History of Somalia History of Somalia Somalia (; ), officially the Federal Republic of Somalia (, ) and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Somalia was an important centre for commerce with the rest of the ancient world, and according to most scholars, it is among the most probable locations of the fabled ancient Land of Punt. During the Middle Ages, several powerful Somali empires dominated the regional trade, including the Ajuran Sultanate, the Adal Sultanate, the Warsangali Sultanate, the Sultanate of the Geledi and the Majeerteen Sultanate. In the late 19th century,
Wildlife of Somalia elephants. The savanna-dwelling golden mole, and the shrub-land and desert-dwelling. The following species of mammals are found exclusively in Somalia: Somalia is currently home to about 727 species of birds, of which eight are endemic, one has been introduced by humans and one is rare or accidental. Fourteen species are globally threatened. The following species of birds are found exclusively in Somalia: Somalia has roughly 235 species of reptiles, of which almost half live in its northern areas. The Nile crocodile is very common in southern Somalia, and is the largest crocodilian found in Africa. Adult males can grow to