The Horn of Africa (HoA), also known as the Somali Peninsula,[2][3][4] is a large peninsula and geopolitical region in East Africa.[5] Located on the easternmost part of the African mainland, it is the fourth largest peninsula in the world. It is composed of Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Eritrea.[6]. The region also contains the self-declared region of Somaliland. Although not common, broader definitions also include parts or all of Kenya and Sudan.[7][8][9] It has been described as a region of great geopolitical and strategic importance since it is situated along the southern boundary of the Red Sea, extending hundreds of kilometres into the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel, and Indian Ocean, it also shares a maritime border with the Arabian Peninsula.[10][11][12][13]
^Encyclopædia Britannica, inc, Jacob E. Safra, The New Encyclopædia Britannica, (Encyclopædia Britannica: 2002), p.61: "The northern mountainous area, known as the Horn of Africa, comprises Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia."
^John I. Saeed, Somali – Volume 10 of London Oriental and African language library, (J. Benjamins: 1999), p. 250.
^Sandra Fullerton Joireman, Institutional Change in the Horn of Africa, (Universal-Publishers: 1997), p.1: "The Horn of Africa encompasses the countries of Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, and Somalia. These countries share similar peoples, languages, and geographical endowments."