Italian Somaliland

Italian Somalia
Somalia Italiana Dhulka Talyaaniga ee Soomaaliya الصومال الإيطالي
Italian colony
1889–1936
Flag Coat of arms
Italian Somaliland
Capital		Mogadishu
Languages		Italian (official) Somali Arabic
Religion		Catholicism Islam
Political structure		Colony
King
•	1889–1900	Umberto I
•	1939–1946	Victor Emmanuel III
Governor
•	1889–1893 1896–1897	Vincenzo Filonardi
•	1940–1941	Carlo De Simone
Historical era		New Imperialism
•	Established	1889
•	Disestablished	1936
•	Italian East Africa	1936-41
Currency		Italian Lira (1889-1909) Somali Rupia (1909-1925) Somali Lira (1925-38)
Preceded by Succeeded by Sultanate of Hobyo Majeerteen Sultanate Geledi sultanate Italian East Africa
Today part of		Somalia

Italian Somaliland (Italian: Somalia italiana, Arabic: الصومال الإيطالي‎‎ Al-Sumal Al-Italiy, Somali: Dhulka Talyaaniga ee Soomaaliya), also known as Italian Somalia, was a colony of the Kingdom of Italy in present-day northeastern, central and southern Somalia. Ruled in the 19th century by the Somali Majeerteen Sultanate and the Sultanate of Hobyo, the territory was later acquired in the 1880s by Italy through various treaties.

In 1936, the region was integrated into Italian East Africa as part of the Italian Empire. This would last until 1941, during World War II. Italian Somaliland then came under British military administration until 1949, when it became a United Nations trusteeship, the Trust Territory of Somaliland under Italian administration. On July 1, 1960, the Trust Territory of Somaliland united as scheduled with the former British Somaliland protectorate to form the Somali Republic.

The late 19th century had a huge impact on developments occurring in the Horn of Africa. The European powers (Italy, Great Britain and France) first gained a foothold in Somalia through the signing of various pacts and agreements with the Somali Sultans that then controlled the region, such as Yusuf Ali Kenadid, Boqor Osman Mahamuud and Mohamoud Ali Shire.