Learning about Djibouti for Kids – Lesson Plans

Djibouti is officially the Republic of Djibouti and it is a country on the Horn of Africa that is heavily influenced by Arabic and French traditions (and those are the nation’s two official languages). Let’s learn more about Djibouti!

Djibouti Basics

Djibouti is bordered by Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea, as well as the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. It is 8,958 square miles, or 23,200 square kilometers, with a population of more than a million people. 

Djibouti City is the capital and largest city, and the country was named after the city, though it’ snot clear what the name means. It may have come from words related to plate or plateau give the area’s geography. 

Sixty percent of the population is ethnically Somali, and 94 percent consider themselves Islamic. 

The region has been inhabited for about 3 million years, and it was part of the Land of Punt along with Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somaliland before the colony of French Somalialand was established in the late 19th century.

It was later known as the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas, and gained its independence from France in 1977. There has been armed conflict about the government in years past, but a power sharing agreement was put in place in 2000 to end the conflict. 

The country has a president and prime minister, with the president holding most of the power and the prime minister being appointed by the president as their assistant. The country is considered authoritarian, though opposition political parties are allowed the last election only included one candidate. 

Because of the country’s location, Djibouti is a key transit port for the Red Sea and a lot of its economy is related to that commerce. They can grow some food there, but limited rainfall means much of their food is imported. 

Djibouti National Symbols

The flag of Djibouti features a light blue stripe on top and a green stripe on the bottom, with a white triangle on the left side that has a red star in its center. The light blue is said to represent the sky and the sea, as well as the Somali people. The green is the green of the earth and represents the Afar people. White is for peace and the red star is for unity and has five points because Djibouti is one of five regions inhabited by Somalis. 

The national anthem is also called “Djibouti” and was adopted in 1977. The lyrics are in Somali.

The star from the flag is repeated on the nation’s emblem, which also features laurel branches in an oval shape. Inside this frame are a spear and a shield, along with two hands facing away from each other, holding machetes. The hands represent the indigenous ethnic groups, the Afar and Issa. 

There’s not a lot of information about other national symbols, but a couple of sources told me the national animal is the elk. One noted the critically endangered Djibouti spurfowl is considered a national bird because its only habitat is within the country. 

I also found mention of palm trees as being a national symbol but nothing official on any of these. 

Djibouti Activities for Kids

Check out Day Forest National Park, a rare forest on a continent that doesn’t have a lot of forest. It’s about 36 square miles, or 93 square kilometers and is home to an array of animals that you can pull out activities for including cheetah and leopards, aardvarks and gazelles, to name a few.

Learn about Asa Koma, an inland lake home to one of the oldest Neolithic settlements in the country. Pottery found there has been dated to the second millennium BCE.

Watch a video about visiting Lale Assal, the lowest point in Africa, a giant salt lake (the part about Lake Assal starts around minute 26 of this video). 

Find printables and other educational resources about Djibouti at Teachers Pay Teachers.

The national dish is considered to be skudahkharis, a one-pot lamb and rice dish cooked with lots of spieces like cumin, cayenne and cloves. Find a recipe at Amira’s Pantry.