When was Somalia colonized by the British?

When was Somalia colonized by the British?

Somalia was colonized by European powers in the 19th century. Britain and Italy established the colonies of British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland in 1884 and 1889, respectively. These two Somali lands eventually united and gained independence on July 1, 1960.

How did Britain take over Somalia?

Its coast came under British influence in the early 19th century, but formal control was not acquired until it was taken from Egypt in 1884. It fell under Italian control in World War II. In 1960 it was united with the former Italian Somaliland to form Somalia.

Who were the first settlers in Somalia?

The original settlers of the Somali region were ethnic Cushites from the fertile lakes of southern Ethiopia. This group is sub-divided into a number of other ethnicities, which are still readily recognized (and fought over) today.

Why did the British colonized Somaliland?

British rule in British Somaliland sought primarily to deny other empires control of the Protectorate and to trade livestock with the indigenous communities. Italy, however, engaged in a protracted and violent effort to establish a plantation colony in Italian Somaliland.

How long was Somalia colonized?

This colonial history, in addition to other dynamics, is also seen to play a role in the subsequent, contrasting levels of stability of Somalia and Somaliland. After the 10-year interim period, on June 26, 1960, the northern protectorate of Somaliland gained independence from Britain.

Who fought the British in Somalia?

The Somaliland campaign, also called the Anglo-Somali War or the Dervish War, was a series of military expeditions that took place between 1900 and 1920 in modern-day Somalia. The British were assisted in their offensives by the Ethiopians and Italians.

Was Somalia in the British Empire?

British Somaliland (the northwest part of present-day Somalia) was a British protectorate, established in 1884-7, after a period of rivalry between Britain and Egypt (then nominally still part of the Ottoman Empire) for control of the territory on the African side of the Gulf of Aden.

Was Somaliland a British colony?

What was Somalia like before colonization?

Before colonial intrusion, the Somali country (or, more aptly, countries) was divided into clan-based zones, whose existence was conventionally accepted. Each clan recognized the others living in nearby zones, even if water, land, pasture, camels, and women were fiercely contested.