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Somalia vs. Djibouti

Geography

SomaliaDjibouti
LocationEastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of EthiopiaEastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Somalia
Geographic coordinates10 00 N, 49 00 E11 30 N, 43 00 E
Map referencesAfricaAfrica
Areatotal: 637,657 sq km

land: 627,337 sq km

water: 10,320 sq km
total: 23,200 sq km

land: 23,180 sq km

water: 20 sq km
Area - comparativealmost five times the size of Alabama; slightly smaller than Texasslightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundariestotal: 2,385 km

border countries (3): Djibouti 61 km, Ethiopia 1640 km, Kenya 684 km
total: 528 km

border countries (3): Eritrea 125 km, Ethiopia 342 km, Somalia 61 km
Coastline3,025 km314 km
Maritime claimsterritorial sea: 200 nm; note: the US does not recognize this claim

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climateprincipally desert; northeast monsoon (December to February), moderate temperatures in north and hot in south; southwest monsoon (May to October), torrid in the north and hot in the south, irregular rainfall, hot and humid periods (tangambili) between monsoonsdesert; torrid, dry
Terrainmostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in northcoastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains
Elevation extremeshighest point: Mount Shimbiris 2,460 m

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m

mean elevation: 410 m
highest point: Moussa Ali 2,021 m

lowest point: Lac Assal -155 m

mean elevation: 430 m
Natural resourcesuranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas, likely oil reservespotential geothermal power, gold, clay, granite, limestone, marble, salt, diatomite, gypsum, pumice, petroleum
Land useagricultural land: 70.3% (2018 est.)

arable land: 1.8% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 68.5% (2018 est.)

forest: 10.6% (2018 est.)

other: 19.1% (2018 est.)
agricultural land: 73.4% (2018 est.)

arable land: 0.1% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 73.3% (2018 est.)

forest: 0.2% (2018 est.)

other: 26.4% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land2,000 sq km (2012)10 sq km (2012)
Natural hazardsrecurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer; floods during rainy season

earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic disturbances from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods

volcanism: experiences limited volcanic activity; Ardoukoba (298 m) last erupted in 1978; Manda-Inakir, located along the Ethiopian border, is also historically active

Environment - current issueswater scarcity; contaminated water contributes to human health problems; improper waste disposal; deforestation; land degradation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertificationinadequate supplies of potable water; water pollution; limited arable land; deforestation (forests threatened by agriculture and the use of wood for fuel); desertification; endangered species
Environment - international agreementsparty to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - notestrategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canalstrategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia; mostly wasteland; Lac Assal (Lake Assal) is the lowest point in Africa and the saltiest lake in the world
Total renewable water resources14.7 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)300 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Population distributiondistribution varies greatly throughout the country; least densely populated areas are in the northeast and central regions, as well as areas along the Kenyan border; most populated areas are in and around the cities of Mogadishu, Marka, Boorama, Hargeysa, and Baidoa as shown on this population distribution mapmost densely populated areas are in the east; the largest city is Djibouti, with a population over 600,000; no other city in the country has a total population over 50,000 as shown in this population distribution map

Source: CIA Factbook