Overview of Djibouti
According to Google Maps, Djibouti is a small East African nation bordered by Ethiopia to the west and south, Somalia to the southeast, and Eritrea to the northwest. It contains “natural ports with rail links into land-locked Ethiopia [and has] one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, connecting the Mediterranean Sea [to] the Indian Ocean” (“Djibouti in Perspective,” 2011). Djibouti’s seaport facilitates major exports and imports, including US humanitarian aid supplies to land-locked African nations such as Ethipoia. Despite Djibouti’s prime location for commercial trade and military access to the Middle East, its political and economic instability fails to establish an efficient infrastructure leaving most of the
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The quality of the water is poor and it only meets 75% of the Djibouti City’s need. Lake Assal is one of two major lakes in Djibouti. The high concentration of salt makes it unsuitable for drinking, but the salt is mined for export. “Djibouti’s natural resources include petroleum, gold, clay, granite, limestone, marble, salt, and diatomite, gypsum, pumice, and potential geothermal power from active volcanoes” (Djibouti in Perspective, 2011, p 4). Despite the list of resources, the supply is limited and Djibouti lacks the ability to provide affordable electricity throughout the country. Therefore, the country is “unable to expand its economic base beyond the service sector activities tied to the port. Such economic reliance on transshippings makes Djibouti extremely vulnerable to regional political instabilities and to slowdowns in the world economy that affect normal shipping patterns and levels” (Djibouti in Perspective, 2011, p.48). The lack of expansion is especially troublesome for the majority of the population that falls below the poverty line. This demographic is particularly vulnerable to drought conditions. Besides the poverty line, the people in Djibouti are further divided by culture. The people of Djibouti are divided into two groups called the Afars and the Issa Somalis. According to “Djibouti in Perspective” (2011), these groups …show more content…
Even though Djibouti received its independence from France in 1977, “the French military [still] guarantees Djibouti’s territorial integrity in the event of a foreign attack” (Djibouti in Perspective, 2011, p.47). The only U.S. military base in Africa is located in Djibouti. The U.S. leases a former French Foreign Legion base, Camp Lemonnier. “Although security assistance and counterterrorism support is a central mission of the [U.S.] Task Force, its personnel provide aid to humanitarian operations and assist with the building and repairing of local infrastructure (wells, roads, hospitals, schools, etc.)” (Djibouti in Perspective, 2011, p.48). On top of the humanitarian aid, the U.S. has been paying Djibouti over $60 million per year since 2002 to lease Camp Lemonnier. Those numbers do not include aid that the country receives from France and now Japan.
With all of the foreign investments and provided security, the question must be raised as to why Djibouti’s progress is on such a slow incline. Poverty is still prevalent and the infrastructure is insufficient. Djibouti’s population continues to grow but the economy fails to keep up. Political differences amongst the Afars and the Issa Somalis further complicate things and cause government
attacks of terrorist cells, such as al-Qaeda. The strategic location of the base in Djibouti, Africa
The landlocked country of Ethiopia is located in east Africa, just west of Somalia, and is roughly twice the size of Texas . Ethiopia’s natural resources include platinum, copper, and small reserves of gold. Only .65% of the land is suitable and allotted for permanent crops. Ethiopia is currently facing several environmental concerns including deforestation, overgrazing, soil erosion, and water shortages due to poor management of water-intensive farming. Ethiopia’s population is in excess of 66 million. Ethiopia is home to numerous ethnic groups, the largest being Oromo, which accounts for 40% of the population. About half of the Ethiopian population is Muslim, with the majority of the other half practicing Ethiopian Orthodox. Ethiopia’s government is a federal republic which grants its citizens voting rights at 18 years of age. Currently, Ethiopia faces the problem of attempting to control the illicit drugs that come through the country, as it acts as a hub for the transportation of heroin and cocaine.
Somalia is a country that has been fought over since the 1800’s when it was used as an important coal refueling station for ships. England, France, and Italy claimed part of the country for themselves. In 1960 the British and Italian colonies merged creating what is known today as Somalia. In 1977 the French colony became what is known today as Djibouti.2 Mohamed Siad Barre seized power to become the president and soon sided with communist Russia during the Cold War era. Siad was more of a brutal Marxist dictator than a president emphasizing nationalism as opposed to clan loyalty which goes against Somalia’s culture. He is over run by his own people returning the country to a clan-based culture. The aftermath of this results in a civil war between clans in 1988. After Siads withdrawal, he becomes a clan leader of one of many clans in the country.3 Soon after the revolution, the coali...
Gabon has a PCI (per capita income) that is two to four times greater than that of most sub-Saharan African nations. The average income in Gabon is about $6,400 compared to the $1,200 of some other countries. The higher PCI has helped in the decline of extreme poverty but because of a high income inequality many families still remain poor. High income inequality makes it hard for families to move up in society, they remain where they are at. In 1992 there fiscal deficit widened to 2.4% of there GDP and they did not settle the arrears on the bilateral debt which lead to the cancellation of all the official and private creditors. Fluctuating prices in the oil, timber, and uranium, plus poor fiscal management has also hurt the economy.
Economic ways started in the nineteenth century, still have a hold on the countries of the sub-Sahara today. These countries are all impoverished and have seen horrific civil wars, however, the general consensus is that they are making slow improvements in their economy. The starvation, overpopulation and health problems are still very evident. Perhaps continued assistance coupled with education and protection will keep them on the road to stability and more rewarding lives for their citizens.
