Djibouti

Djibouti

A small country located in the Horn of Africa, on the western shore of the Bab el-Mandeb strait, controlling access to the Red Sea from the Indian Ocean. Despite its small size and extremely arid climate, Djibouti occupies a geo-strategic position of the first order: it hosts military bases of powers such as the United States, China, France, Italy, and Japan, and serves as the main outlet to the sea for neighboring Ethiopia. The country is a multi-ethnic nation, with a predominantly Muslim population, whose economy depends largely on its port and regional logistics services.

History

The territory of Djibouti was part of the ancient land of Punt and, in the Middle Ages, was the cradle of the sultanates of Adel and Ifat. In the late 19th century, France established the colony of French Somaliland through treaties signed with Somali and Afar sultans . In 1967, the area was renamed the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas. After a referendum in May 1977, the country voted for independence and officially became the Republic of Djibouti on June 27, 1977, joining the UN on September 20 of that same year . In the 1990s, tensions over political representation led to an armed conflict that culminated in a power-sharing agreement in 2001 .

Culture

The population is composed mainly of two large ethnic groups: Somalis (Issa) and Afar, whose languages are recognized as national languages, although Arabic and French are the official languages . Approximately 94% of Djiboutians practice Sunni Islam, a religion that reached the region more than a millennium ago through Arab traders . Society is communal, with strong family and clan ties . The Hamoudi Mosque, built in 1906, is the oldest in the country and an important historical and religious center. Khat, a stimulant plant, is widely consumed in social gatherings in the afternoons.

Nature

Djibouti covers about 23,200 km². The climate is semi-desert, with temperatures ranging from 30°C in January to 45°C in July . The lowest point is Lake Assal (155 meters below sea level), the lowest in Africa, and the highest is Mount Moussa Ali (2,028 meters) . There are no significant arable lands. The country is home to the Day Forest National Park, the country’s most humid forest ecosystem, which has suffered drastic reduction and is habitat for the critically endangered Djibouti francolin. In 2025, a new protected areas law was approved to strengthen biodiversity conservation.

Government

Djibouti is a semi-presidential republic governed by the 1992 Constitution, inspired by the French system but with elements of sharia . The President is head of state and government, elected by direct universal suffrage . Legislative power resides in a unicameral National Assembly of 65 members . President Ismail Omar Guelleh, in power since 1999, was re-elected in April 2026 for a sixth term with 97.8% of the vote, following a 2025 constitutional reform that eliminated the age limit and term limits, in a context of opposition boycott and severe restrictions on civic space.

Djibouti

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Oceania / Australasia

~65,000 – 50,000 years ago

Traveling across Southeast Asian island chains via ancient land bridges and early watercraft, humans reached Sahul (the combined landmass of Australia and New Guinea).

Africa

~300,000 – 70,000 years ago

Anatomically modern humans evolved in Africa. Early movements occurred within the continent and in temporary waves into the Levant, but the main successful “Out of Africa” expansion occurred roughly 60,000 to 70,000 years ago via the Horn of Africa and the Sinai Peninsula.

Asia

~70,000 – 50,000 years ago

After crossing into Western Asia (the Middle East), early human populations rapidly expanded along the coastal route of South Asia into Southeast Asia and East Asia.

Europe

 ~45,000 – 40,000 years ago
early europeans

Groups moved northwest from the Middle East and Central Asia into Europe, where early modern humans coexisted with and eventually replaced Neanderthals.