What is the capital of Somalia?
Mogadishu lies in the coastal Banaadir region on the Indian Ocean, and has served as an important port connecting traders across the Indian Ocean for millennia.
Mogadishu is the capital and seat of government of Somalia. Somalia itself has an estimated population of 19,654,739 (2025).
Mogadishu is also the largest city in Somalia, which is the usual arrangement, though it is far from universal: see the countries where capital and largest city differ.
Mogadishu at a glance
| City population | 3,262,129 (2025 estimate) |
|---|---|
| Country | 🇸🇴 Somalia |
| Founded | 720 |
| Largest city in Somalia | Mogadishu |
| Time zone | UTC+03:00 (EAT) |
| Currency | Somali shilling (SOS) |
About Mogadishu
Mogadishu was founded in 720.
Mogadishu was the capital of the Sultanate of Mogadishu from the 9th to the 13th century, controlling the Indian Ocean gold trade, and in the early modern period was considered the wealthiest city on the East African coast and the centre of a thriving textile industry.
The city is locally known as Xamar or Hamar.
Unlike other Somali regions, Banaadir is considered a municipality rather than a federal state.
City facts sourced from Wikipedia: Mogadishu.
Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Somalia?
Is Mogadishu the largest city in Somalia?
What is the population of Mogadishu?
Where is Mogadishu located?
What time zone is Mogadishu in?
What currency is used in Mogadishu?
Capitals of neighbouring countries
See the full profile of Somalia on its country page, or browse every capital city.
Capital and country data from open datasets; city and metropolitan populations are hand-curated per city and cited where they are shown. Populations of countries come from the World Bank (SP.POP.TOTL). Full sources and vintage on the data page. Last updated . Report a correction.