Djibouti

American  

[ji-boo-tee] / dʒɪˈbu ti /

Or Jibuti

noun

1. Formerly French Somaliland,.  Formerly French Territory of the Afars and Issas.  a republic in eastern Africa, on the Gulf of Aden: a former overseas territory of France; gained independence 1977. 8,492 sq. mi. (21,994 sq. km). Djibouti.

2. a seaport in and the capital of this republic, in the southeastern part.

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Djibouti British  

/ dʒɪˈbuːtɪ /

noun

1. Former name (until 1977): (Territory of the) Afars and the Issas.  a republic in E Africa, on the Gulf of Aden: a French overseas territory (1946–77); became independent in 1977; mainly desert. Official languages: Arabic and French. Religion: Muslim majority. Currency: Djibouti franc. Capital: Djibouti. Pop: 792 198 (2013 est). Area: 23 200 sq km (8950 sq miles)

2. the capital of Djibouti, a port on the Gulf of Aden: an outlet for Ethiopian goods. Pop: 523 000 (2005 est)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Djiboutian
  adjective

Example Sentences

The WMO said last month that there was a high likelihood of below-normal rainfall during the critical June-September rainy season in South Sudan, Uganda, Ethiopia, Djibouti, much of Eritrea, Sudan and western and coastal Kenya.

From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026

Neighboring Djibouti is home to the densest cluster of foreign military bases in the world—including from the U.S.,

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

China's closest base is in Djibouti in East Africa and was only established in 2017.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

The United States and France have major military bases in Djibouti and China in 2017 also opened its first such overseas base there.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

One, from Djibouti, said little, lying and staring at the ceiling as though retracing the journey of how he had ended up at a holding facility in Manchester Airport.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie