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; 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

NOTE: The information regarding Djibouti on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Djibouti Geography 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Djibouti Geography 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.