Geography of Djibouti

Geography of Djibouti
Continent	Africa
Region	Horn of Africa
Area	Ranked 149th 22,980 km2
Coastline	20 km
Borders	510 km Ethiopia 337 km Eritrea 113 km Somalia 60 km
Highest point	Mousa Ali Volcano 2,028 m
Lowest point	Lac Assal, −155 m

Djibouti is a country in 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 in the east. It has 314 kilometres (195 mi) of coastline. Rainfall is sparse, and most of Djibouti has a semiarid-to- arid environment suitable only for the nomadic pastoralism practiced by well over half the population. The major towns are the capital, Djibouti City, the port towns of Tadjoura, Obock and the southern cities of Ali Sabieh and Dikhil.

Location

Djibouti shares 113 kilometres (70 mi) of border with Eritrea, 337 kilometres (209 mi) with Ethiopia, and 58 kilometres (36 mi) with Somalia (total 506 km or 314 mi). It has a strategic location on the Horn of Africa and the Bab el Mandeb, along a route through the Red Sea and Suez Canal. Djibouti's coastline serves as a commercial gateway between the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn region's interior. The country is also the terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia.

Physiographic regions

Djibouti can be divided into three physiographic regions

1. The Northern Mountains
2. Danakil Depression
3. Grand Bara

Mountains

A great arc of mountains, consisting of the Mousa Ali, Goda Mountains, and Arrei Mountains ranges define in Djibouti. They also facilitate the monsoon winds which in turn influence the climate in Djibouti.

Djibouti has eight major mountain ranges having peaks of over 1,000 m (3,281 ft)

• The Mousa Ali range is considered as the country's highest mountain range, with its tallest peak in Djibouti and on the Ethiopia–Eritrea border.

• The Goda Mountains lie northwest of the Gulf of Tadjoura, Tadjoura Region in Djibouti. They rise to 1,750 metres (5,740 ft) above sea level and are the nation's largest heavily vegetated area.

• Garbi is mountain in the west of Tadjourah Region in Djibouti, about 102 kilometres (63 mi) east of Djibouti City. The mean height of the mountain peak is 1680 metres (5,512 ft).
• The Arrei Mountains are a mountain range in the southern Ali Sabieh Region in Djibouti. With an average elevation of 1,301 metres (4,268 ft) above sea level, they are situated near the border with Ethiopia.

• The Mabla Mountains are located in Obock Region, Djibouti. At 5,850 feet (1,780 m) above sea level, the mountains are situated behind the coastal plain where the Red Sea meets the Gulf of Aden. Situated on the northern side of the Gulf of Tadjoura, the mountains are characterized as a highland region.

• The Dagouein Mountain is an average elevation of 1,124 metres (3,688 ft) above sea level and much of its territory is mountains.

• Hemed is a mountain in the western part of the Arta Region in south-central Djibouti. The summit is 1,103 metres (3,619 ft) above sea level.

• The Boura Mountains are a mountain range in Djibouti. With a mean peak height of 1037 metres (3,402 ft), the ecology of this landform is semi-desert. The altitude and size of the range affects its weather, with precipitation levels varying greatly and climatic conditions consisting of distinct zones.

Grand Bara

The Grand Bara Desert is a Northeast Africa desert which covers parts of the South Djibouti in Arta Region, Ali Sabieh Region and Dikhil Region. The majority of the Grand Bara Desert lies at a relatively low elevation, below 1,700 feet (560 m), with Although the highest peaks mountain range reach elevations of nearly 22,000 feet (800 m).

Coasts

Most of Djibouti has therefore been described as part of the Ethiopian xeric grasslands and shrublands ecoregion. The exception is a strip along the Red Sea coast, which is part of the Eritrean coastal desert; it is noted as an important migration route for birds of prey.

Climate

Topography of Djibouti

There is not much seasonal variation in Djibouti's climate. Hot conditions prevail year-round along with winter rainfalls. Mean daily maximum temperatures range from 32 to 41 °C (90 to 106 °F), except at high elevations, where the effects of a cold offshore current can be felt. In Djibouti city, for instance, average afternoon highs range from 28 °C (82 °F) to 34 °C (93 °F) in April. Nationally, mean daily minimums usually vary from about 15 to 30 °C (59 to 86 °F). The greatest range in climate occurs in eastern Djibouti, where temperatures sometimes surpass 41 °C (106 °F) in July on the littoral plains and the freezing point during December in the highlands. In this region, relative humidity ranges from about 40% in the mid-afternoon to 85% at night, changing somewhat according to the season.

Djibouti's climate ranges from arid in the northeastern coastal regions to semiarid in the central, northern, western and southern parts of the country. On the eastern seaboard, annual rainfall is less than 5 inches (131 mm); in the central highlands, it is about 8 to 11 inches (200 to 300 mm). Although the coastal regions are hot and humid throughout the year, the hinterland is typically hot and dry. The climate conditions are highly variable within the state and modified locally by altitude. Summers are very humid along the coast but dry in the highlands. Heat waves are frequent. Annual precipitation amounts vary greatly from one year to another. In general, rain falls more frequently and extensively in the mountains. Sudden and brutal storms are also known to occur. Wadis turn for a few hours in raging torrents tearing everything in their path, and their course is regularized. Rainwater serves as an additional water supply for livestock and plants alongside seasonal watercourses.

