Djibouti
Djibouti: Political System
Djibouti is a presidential republic. The unicameral parliament, the National
Assembly, has 65 members (of which 33 are Issa and 32 Afar), who are elected
every five years. The direct election of the head of state takes place every six
years.
According to Digopaul.com,
the official name of the country is:
| Republic of Djibouti
Gumhuriyya Gibuti
République de Djibouti |
National anthem
The Djibouti national anthem was officially introduced in 1977.
The text is by Aden Elmi (born 1950), the music was composed by Abdi Robleh
(born 1945).
In the English translation
| In the original text |
In the English translation |
| Hinjinne u sara kaca
Calankaan harraad iyo
Haydaar u mudateen.Hir cagaarku qariyayiyo
Habkay samadu tahayoo
Xiddig dhi igleh hoorshoo
Caddaan lagu hadheeyaay.
Maxaa haybad kugu yaal! |
Stand up with power because we have hoisted our flag
The flag that has cost us a lot of thirst and pain. Our flag, the color of which
is the eternal green of the earth,
the blue of the sky,
the white, the color of peace
and in the middle the red star of blood.
Oh our flag, what a glorious sight! |
National flag
The flag of Djibouti was first hoisted on June 27, 1977, when Djibouti gained
independence from metropolitan France. The flag consists of two horizontal
stripes of equal size, the top blue and the bottom green. The stripes are
interrupted on the left edge by a white isosceles triangle with a red
five-pointed star.
Based on flag descriptions by
Countryaah.com, the colors of the flag are interpreted as follows, although there are other
interpretations:
- Blue is the traditional color of the Issa
- Green is the traditional color of the Afar
- The white triangle stands for peace and the red star symbolizes the unity of
the five districts of the Country.
Djibouti: animals
As in other dry regions in Africa, gazelles, antelopes, zebras, hyenas,
warthogs and jackals live in Djibouti. You can also see ostriches, Nile varans
and kudu here.
A special feature are the peaceful and herbivorous whale sharks that also occur
close to the coast and are always a great experience for divers. Domesticated
animals include goats, camels and sheep.
The Abbe Lake in the southwest is known for the numerous ibises, pelicans and
especially flamingos that occur here.
The Abbe Lake (Lac Abbé) is a salt lake that lies on the border of Ethiopia
and Djibouti. Of the area of 340 km², 110 km² are in Djibouti.
It is part of a chain of six interconnected lakes. The other lakes are listed
from north to south: Gargori, Laitali, Gummare, Bario and Afambo. The river
Awash flows into the outflowless Abbe Lake. Lake Abbe is the center of the Afar
Depression, where three tectonic plates meet.
Djibouti: plants
Due to the low rainfall, most of the country is covered by thorn bush
savannahs, semi and full deserts, where the grasses and shrubs typical of the
desert are at home. Some succulent species are adapted to the rain-free area and
can store water in their parts of the plant, such as cacti. They can be found,
for example, together with thorn trees on the slopes of Mousa Alli. Acacias,
thujas, juniper bushes, wild figs and olive trees are only found at heights
above 1,200 m. Many of the otherwise disappeared plant species still grow in the
Forêt du Day nature park. Mangrove forests can also be found on the coast and
smaller forest areas in the mountains.
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