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,
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.