Arta, Djibouti

Arta

*Carta* (Somali)
أرتا (Arabic)
Arta Carta (Somali); أرتا (Arabic)
Town
Country	Djibouti
Region	Arta
Established	17th century
Elevation	755 m (2,477 ft)
Population
• Total	13,010
Time zone	UTC+3 (EAT)

Not the be confused with `Arta, a village in the region.

Arta (Arabic: أرتا, [Carta] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help)) is a town located in southeastern Djibouti. The center of the Arta Region, it is the country's sixth-largest city. As of 2012, the population was 13,010. Arta is situated on the Mountains of Arta and is famous for its mild climate. It is located some 35 kilometers west of the national capital, Djibouti City.

History

The Arta settlement is several centuries old. During the Middle Ages, it was ruled by the Ifat and Adal sultanates. Arta later formed a part of the French Somaliland protectorate in the first half of the 20th century. In December 1942, British invasion of French Somaliland about 700 British troops and Free French troops occupied the town. Under French colonial rule in 1946, a new housing estate was built. Because of its usually dry and relatively cool weather, Arta was the summer residence of the French and Djiboutian people.

In 2000, peace talks between various factions of the Somali Civil War were held in the city, resulting in the establishment of the Transitional National Government of Somalia.

Overview

Arta is connected to other environs by National Highway 4. Public buses go from Djibouti City to Arta. It takes half and hour to get to Arta. A contracted bus ride from Djibouti city to Arta can charge between 350 Djiboutian franc.

Demographics

As of 2012, the population of Arta has been estimated to be 13,010. The town inhabitants belong to various mainly Afro-Asiatic-speaking ethnic groups, with the Issa Somali predominant.

Geography

The town lies at an elevation of 755 metres above sea level. It sits on middle trending highlands known as the Mountains of Arta. The temperate central portion, where Arta lies, is situated on a rocky plateau.

Climate

Elevation is the major factor in temperature levels. The higher areas on average register temperatures 11°C (20°F) cooler, day or night. The overnight lows are not like the "Garden of Eden" because, at night, heavy clothes or blankets are needed, in the highlands, when the temperature drops to about 50–54 °F (10–12.2 °C) every night.

Sunshine is abundant in the town, averaging eight to ten hours a day year-round. It is lowest during the wet season, when there is some coastal fog and greater cloud coverage as warm air passes over the mountains.

Climate data for Arta
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	20.0 (68.0)	20.6 (69.1)	22.3 (72.1)	24.8 (76.6)	28.5 (83.3)	32.5 (90.5)	31.8 (89.2)	31.1 (88.0)	30.1 (86.2)	25.3 (77.5)	22.4 (72.3)	20.7 (69.3)	25.8 (78.5)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	15.0 (59.0)	17.3 (63.1)	18.5 (65.3)	19.7 (67.5)	20.1 (68.2)	22.6 (72.7)	20.3 (68.5)	20.4 (68.7)	19.8 (67.6)	18.5 (65.3)	17.3 (63.1)	16.0 (60.8)	18.8 (65.8)
Average rainfall mm (inches)	30 (1.2)	27 (1.1)	26 (1.0)	30 (1.2)	16 (0.6)	0 (0)	9 (0.4)	20 (0.8)	10 (0.4)	12 (0.5)	43 (1.7)	12 (0.5)	235 (9.4)
Source: Levoyageur Weather^[1]