Somalia has Mogadishu as its capital and occupies most of the Horn of Africa’s eastern coast.
Somalia lies at the eastern tip of Africa, on the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. Its long coastline is the longest of any country on mainland Africa, helping explain its historic importance in trade between the African interior, Arabia and the wider Indian Ocean.
Mogadishu, the capital, is an ancient port city whose commercial connections extend back many centuries. Somali is the country’s official language alongside Arabic, while English and Italian also have important historical or practical uses.
The country occupies most of the Horn of Africa peninsula, but it does not include every territory commonly shown on maps of the region. Somaliland, in the northwest, declared independence in 1991 but is generally internationally treated as part of Somalia. Puntland is an autonomous region within Somalia rather than a separate sovereign country.