Djibouti
POPULATION 472,810
MUSLIM 94 percent
CHRISTIAN 6 percent
Country Overview
Introduction
One of the smallest African countries, the Republic of Djibouti lies on the northeastern coast of the Horn of Africa, facing the Gulf of Aden and the Strait of Mandeb, which separates the gulf from the Red Sea. Djibouti is bordered by Eritrea to the north, Ethiopia to the west and south, and Somalia to the southeast. The land is mainly volcanic desert, and the climate is hot and arid.
Two ethnic groups form the majority of Djibouti's population: The Issa, who are of Somali origin, make up 60 percent of the population, and the Afar, who are of Ethiopian origin, make up 35 percent. The rest consists of Yemeni Arabs and Europeans, who are mostly French. While Cushitic languages are most commonly spoken, the country's official languages are Arabic and French. Both the Issa and the Afar are Sunni Muslim, and most follow the Shafiite school of law and belong to the Qadiriyya Sufi brotherhood, which was well established in the region in the nineteenth century.
By the twelfth century Arab merchants had brought trade and the Islamic faith into the interior. Later, the coastal cities became important destinations for camel caravans emerging from the desert.
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