Geography

The country is roughly C-shaped being divided by the Gulf of Tadjoura which opens into the Gulf of Aden to the east. Djibouti has borders with Eritrea (north-east), Ethiopia (north, west and south) and Somalia (south-east). The country is largely volcanic in origin as testified by large expanses of basalt ‘desert’ in many areas and contains several ranges of mountains divided by deep depressions and sandy plains. The highest point is Moussa Ali at 2,021 m, which is shared with Ethiopia, and the lowest Lac Assal which is 157 m below sea level. There are few areas of permanent open water and many have a high mineral or salt content. The climate is generally hot and dry throughout the year and rainfall is erratic though there is a tendency for two periods of rain, in March / April and October / November. The official language is French but in the north the majority of people speak Afar and in the south Somali, reflecting the main ethnic groups of the country. For further information, see CIA Factbook and (MAGIN, G. 2001).