Information on Djibouti

Known initially as French Somaliland and then as French Territory of Afars and Issas, Dijibouti gained independence on June 27, 1977.

The country is surrounded by Eritrea to the north; Ethiopia to the north, west, and south; and Somalia to the southeast. While towards the east lies the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Tadjoura extends over 100 km into Djibouti from the east coast.

As the country is mainly rocky in nature, the vegetation is mainly made up of scattered drought-tolerant grasses and shrubs. Wildlife includes jackals, hyenas, ostriches, and gazelles.

Djibouti is made up of plateaus and mountains towards the north and south of the gulf. The highest mountain Moussa Ali stands 6768ft tall along the northern border where the Ethiopian and Eritrean boundaries meet. Towards the west, lies the desert lowland with depressions containing several salt lakes, the largest being Lake Abbé situated along the Ethiopian border. Very little of the country's land is arable, and there are no regularly flowing rivers or streams. Djibouti relies on an underground aquifer for fresh water.

Djibouti is hot and dry all year round, especially during summers. The average temperature varies from 23° to 29°C in January and from 31° to 41°C in July. Annual rainfall ranges from 127 mm in the capital to 380 mm in the mountains.