Djibouti City

Djibouti City, Djibouti

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Djibouti City, the capital and largest city of Djibouti, sits on the southern shore of the Gulf of Tadjoura along the Gulf of Aden, housing about 780,000 people—over 70% of the nation's population—in a hot, arid coastal setting founded by the French in 1888 as a trade outpost.

Originally the hub of French Somaliland and later the French Territory of the Afars and Issas until independence in 1977, it grew rapidly with the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway, serving as a vital port for Ethiopian commerce, foreign military bases including U.S. Camp Lemonnier and French facilities, and the bustling Djibouti International Free Trade Zone.

Blending colonial architecture like the Governor's Palace with modern boulevards, mosques, markets, and wide plazas such as Place du 27 Juin, the city thrives on shipping, logistics, and remittances while facing challenges from refugee influxes and urban heat.