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Introduction to Djibouti
created on:
2001-07-28
The tiny country of Djibouti is located in North East Africa and strategically situated between the western edge of the Gulf of Aden, and the entrance to the Red Sea. It is bound by Eritrea to the northwest, Ethiopia to the west and south, Somalia to the southeast and the Gulf of Aden to the northeast and east.
Djibouti is in essence a vast desert wasteland and mostly a low lying sand and stone desert. The country can be divided into three topographical regions. The narrow coastal plain which is the fertile area of the country that is irrigated. A small series of mountains in the north which are of volcanic origin and a stony desert, as well as scattered volcanic plateaus in central and south Djibouti.
The climate is semi-arid and it is very hot and very dry, especially during the summer months. The heat is muggy and the country receives almost ten hours of daily sunshine throughout the year. In the northern mountains, and less frequently along the coastal areas, small amounts of rain occur.
Djibouti has a lack of major attractions, but if you like snorkelling or diving, the Red Sea coral reefs are fabulous. Unfortunately the country is teased by a lot of difficulties, like large tracts of unusable desert land, thousands of refugees from Ethiopia and Somalia and a very high unemployment rate.
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