Djibouti
American Heritage Dictionary:
Top
Dji·bou·ti
The capital and largest city of Djibouti, in the southeast part of the country on an inlet of the Gulf of Aden. It was founded by the French in 1888. Population: 623,000.
Related Videos:
Top
Djibouti
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia:
Top
Djibouti
City (pop., 2006 est.: 325,000), major port, and capital of Djibouti. It is located on the southern shore of the Gulf of Tadjoura in the Gulf of Aden. It was founded by the French in 1888 and made the capital of French Somaliland in 1892. It was linked by rail to Addis Ababa in 1917 and made a free port in 1949. The economic life of both the city and the country depends on the city's function as a transshipment point, especially between Ethiopia and the Red Sea trade. Built on three level areas linked by jetties, the city has a mixture of ancient and modern architecture. Drought and conflict during the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s brought many refugees to Djibouti from neighbouring countries, swelling its population.
For more information on Djibouti, visit Britannica.com.
Columbia Encyclopedia:
Top
Djibouti
Djibouti (jēbūtē'), town (1995 est. pop. 383,000), capital of the Republic of Djibouti, a port on the Gulf of Tadjoura (an inlet of the Gulf of Aden). It is the nation's only sizable town and its administrative center. Its importance results from the large transit trade it enjoys as a terminus of the railroad from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to the sea and from its strategic position near the shipping lanes that carry the Suez Canal traffic. Activity at its port declined when the Suez Canal was closed (1967-75) after the Arab-Israeli War of 1967. Its rail lines were severely damaged by bombing during the Ethiopian civil war in 1977. The only important industry is the production of salt from the sea. There is a camel market in the town. Djibouti was founded by the French c.1888 and became the capital of French Somaliland in 1892. There was severe rioting in Djibouti in 1967 after the territory voted to retain its ties with France.
AccuWeather:
Top
Djibouti, Djibouti
Random House Word Menu:
Top
categories related to 'Djibouti'
- Nations of the World - Djibouti: Republic of; in E Africa; capital Djibouti; area 8,490 sq. mi., pop. 337,000; French and Arabic; Muslim; franc
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
Top
Djibouti (city)
| Djibouti Jabuuti جيبوتي |
|
|---|---|
| — City — | |
 |
|
| Nickname(s): Pearl of the Gulf of Tadjoura | |
 |
|
| Coordinates: 11°36′N 43°10′E / 11.6°N 43.167°E | |
| Country |  Djibouti |
| Founded | 1888 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 200 km2 (80 sq mi) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 604,013 |
| (2012) | |
| Time zone | EAT (UTC+3) |
The City of Djibouti (Arabic: جيبوتي, French: Ville de Djibouti) is the capital and largest city in the Republic of Djibouti, a nation in the Horn of Africa. The biggest settlement on the Gulf of Tadjoura, it lies on a peninsula that separates that basin from the Gulf of Aden.
|
Contents
|
Overview
Djibouti is the capital and largest city of Djibouti in the Horn of Africa. Two thirds of the country's population live in the town.
The city is situated on the coast, on the Gulf of Tadjoura right across from Yemen.
Local features include beaches along its eastern shore and the large Central Market, the national stadium Stade du Ville, the Presidential Palace and Hamoudi Mosque.
On account of its numerous exotic buildings and structures, the city has been likened to a European settlement and described as a "French Hong Kong in the Red Sea".[1]
History
From 1862 until 1894, the land to the north of the Gulf of Tadjoura was called Obock and was ruled by Somali and Afar Sultans, local authorities with whom France signed various treaties between 1883 and 1887 to first gain a foothold in the region.[2][3][4]
The French subsequently founded Djibouti city in 1888, with the area at the time uninhabited. A few years later, in 1896, the French made the town the capital of French Somaliland.[5]
Demographics
According to a 2009 estimate, the population of the city was 567,000.[6]
Djibouti Region
The Djibouti Region is one of the six regions of Djibouti. The region borders the Gulf of Tadjoura to the north and east, and the Arta Region to the south and west.
Prior to the creation of the Arta Region in 2003, the Djibouti Region also had a border with the Ali Sabieh and Dikhil regions.
