Djibouti

This article is about the country in the Horn of Africa. For its capital city, see Djibouti City. For other uses, see Djibouti (disambiguation).

Republic of Djibouti
  • جمهورية جيبوتي (Arabic)
  • République de Djibouti (French)
  • Jamhuuriyadda Jabuuti (Somali)
  • Gabuutih Ummuuno (Afar)
Motto: 
Midnimo, Sinnaan, Nabad (Somali)
Inkittiino, Qeedala, Wagari (Afar)
Unité, Égalité, Paix (French)
اتحاد، مساواة، سلام (Arabic)
Unity, Equality, Peace (English)
Anthem: Djibouti
Capital
and largest city
Djibouti
11°36′N 43°10′E / 11.600°N 43.167°E / 11.600; 43.167
Official languages
National languages
Ethnic groups
Religion
94% Islam (official)
6% Christianity
Demonym(s)Djiboutian
GovernmentUnitary presidential republic under a hereditary dictatorship[2][3][4]
• President
Ismaïl Omar Guelleh
Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed
LegislatureNational Assembly
Formation
12 May 1862
20 May 1883
5 July 1967
• Independence from France
27 June 1977
20 September 1977
4 September 1992
Area
• Total
23,200[1] km2 (9,000 sq mi)[1] (146th)
• Water (%)
0.09 (20 km² / 7.7 sq mi)
Population
• 2024 census
1,066,809[5]
• Density
46.0/km2 (119.1/sq mi) (168th)
GDP (PPP)2023 estimate
• Total
Increase $7.193 billion[6] (167th)
• Per capita
Increase $6,985[6] (137th)
GDP (nominal)2023 estimate
• Total
Increase $3.873 billion[6] (172nd)
• Per capita
Increase $3,761[6] (126th)
Gini (2017)Negative increase 41.6[7]
medium inequality
HDI (2021)Decrease 0.509[8]
low (171st)
CurrencyDjiboutian franc (DJF)
Time zoneUTC+3 (EAT)
Drives onright
Calling code+253
ISO 3166 codeDJ
Internet TLD.dj

Djibouti,[a] officially the Republic of Djibouti,[b] is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia[c] to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to the east. The country has an area of 23,200 km2 (8,958 sq mi).[1]

In antiquity, the territory, together with Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somaliland, was part of the Land of Punt. Nearby Zeila, now in Somaliland, was the seat of the medieval Adal and Ifat Sultanates. In the late 19th century, the colony of French Somaliland was established after the ruling Dir Somali and Afar sultans signed treaties with the French,[11][12][13] and its railroad to Dire Dawa (and later Addis Ababa) allowed it to quickly supersede Zeila as the port for southern Ethiopia and the Ogaden.[14] It was renamed the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas in 1967. A decade later, the Djiboutian people voted for independence. This officially marked the establishment of the Republic of Djibouti, named after its capital city. The new state joined the United Nations in its first year.[15][16] In the early 1990s, tensions over government representation led to armed conflict, which ended in a power-sharing agreement in 2000 between the ruling party and the opposition.[1]

Djibouti is a multi-ethnic nation with a population of 1,066,809 at the census held on 20 May 2024[5] (the smallest in mainland Africa). French and Arabic are its two official languages; Afar and Somali are national languages. About 94% of Djiboutians adhere to Islam,[1] which is the official religion and has been predominant in the region for more than 1,000 years. The Somalis and Afar make up the two largest ethnic groups, with the former comprising the majority of the population. Both speak a language of the Cushitic branch of the Afroasiatic languages.[1]

Djibouti is near some of the world's busiest shipping lanes, controlling access to the Red Sea and Indian Ocean. It serves as a key refuelling and transshipment center and the principal maritime port for imports from and exports to neighboring Ethiopia. A burgeoning commercial hub, the nation is the site of various foreign military bases. The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) regional body also has its headquarters in Djibouti City.[1]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Djibouti". The World Factbook. CIA. 5 February 2013. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  2. ^ "Democracy Index 2020". Economist Intelligence Unit. Archived from the original on 3 March 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  3. ^ "The world's enduring dictators ". CBS News. May 16, 2011.
  4. ^ Mastro, Oriana Skylar (3 March 2020). "All in the Family: North Korea and the Fate of Hereditary Autocratic Regimes". Survival. 62 (2): 103–124. doi:10.1080/00396338.2020.1739951. ISSN 0039-6338. S2CID 216340612.
  5. ^ a b (2024) Institut National de la Statistique de Djibouti, INSTAD.
  6. ^ a b c d "World Economic Outlook Database, October 2023 Edition. (Djibouti)". IMF.org. International Monetary Fund. 10 October 2023. Archived from the original on 20 November 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  7. ^ "Gini Index coefficient". CIA World Factbook. Archived from the original on 17 July 2021. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  8. ^ "Human Development Report 2021/2022" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 8 September 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  9. ^ Mylonas, Harris. "De Facto States Unbound – PONARS Eurasia". PONARS Eurasia. Archived from the original on 14 October 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  10. ^ Ker-Lindsay, James (2012). The foreign policy of counter secession: preventing the recognition of contested states (1st ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 58–59. ISBN 978-0-19-161197-1. OCLC 811620848.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference Uwechue was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Somalia: History of French Somaliland" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 25 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 383.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference Apcoatf was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Zaila" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 28 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 950.
  15. ^ "Today in Djibouti History". Historyorb.com. Archived from the original on 16 May 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  16. ^ "United Nations member states". United Nations. Archived from the original on 30 December 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2011.


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