DJIBOUTI

Djibouti officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a small country in eastern Africa, located in the Horn of Africa. Djibouti is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. On the other side of the Red Sea, on the Arabian Peninsula, 20 kilometers (12 mi) from the coast of Djibouti, is Yemen.

Location

North-east Africa. Located on the Gulf of Aden, Djibouti has Somalia to the south-east and Ethiopia to the south and west.

Geography

Trategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia; mostly wasteland; Lac Assal (Lake Assal) is the lowest point in Africa

Capital

Djibouti

Population

486,530 (July 2006 est.)

Climate

desert; torrid, dry

Language

Arabic, French, Afar, Somali

Monetary Unit

Djibouti franc