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

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

Lying on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Djibouti serves as a gateway to the Suez Canal, one of the world's busiest shipping routes.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 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

Ahmed, though, is facing growing domestic pressure to reduce the steep prices Ethiopians pay for imports, from food to fuel, which principally come via ports in Djibouti, Somalia, and Kenya.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 7, 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