-east to south-west, reaching to Kenya.