1. Djibouti is pronounced ‘ji-boo-ti.’ You wouldn’t want to say ‘d-jib-out-i’ when you could say ‘ji-booooo-ti.’
  2. It is a country in the Horn of Africa, the size of Massachusetts, with a population of 800,000.
  3. It may, or may not (depending on the global economy and the Bin Laden family’s income), one day have the longest bridge in the world which would connect Cape Town, South Africa to Beijing, China by road.
  4. Djibouti is host to the only American military base on the African continent, Camp Lemonier.
  5. It is the hottest inhabited country in the world. Temperatures pass 45C/120F sometimes with and sometimes without humidity. This is a powerful deterrent for would-be tourists.
  6. It has the lowest elevation point in Africa, Lac Asal, or the Salt Lake. 155 meters/509 feet below sea level, making it the third lowest depression on earth. It is also the second most saline lake in the world.
  7. The capital is Djibouti. This is important for people looking for laughs at dinner parties. “Have you heard of Djibouti, Djibouti?” Be sure to pronounce it correctly for maximum enjoyment (see #1).
  8. It is peaceful, personal ownership of guns is illegal. The reality of peace is important for people interested in visiting the Horn of Africa but still terrified of Mogadishu.
  9. Whale sharks swim in the Gulf of Tadjourah. Everyone needs to swim with a whale shark once in their life.
  10. Space shuttles in need of an emergency landing can use Djibouti in the Grand Bara desert. Next time you are stuck in one and the engine fails, you know where to go. (I can’t prove this but it is a powerful and persistent rumor in Djibouti.)
explore2

Come. Explore.

Any of this news to you? What do you want people to know about where you live?