Djibouti
Geography
)
Djibouti Flag
Introduction
Geography
People
Government
Economy
Communications
Transportation
Military
Transnational Issues
| Geography | Djibouti |
|
Location:
|
Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Somalia |
|
Geographic coordinates:
|
11 30 N, 43 00 E |
|
Map references:
|
Africa |
|
Area:
|
total: 23,000 sq km
water: 20 sq km land: 22,980 sq km |
|
Area - comparative:
|
slightly smaller than Massachusetts |
|
Land boundaries:
|
total: 516 km
border countries: Eritrea 109 km, Ethiopia 349 km, Somalia 58 km |
|
Coastline:
|
314 km |
|
Maritime claims:
|
contiguous zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
|
Climate:
|
desert; torrid, dry |
|
Terrain:
|
coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains |
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest point: Lac Assal -155 m
highest point: Moussa Ali 2,028 m |
|
Natural resources:
|
geothermal areas |
|
Land use:
|
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.) |
|
Irrigated land:
|
10 sq km (1998 est.) |
|
Natural hazards:
|
earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic disturbances from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods |
|
Environment - current issues:
|
inadequate supplies of potable water; limited arable land; desertification; endangered species |
|
Environment - international agreements:
|
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
|
Geography - note:
|
strategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia; mostly wasteland; Lac Assal (Lake Assal) is the lowest point in Africa |
| Home | | Country List | | Privacy Policy |