Berbera is a city of the Republic of Somaliland, a partially recognised sovereign state in the Horn of Africa, still considered internationally to be part of Somalia. It is the capital of the Sahil region of Somaliland and is the main sea port of the country, located approximately 160 km from the capital Hargeisa. Berbera is a coastal city and was the former capital of the British Somaliland. It also served as a major port of the Ifat, Adal and Isaaq sultanates from the 13th to 19th centuries. In antiquity, Berbera was part of a chain of commercial port cities along the Somali seaboard. During the early modern period, Berbera was the most important place of trade in the Somali Peninsula. It later served as the capital of the British Somaliland protectorate from 1884 to 1941, when it was replaced by Hargeisa. In 1960, the British Somalia protectorate gained independence as the state of Somalia and united five days later with the Somalia to form the Somali Republic. Located strategically on the oil route, the city has a deep seaport, which serves as the region's main commercial harbour.
Berbera was part of the classical Somali city-states that engaged in a lucrative trade network connecting Somali merchants with Phoenicia, Ptolemic Egypt, Ancient Greece, Parthian Persia, Saba, Nabataea and the Roman Empire. Somali sailors used the ancient Somali maritime vessel known as the beden to transport their cargo.