The Djibouti Region is the smallest region in the country, but also the region with the highest population. It contains Djibouti's capital, Djibouti City.
The capital, and only settlement, of the Djibouti region is Djibouti City.
Climate
Djibouti is generally very hot and dry throughout the course of the year. Featuring an arid climate, the city sees on average 131 mm (5.16 in) of rainfall per year. Temperatures range from very warm during the months of December, January and February to extremely hot in July, where temperatures routinely exceed 40 °C (104 °F), with oppressive humidity adding to the uncomfortable conditions.
| Climate data for Djibouti | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 34 (93) |
37 (99) |
41 (106) |
44 (111) |
50 (122) |
52 (126) |
54 (129) |
53 (127) |
50 (122) |
45 (113) |
43 (109) |
37 (99) |
54 (129) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 29 (84) |
29 (84) |
31 (88) |
32 (90) |
34 (93) |
37 (99) |
41 (106) |
39 (102) |
36 (97) |
33 (91) |
31 (88) |
29 (84) |
33.4 (92.2) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 23 (73) |
24 (75) |
25 (77) |
26 (79) |
28 (82) |
30 (86) |
31 (88) |
29 (84) |
29 (84) |
27 (81) |
25 (77) |
23 (73) |
26.7 (80.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 19 (66) |
18 (64) |
21 (70) |
21 (70) |
21 (70) |
22 (72) |
22 (72) |
22 (72) |
23 (73) |
21 (70) |
18 (64) |
17 (63) |
17 (63) |
| Rainfall mm (inches) | 10 (0.39) |
13 (0.51) |
25 (0.98) |
13 (0.51) |
5 (0.2) |
0 (0) |
3 (0.12) |
8 (0.31) |
8 (0.31) |
10 (0.39) |
23 (0.91) |
13 (0.51) |
131 (5.16) |
| % humidity | 75 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 77 | 58 | 50 | 53 | 67 | 71 | 73 | 77 | 69.6 |
| Avg. rainy days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 17 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 248 | 226 | 279 | 270 | 310 | 240 | 248 | 279 | 270 | 310 | 300 | 248 | 3,228 |
| Source: BBC Weather [7] | |||||||||||||
Economy
During its existence, Djibouti Airlines had its head office in the city.[8]
Transportation
The Ethio-Djibouti Railways (formerly the Imperial Railway Company of Ethiopia) runs from the city to Addis Ababa. The city is also home to the Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport. Northwest of the city centre lies the city's port, used for international trade, for fishing, and for travel by ferry to the cities of Obock and Tadjoura. Djibouti's location on the Red Sea means there are some excellent diving and swimming opportunities particularly around the islands of Maskali and Moucha in the Gulf of Tadjoura. It takes 30-40 minutes to get to the islands by boat.
References
- ^ Kevin Anglin, Becca Blond and Jean-Bernard Carillet, Africa on a Shoestring (London: Lonely Planet, 2004), p. 698.
- ^ Raph Uwechue, Africa year book and who's who, (Africa Journal Ltd.: 1977), p.209.
- ^ Hugh Chisholm (ed.), The encyclopædia britannica: a dictionary of arts, sciences, literature and general information, Volume 25, (At the University press: 1911), p.383.
- ^ A Political Chronology of Africa, (Taylor & Francis), p.132.
- ^ World Book, Inc, The World Book Encyclopedia, Volume 1, (World Book: 2007)
- ^ CIA World Factbook
- ^ "Average Conditions Djibouti, Djibouti". BBC Weather. http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/223817. Retrieved January 17, 2011.
- ^ "Contact Us." Djibouti Airlines. 1 June 2006. Retrieved on 20 February 2011. "REPUBLIC OF DJIBOUTI DJIBOUTI AIRLINES HEAD OFFICE-PLACE LAGARDE."
Coordinates: 11°35′17″N 43°08′42″E / 11.588°N 43.145°E
|
|
|||||
|
|||||||||||||
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:
Copyrights:
American Heritage Dictionary
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Read more
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 1994-2012 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more
Columbia Encyclopedia
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/.
Read more
Random House Word Menu
© 2010 Write Brothers Inc. Word Menu is a registered trademark of the Estate of Stephen Glazier.
Write Brothers Inc.
All rights reserved.
Read more
