Djibouti

Djibouti (officially called the Republic of Djibouti) is a country on the eastern coast of Africa. Djibouti gained its independence from France on June 27, 1977. The country was created out of the French Somaliland (later called the French Territory of the Afars and Issas), which was created in the 1800s as a result of French colonialism in Africa. Djibouti had a population of 818,159 at the 2009 census. It is one of the least populous countries in Africa.

Djibouti joined the United Nations on September 20, 1977. It is also a member of the Arab League, as well as the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

The history of Djibouti goes back thousands of years when it was part of the Sabean Empire (Ethiopia) to a time when Djiboutians traded hides and skins for the perfumes and spices of ancient Egypt, Pakistan, and China. Through close contacts with the Arabian peninsula for more than 1,000 years, the Somali and Afar tribes in this region became among the first on the African continent to accept Islam. Djibouti is a Muslim country which regularly takes part in Islamic as well as Arab meetings.

The country is close to a narrow part of the Red Sea so it is considered an important area from a military viewpoint.

Geography
Djibouti is near to the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the east.

Djibouti has eight mountain ranges with peaks of over 1,000 m (3,281 ft). The Grand Bara desert covers parts of southern Djibouti.

Regions
Djibouti is divided into five regions and one city. It is further divided into eleven districts.

The regions and city are:
 * Ali Sabieh Region (Région d'Ali Sabieh)
 * Arta Region (Région d'Arta)
 * Dikhil Region (Région de Dikhil)
 * Djibouti (Ville de Djibouti)
 * Obock Region (Région d'Obock)
 * Tadjourah Region (Région de Tadjourah)

Cities
This is a list of cities in Djibouti. All places with more than 1,000 people are included.

Religion
The people of Djibouti are mostly Muslim. Islam is observed by 94% of Djibouti's population (about 740,000) (2010 estimate). The remaining six percent follow Christianity.

The Republic of Djibouti names Islam as the only state religion. The Constitution of 1992 provides for the equality of citizens of all faiths as well as the freedom to practise any religion.

Sports
Association football is the most popular sport in Djibouti. The country became a member of FIFA in 1994. They have only played in qualifying rounds for both the African Cup of Nations and FIFA World Cup.

Transportation
The country is linked to Ethiopia by way of the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway.