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

• Djiboutian
  adjective

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Djibouti

Sandwiched between Yemen and Djibouti, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and is an important conduit for Middle Eastern oil.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026

Germany has had at least one surveillance aircraft based in Djibouti that took part in the Red Sea mission.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 14, 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

So Sauer’s claim that Murphy forced an unscheduled emergency stopover in Djibouti is just flat-out false.

From Slate ● Feb. 28, 2026

Obinze asked an immigration officer when she came to lead the man from Djibouti out to see a visitor.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie