Somalia coordinate converter
Free Somalia coordinate converter: Afgooye datum (EPSG:4205) with UTM zones 38 and 39, plus the Ayabelle Lighthouse datum to WGS84 — official EPSG parameters.
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Collect named points from conversions or a pasted table, see them on the map, convert them all to one system, and download in any format. The list is stored locally in your browser only.
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Coordinate systems in Somalia: quick reference
Surveying in Somalia is historically tied to the Afgooye datum (EPSG:4205), named after the town of Afgooye near Mogadishu and built on the Krassowsky ellipsoid. This datum is used with UTM zones: zone 38N (EPSG:20538), which covers the south and the capital Mogadishu, and zone 39N (EPSG:20539) for the eastern parts of the country.
Somalia's geographic quirk is that it straddles the equator: its southern reaches around the Juba lie in the southern hemisphere, while Mogadishu and most of the country sit north of the equator. So the hemisphere (north/south) matters within the same zone. Alongside Afgooye, the Ayabelle Lighthouse datum (EPSG:4713) appears in the far north near the Bab-el-Mandeb strait.
The converter below opens on a Mogadishu sample point and lists the Somali systems first. Enter your coordinates to get the value in every system that covers your location — from the Afgooye grids to the Ayabelle Lighthouse datum — each with an explicit accuracy badge.
| EPSG | System | Accuracy |
|---|---|---|
| 4205 | Afgooye(geographic) | ±0.1 m |
| 20538 | Afgooye / UTM zone 38N(projected grid) | ±0.1 m |
| 4713 | Ayabelle Lighthouse(geographic) | ±0.1 m |
| 20539 | Afgooye / UTM zone 39N(projected grid) | ±0.1 m |
The tool covers 6 systems relevant to Somalia (national systems plus the WGS84 UTM zones) — the table above lists only the key ones.
FAQ
- Which coordinate system does Somalia use?
- The primary datum is Afgooye (EPSG:4205) with UTM zones 38N (EPSG:20538) and 39N (EPSG:20539). The Ayabelle Lighthouse datum (EPSG:4713) appears in the far north. Modern work is observed on WGS84 and then converted.
- Which UTM zone is Mogadishu in?
- Mogadishu, at about 45.3°E, falls in UTM zone 38N. Somalia's eastern parts extend towards zone 39, while the far south near the Juba lies south of the equator.
- Does Somalia cross the equator?
- Yes. Southern Somalia around the Juba river lies in the southern hemisphere, while Mogadishu and most of the country sit north of the equator. So the hemisphere (north/south) must be specified precisely when working within one UTM zone.
- What is the Ayabelle Lighthouse datum?
- Ayabelle Lighthouse (EPSG:4713) is a historical datum tied to the far north of Somalia near the Bab-el-Mandeb strait. It appears on some older northern sheets, and the tool supports it for tying them to WGS84.
- Why does GPS disagree with an old Somali sheet?
- GPS observes on WGS84 while the sheet sits on the Afgooye datum built on the Krassowsky ellipsoid — a difference of tens of metres. The tool applies the published EPSG datum shift automatically in both directions.
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