Eastern Africa · AfricaDjibouti
Discover Djibouti - the tiny nation at the mouth of the Red Sea, home to the lowest point in Africa, alien landscapes, and more foreign military bases per capita than anywhere.
Where Is Djibouti?
Djibouti is a country in Eastern Africa. Its capital is Djibouti City.
- Capital Djibouti City
- Population 1.18M
- Area 23,200 km²
Djibouti is the size of New Jersey, has fewer than a million people, and sits on the most strategically valuable piece of real estate in Africa. Positioned at the mouth of the Red Sea where the Bab-el-Mandeb strait connects to the Gulf of Aden, roughly 30% of global shipping passes within sight of its coast. This has turned a tiny desert nation into a landlord for the world's superpowers - the US, China, France, Italy, and Japan all maintain military bases here, making Djibouti the only place where American and Chinese soldiers are stationed just miles apart.
The landscape looks like another planet entirely. Lake Assal, sitting 155 meters below sea level, is the lowest point in Africa and one of the saltiest bodies of water on Earth - ten times saltier than the ocean. Lac Abbe, near the Ethiopian border, is a forest of limestone chimneys rising from a barren moonscape, so otherworldly that it served as a filming location for the original Planet of the Apes. Average temperatures regularly exceed 40°C, making Djibouti a strong contender for the hottest country on Earth. Yet people have thrived here for millennia, and the Afar and Issa Somali communities continue traditions that predate every empire that ever tried to control this strait.
At a glance
Largest cities in Djibouti
Djibouti City
Ali Sabieh
Tadjoura
Famous people from Djibouti
Hassan Gouled Aptidon
PoliticsFirst president of independent Djibouti who guided the country through its transition from French Somaliland to sovereignty in 1977
Ahmed Dini Ahmed
PoliticsFirst prime minister of Djibouti and a key figure in the independence movement, later became a prominent opposition leader
Ayanleh Souleiman
SportWorld-class middle-distance runner who won gold at the 2014 World Indoor Championships in the 1500m, Djibouti's greatest track athlete
Traditional cuisine of Djibouti
- Skoudehkaris
- Djibouti's national dish - spiced rice cooked with lamb or goat, flavored with cardamom, cumin, and cinnamon
- Fah-Fah
- Rich goat soup with vegetables, often served as a breakfast dish that fuels dockworkers and soldiers alike through the brutal heat
- Laxoox
- Spongy, fermented flatbread similar to Ethiopian injera, served with stews and used as both plate and utensil
- Sambusa
- Crispy triangular pastries stuffed with spiced meat or lentils, a popular street food reflecting the country's Somali and Yemeni influences
Nature and landmarks in Djibouti
- Lake AssalLake
- The lowest point in Africa at 155 meters below sea level, a crater lake ten times saltier than the ocean rimmed by blinding white salt flats
- Lac AbbeLake
- Surreal landscape of limestone chimneys rising from a salt flat, a filming location for Planet of the Apes and home to flamingo colonies
- Day Forest National ParkNational Park
- Rare patch of juniper forest at 1,500 meters elevation, home to the critically endangered Djibouti francolin bird found nowhere else on Earth
- Ardoukoba VolcanoVolcano
- Rift zone volcano that last erupted in 1978, sitting on the triple junction where three tectonic plates are pulling Africa apart
Sports in Djibouti
- Football
- The national team competes in East African qualifiers, with a growing domestic league in one of the world's smallest football nations
- Athletics
- Ayanleh Souleiman won World Indoor gold in the 1500m (2014), proving that world-class talent can emerge from a nation under a million people
Did you know?
Djibouti hosts military bases from the US, China, France, Italy, and Japan - the only place American and Chinese troops are stationed miles apart
Lake Assal is the lowest point in Africa at 155 meters below sea level, and its water is ten times saltier than the ocean
Roughly 30% of the world's shipping passes through the strait visible from Djibouti's coast, making it one of Earth's most strategic locations
The internet country code .dj is popular with disc jockeys worldwide, providing Djibouti with unexpected domain name revenue
Djibouti sits on the Afar Triple Junction where three tectonic plates meet, literally the place where Africa is slowly splitting apart
Can you find Djibouti on a map?
Drop a pin where you think it is and see how close you got. A few rounds and you will place Djibouti and its neighbours without a second thought.