Ethiopia was the second country, after Armenia, to adopt Christianity as the official religion. Approximately two thirds of the Ethiopian population is Christian; among them, the majority belongs to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Religion plays a major role in everyday life. Moreover, "the Orthodox Church dominates the political, cultural and social life of the population" (A-Z World Culture). Religious life is an important value to the Christian community. Holidays and Festivals are celebrated with great and colorful events. Important Christian holidays include Meskal (Finding of the True Cross), Gena (Christmas), Timkat (Epiphany), and Fasika (Easter). During these festivities, government offices, banks, business offices and retail stores are usually closed. For the three-day celebration of the Christ’s baptism, the Orthodox community gathers in churches for a mass service. As explained in the A-Z World Culture website, the event is celebrated “with colorful and dramatic processions attended by devotees and priests”. The procession is then followed by loud singing and blowing of horns while the priests and members of the Church carry the Tabot (replica of the Ark of the Covenant). Ethiopian Christians’ devotion to religious life is also seen during the fasting periods. For instance during Siklet (Suffering Friday), “devotees abstain from eating dishes containing meat and dairy products” (A-Z World Culture). Ethiopian Christians believe fasting is a way to attain forgiveness for their sins. Some fasting periods are short lasting from a few days to two weeks. Others may last two months, like the Lenten season that leads up to Easter. Easter is one of the greatest Christian holidays. It is actually considered...
4. United Nations Development Programme, U.N. Human Development Report 2006, Beyond Scarcity: Power, Poverty, and the Global Water Crisis, web. 6 Dec. 2009 http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/hdr2006_english_summary.pdf
Tadesse, Debay. Post-independence South Sudan: the challenges ahead. ISPI-ISTITUTO PER GU STUDI DI POLITICA INTERNAZIONALE. February 2012.no.46.
Ethiopia is a completely landlocked country. Access to the Red Sea is blocked its former autonomous region, Eritrea, which is located to the north of this country. The small country of Djibouti is located to Ethiopia’s northern borders, alongside Eritrea. Preventing access to the Indian Ocean is Somalia on Ethiopia’s eastern border. Lying on Ethiopia’s southern border is Kenya. On the south western border sits South Sudan and Sudan covers the north western border (Ofcansky and Berry).
Morocco,is a country in the northwestern corner of Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea on the north and the Atlantic Ocean on the west. The Strait of Gibraltar, which connects the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, separates Morocco from Spain by only about 8 miles (13 kilometers). Fertile plains lie along Morocco's coasts, and forested mountains stretch across the middle of the country from southwest to northeast. Beyond the mountains lies a sun-baked desert, the Sahara. Rabat is Morocco's capital, and Casablanca is the largest city. Nearly all Moroccans are of mixed Arab and Spanish descent. But the people make up two distinct ethnic groups--Arab and Spanish--depending mainly on whether they speak Arabic or Spanish. Almost all Moroccans are Muslims. Farming is the chief occupation, and more than half the people live in rural areas. France and Spain controlled Morocco from the early 1900's until it won independence in 1956.
In the Africa, lies the country Somalia, which is located on east coast of the continent. Its capital, Mogadishu, however has inconveniently brought its own problems, from colonization to politics, disagreements arise, causing tension throughout the country. Somalia’s historical background and culture ultimately lead to the war in its capital, it lead to the War of Mogadishu.
The Horn of Africa is one of the most important hubs for maritime traffic in the world today. Raw goods, including oil, that are departing the nations of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East must pass through this area in route to Europe and the West. Three-fourths of the Earth is covered in water and roughly eighty percent of global economic goods are transported via commercial maritime shippers. The volume of maritime trade is highly congested in this region. Ships must pass through either the Gulf of Aden and ultimately to the Mediterranean or proceed south from the Arabian Sea towards the southern trip of Africa via the Indian Ocean. Piracy in the region has increasing dramatically in the last decade, largely because Somalia and Yemen can be considered failed states. The lack of government involvement in suppressing pirate activities has indirectly allowed them to flourish. The sheer size of the area, roughly two and a half billion square miles, goes predominantly unpatrolled. The scope of the problem piracy poses pales in comparison to the size of the ocean in which they successfully operate.
At the height of the conflict, about one third of the country's people were displaced. The chronic financial crisis became severe and the economy was close to collapsing. Poverty has become deeper in the rural areas of the Congo where poor people are now powerless, vulnerable and isolated. This is a big contributor to the poverty Congo is experiencing today, because little has improved and won’t improve until these problems are fixed. Overall, Central Africa’s dependence on agriculture could improve the wellbeing of the people but a long history of corruption, violence, and prevalent transportation issues have hindered an improvement in the economy resulting in poverty in the region.
Libya is a Country located in northern Africa, 90% of Libya’s land is covered by the Sahara Desert. There are no lakes or rivers, all of the country’s water supply is from underground. Libya is one of the largest countries in Africa, but largely due to its vast desert environment, the population is less than most of the other countries. Libya also has no water above ground, everything comes either from the ocean or the underground water systems that irrigate the underside of Libya. Libya’s flag is solid green, the only flag in the world with one colour and design, Libya also has a huge history of religions and cultured as well as some of the oldest architecture on the planet.