Somali Sultanates

The Somalis (etymology uncertain) are among the indigenous inhabitants of the Horn of East Africa, which juts out between the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. During the early modern period, the region was ruled by a series of sultanates, all of which derived their power from two principal usages of water: land irrigation and maritime trade. While the arid climate on the mainland made a consistent water supply crucial for agriculture and sustenance, the nearby seas played host to some of the most lively trade networks in world history. The port of Berbera, for example, was a crucial conduit of supplies to and from the mainland. Following the collapse of the Adal and Ajuran Sultanates in the 16th and 17th centuries, the region fragmented into several minor kingdoms, such as Bari, Girad, and Majeerteen. Their rule was abruptly interrupted by the Scramble for Africa in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which saw the British and Italians in particular attempt to impress their rule on the Somali people. Although resistance was carried out in spurts by groups such as the Darawiish (Dervishes), it would not be until 1969 that the Somali people finally regained independence.

From the game's History encyclopedia, AoE3: DE 100.19.18309.