ABSTRACT
The Republic of Djibouti is located in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somaliland, Eritrea, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden. While small in geographical size, Djibouti benefits from a particularly strategic location, jutting out into the Gulf of Aden. Its modern port serves important traffic coming across the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. Djibouti is home to the lowest point in Africa, the saline Lake Assal, which is 509 feet below sea level. The population of about 940,000 is composed of 60 percent Somali and 35 percent Afar people, speaking the official languages of French and Arabic, in addition to Somali and Afar. The vast majority of the population is Sunni Muslim, with a small portion, mostly foreigners, identifying as Christian. More than 78 percent of Djiboutians live in cities. The capital of Djibouti, also named Djibouti, is home to 600,000 people. Other cities throughout the country have significantly lower populations, none exceeding 50,000.
