The population in the Somali region is not small in East Africa. At least compared to the southwestern region, with over 800,000 square kilometers of land, nearly 700,000 people live there, all of whom are immigrants. Due to its geographical location, the indigenous population in Somalia was cleared out early on.
Of course, the desert area in Somalia is not small, but it is not the entirety of the Somali region. The east is primarily desert, but the west mostly has a savannah climate. The area of the Somali region controlled by East Africa is considerably larger than that of Somalia in previous generations.