Climate charts of different locations in Djibouti

Djibouti city
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     10   29 22     19   29 23     20   30 24     29   32 25     17   35 27     0.1   39 29     6.2   42 31     5.6   41 31     3.1   37 29     20   33 26     22   31 23     11   29 22 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation totals in mm Source: BBC Weather
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     0.4   84 71     0.7   84 73     0.8   86 75     1.1   90 78     0.7   95 81     0   102 85     0.2   107 88     0.2   106 87     0.1   99 84     0.8   92 78     0.9   87 74     0.4   85 71 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation totals in inches

Arta
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     30   20 15     27   21 17     26   22 19     30   25 20     16   29 20     0   33 23     9   32 20     20   31 20     10   30 20     12   25 19     43   22 17     12   21 16 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation totals in mm Source: Levoyageur Weather
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     1.2   68 59     1.1   69 63     1   72 65     1.2   77 67     0.6   83 68     0   91 73     0.4   89 69     0.8   88 69     0.4   86 68     0.5   78 65     1.7   72 63     0.5   69 61 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation totals in inches

Dikhil
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     5   24 16     9   26 18     12   28 20     22   29 21     10   33 24     3   35 26     3   33 26     24   32 23     48   32 22     38   29 22     12   26 18     1   24 16 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation totals in mm Source: Levoyageur Weather
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     0.2   76 61     0.4   78 65     0.5   82 67     0.9   85 70     0.4   91 74     0.1   94 80     0.1   91 78     0.9   89 74     1.9   90 72     1.5   85 71     0.5   79 65     0   75 61 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation totals in inches

Randa
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     51   19 14     41   20 16     15   22 17     23   24 19     8   27 19     7   30 22     19   30 21     30   29 19     44   28 18     12   24 17     46   21 15     44   20 14 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation totals in mm Source: Levoyageur Weather
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     2   67 57     1.6   68 61     0.6   71 63     0.9   74 65     0.3   80 67     0.3   85 71     0.7   85 69     1.2   84 67     1.7   82 65     0.5   75 63     1.8   70 60     1.7   67 58 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation totals in inches

Tadjoura
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     13   26 19     10   26 20     17   28 21     14   30 22     9   33 23     2   36 24     2   36 26     27   36 24     12   34 23     18   30 21     35   28 20     27   26 19 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation totals in mm Source: Levoyageur Weather
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     0.5   78 66     0.4   79 68     0.7   82 70     0.6   86 72     0.4   91 73     0.1   97 75     0.1   98 79     1.1   96 75     0.5   94 73     0.7   87 70     1.4   82 68     1.1   79 66 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation totals in inches

Ali Sabieh
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     16   22 14     9   22 16     19   24 17     20   27 20     8   29 24     6   32 27     24   31 25     39   30 22     33   30 20     10   26 18     7   24 17     10   22 14 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation totals in mm Source: Levoyageur Weather
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     0.6   71 58     0.4   72 60     0.7   76 63     0.8   80 67     0.3   84 75     0.2   90 80     0.9   88 76     1.5   87 72     1.3   86 68     0.4   79 64     0.3   75 62     0.4   72 57 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation totals in inches

Selected elevations

The following are selected elevations of notable locations, from highest to lowest:

Arta Mountains

Location	Region	Elevation (feet)	Elevation (meters)
Mousa Ali	Tadjourah	6,631 ft.	2,021 m.
Goda Mountains	Tadjourah	5,840 ft.	1,780 m.
Garbi	Tadjourah	5,512 ft.	1,680 m.
Arrei Mountains	Ali Sabieh	4,268 ft.	1,301 m.
Mabla Mountains	Obock	3,921 ft.	1,195 m.
Dagouein Mountain	Ali Sabieh	3,688 ft.	1,124 m.
Hemed	Arta	3,619 ft.	1,103 m.
Boura Mountains	Ali Sabieh	3,402 ft.	1,037 m.
Arta Mountains	Arta	2,477 ft.	755 m.
Lake Assal	Tadjourah	– 509 ft.	– 155 m.

Environment

Grazing camels

Natural hazards include earthquakes, drought, and occasional cyclonic disturbances from the Indian Ocean, which bring heavy rains and flash floods. Natural resources include geothermal energy. Inadequate supplies of potable water and desertification are current issues.

Djibouti is a party to international agreements on biodiversity, climate change, desertification, endangered species, United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, ozone layer protection, and ship pollution.

Maritime claims

• contiguous zone: 24 nautical miles (44.4 km; 27.6 mi)
• exclusive economic zone: 200 nautical miles (370.4 km; 230.2 mi)
• territorial sea: 12 nautical miles (22.2 km; 13.8 mi)

Extreme points

This is a list of the extreme points of Djibouti, the points that are farther north, south, east or west than any other location.

• Northernmost point - Ras Doumera, Obock Region
• Northernmost point (mainland) - the point at which the border with Eritrea enters the Red Sea, Obock Region
• Easternmost point - unnamed section of the Red Sea coast north of Ras Bir, Obock Region
• Southernmost point - unnamed location on the border with Ethiopia west of the town of As Ela, Dikhil Region
• Westernmost point - unnamed location on the border with Ethiopia immediately east of the Ethiopian town of Afambo, Dikhil Region