The Republic of Djibouti is located at the southern entrance to the Red Sea, along the strategic coastline between the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. It is bordered by Eritrea on the north, Ethiopia on the west and south, and Somalia on the southeast. Djibouti covers an area of 23,000 square kilometers (8,958 square miles), consisting mainly of volcanic waste area with very little arable land. The climate is semi-arid to arid with very high temperatures and humidity during the monsoon seasons.

The population of Djibouti was estimated around 467,000 in 2004. About 60 percent of the population is concentrated in the capital city of Djibouti; most of the rest of its residents are nomadic herders. The indigenous population is about evenly distributed between the Issa, who are of Somali origin, and the Afar, who are also found in Eritrea and Ethiopia. The Afar live in the northern part of the...