Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Djibouti sits at one of Earth's most geologically active locations—where the African, Arabian, and Somali tectonic plates meet. This tiny nation controls the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. The Gulf of Tadjoura hosts reliable whale shark aggregations from October to February. Lac Assal is Africa's lowest point (155m below sea level), while the Ghoubbet el Kharab is a volcanic caldera connected to the sea. French is widely spoken, and the capital has unexpected sophistication given the country's small size and strategic importance.
