Somaliland Somaliland (, Arḍ aṣ-Ṣūmāl) is an autonomous region, which is part of the Somali republic located in the Horn of Africa. The Republic of Somaliland considers itself to be the successor state of the former British Somaliland protectorate. Having established its own local government in Somalia in 1991, the region's self-declared independence remains unrecognized by any country or international organization.