Djibouti is a country located in eastern sub-Saharan Africa.
It is bordered by Eritrea, Ethiopia,
and Somalia.
It is also bounded by the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.
It is a relatively small country, with a total area of
23,000 square kilometers, slightly
smaller than the U.S. state of Massachusetts.
The former name of the country was The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas, also known as French Somaliland, becoming Djibouti in 1977.
It obtained its independence from France in 1977.
The climate is desert and coastal plain and plateau, separated by central mountains. There is almost no arable land.
The country occupies a strategic location, near global shipping lanes and Arabian oilfields. It provides refueling services and international transshipment of goods. It is a free-trade zone in northeast Africa. There is little industry. The country relies heavily on foreign aid.
It is a republic, whose capital is also called Djibouti. Two-thirds of the total population lives in the capital city. The remainder of the population are nomadic herders.
Agricultural products include fruits, vegetables, goats, sheep, camels and animal hides.
The religions of the country’s populations are Islam (94 percent) and Christianity (6 percent).
Web Sites
Catalog
Search the library's catalog for Africa and East Africa.
Databases
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