British Somalilana] I. GEOGRAPHY PHYSICAL AND POLITICAL BRITISH SOMALILAND ( 1 ) POSITION AND FRONTIERS BRITISH SOMALILAND, which has an area of about 58,000 square miles, lies between 11° 27 ' and 8° north , latitude and 42° 35' and 49° east longitude. It is bounded on the north by the Gulf of Aden, and on all other sides by land. The great sea-routes leading from the Suez Canal to the East, to Australasia, and to East Africa pass close to its coast . Its land frontiers march with Italian Somaliland in the east and south east, with Abyssinia in the south-west, and with French Somaliland in the west. Almost all its boundaries are artificial lines, which have not been demarcated . In the east the line follows the meridian of 49° east (a short distance east of Bandar Ziada ) from the sea to its junction with 9° north latitude. From this point the line goes south -west to the intersection of 48° east longitude with the eighth parallel of north latitude, which it then follows as far as 47 ° east longitude. It then turns west -north -west to Arran Arrhe (about 9° 4' N. and 43° 53 ' E. ), whence it goes in a north north -westerly direction to the mountain of Jifa Medir (about 9° 42 ' N. and 43° 15 ' E. ) . Here it turns almost due north and runs for about ten miles to Mount Egu, next west -north -west for about the same distance along the Sau range, and then north -north -west via Biya Anot to Mount Somadu. From here it follows the caravan-route from Biya Kaboba to Zeila as far as Abaswein, and thence a straight line , passing a short distance west of Jallelo (about 10° 59' N. and 43° E. ) , B