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,
2009 timeline of the War in Somalia 2009 timeline of the War in Somalia The 2009 timeline of events in the War in Somalia (2006–2009) during January 2009 is set out below. From the beginning of February the timeline of events in the War in Somalia (2009–present) is set out following the conclusion of the previous phase of the civil war. In Afgoi District eighteen miles south of Mogadishu a Somali journalist covering fighting between al-Shabaab members and a moderate Islamist group was shot and killed in the cross-fire of a vicious firefight. No other casualties are known. A Transitional Federal Government parliamentarian was assassinated in Baidoa