20th Century Somalia Somalia is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It borders Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, the Gulf of Aden to the north and the Indian Ocean to the east. With the longest coastline on the continent, its territory consists mainly of plateaus, plains and plateaus. It is made up of the former British protectorate of Somaliland and the former Italian trust territory of Somalia. Somalia's modern history began in the late 1800s, when European powers began trading and settling in the Somalia area. These events and events that occurred during the 20th century helped shape the modern government and culture of Somalia today. In 1886, the British gained control over northern Somalia through treaties granting British protection to Somali leaders who accepted them. The British were concerned with securing their commercial interests with its coal station in Aden. The British established what was known as British Somaliland and a border with Ethiopia was established through treaty negotiations in 1897. The British occupied this area with very little resistance in the late 19th century, but the situation began to change towards end of the century. The European powers that began to establish themselves in North Africa, inspired the current leader of the Dervish State, Mohammed Abdullah, to rally support from various nations across the Horn of Africa and began one of the longest wars of colonial resistance ever. He challenged British rule through persistent attacks and became known as the "Mad Mullah" by the British. His first major military offensive attack was with 1500 Dervishes equipped with 20 modern rifles against the British soldiers stationed in the region. This resistance from... middle of paper... Hawk helicopters and killed 18 American soldiers. Public outcry in the United States over these actions led President Clinton to order all American soldiers to withdraw from Somalia by March 31, 1994. Other nations quickly followed the Americans' lead. The failed mission cost nearly $2 billion in the end. Although a new parliament was convened in 2004, rival factions in various regions of Somalia continue to fight for control of the nation. Works cited. US Marines assault Mogadishu, Somalia. (2012). The History Channel website. Retrieved April 27, 2012, from http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/us-marines-storm-mogadishu-somalia.History of Somalia. (n.d.). On Wikipedia. Retrieved April 28, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_SomaliaSomalia. (n.d.). In Conservapedia. Retrieved April 27, 2012, from http://conservapedia.com/Somalia