Imperialist history
Britain, France, and Italy all contributed to the imperialism of Somalia in the late 1800s to the early 1900s. Great Britain wanted the area to trade with its Aden colony, which relied on mutton from Somalia. After the Egyptians left Somalia in 1884, the British made agreements with the local tribal leaders of Somalia, and made their British colony. France got its area in the 1860s, and an Anglo-French agreement made in 1888 set the boundaries between the two countries.
Italy got its area of Somalia first in the center, and then expanded more to the south and a little more to the north. Italian Somali was combined with some parts of Ethiopia with Somali-speaking people, creating a larger area of Italian control.
During WWII, in 1940, Italy invaded British Somalia. In 1941, however, British who were in Kenya took their region back, and continued on to take over Italian Somalia. Britain ruled this region up until 1950, when Italian Somalia became a UN trust territory under Italian control.
http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/world/somalia-history.html
Italy got its area of Somalia first in the center, and then expanded more to the south and a little more to the north. Italian Somali was combined with some parts of Ethiopia with Somali-speaking people, creating a larger area of Italian control.
During WWII, in 1940, Italy invaded British Somalia. In 1941, however, British who were in Kenya took their region back, and continued on to take over Italian Somalia. Britain ruled this region up until 1950, when Italian Somalia became a UN trust territory under Italian control.
http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/world/somalia-history.html