DjiboutiThe Republic of Djibouti is a country located in East Africa on the Gulf of Aden. Smaller than Switzerland or Croatia, and smaller than the state of Massachusetts, Djibouti lies in a hot, arid region of the Horn of Africa, atop a vast, stony desert with scattered highlands. Of the 757,000 inhabitants of this country, the vast majority are Somalis and the minority are Afars and around 15,000 are of European origin. (cia.gov)HistoryImmigrants from Arabia (the Afars) populated this region 300 BC, the Somalis arrived soon after, and the Islamic religion did not enter the region until 825 ACT. In the 19th century, Djibouti became a French territory, and it was not. until 1977, when it gained independence and became a republic (Alwan, Mibrathu, p. 133-136). Before becoming a colonized nation, the region's Somali and Afar tribes were nomadic herders and traders; their economic success depended heavily on their proximity to the Red Sea. Over the past decade, Djibouti's population has increased significantly due to heavy immigration from its war-ravaged neighbors. This rapid growth strained the agricultural capacity of this nation. In 2000, the UN spent more than $2 million to increase port facilities in Djibouti City, and in 2002 the country became a key US military base used to fight terrorism (infoplease.com). Uniqueness of Culture The culture of this region is directly influenced by the neighboring countries, as the nomadic tribes that populated these regions came from the interior. Although the majority of the population is of Somali origin (mainly the Issa tribe), the first settlers were Afars. Each ethnic group brought with it its traditions and customs...... middle of paper...... Almanac, Atlas, Biographies, Dictionary, Thesaurus. Free online reference, research and homework help. – Infoplease.com. Accessed May 9, 2011 from http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107467.htmlDjibouti. (nd). http://www.cia.gov. Accessed May 4, 2011 from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/dj.htmlDjibouti World Food. (nd). http://tabisite.com/wfood/. Accessed May 7, 2011 at http://tabisite.com/wfood/index.cgi/Djibouti/index.htmGuedda M.1998. Socio-economic studies on biodiversity in Djibouti, National Bureau of Environment, Tourism and Crafts, Republic of Djibouti (English translation) Emerton L. (October 1998). Djibouti Biodiversity: Economic assessment. Djibouti national strategy and action plan for biodiversity. UICNLaudouze, A., & Tazieff, H. (1989). Djibouti: nation crossroads (2. ed.). Paris: Karthala.