c.AD 100: The Somali, who originated from the Omo-Tana, a sub-group of the Eastern Cushite peoples, occupied the entire Horn of Africa; they farmed and raised cattle.
7th century: Arab tribes arrived on the coast of the Gulf of Aden, they established the sultanate of Adal, with a capital at Zeila.
16th century: The state of Adal, which now extended from the valleys of Jijiga and the Harer plateau to the Ethopian highlands, became the most influential in the region.
1506-1543: The Imam Ahmad Guray led an army of Somali Muslims against Ethiopia; the Ethopian forces repelled the invasion with the assistance of Pedro da Gama, the son of the Portuguese explorer, Vasco da Gama. The Portuguese established trading stations in a number of Somali coastal towns, including Mogadishu.
1550-1650: The state of Ujuuran, situated in the fertile region between the Shabeelle and Jubba rivers, grew increasingly influential.
mid-18th century: The Omanis began to impose their influence over the Banaadir coast; they exacted tribute and installed a quadi (judge) and askeris (territorial police) in the region. On the northern coast, the Sharifs of Mukha ruled as vassals of the Ottoman Turks.
1846-48: The French naval officer Charles Guillain explored the Somali coast and visited Mogadishu, Merca and Baraawe.
