I humbly admit my ignorance, I've never heard of this country...

[Virginia Dare]

or it's former ruler, and I consider myself fairly well informed..

It's amazing how little we as Americans know or care about Africa.


Hassan Gouled Aptidon, who became Djibouti's first leader after it achieved independence from French rule and served as a mediator among warring neighbors in the Horn of Africa, died Nov. 21 at his home in the capital city of Djibouti.

Mr. Gouled, formerly one of the world's longest-serving heads of state, was believed to be 90, more than twice the average Djiboutian's life expectancy. :wow:

No cause of death was reported, but he had been increasingly ill since he left the presidency in 1999 after 22 years in power.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/29/AR2006112901450.html

[Freddie Stubbs]

1. It's near Ethiopia and Somalia

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

2. Big volcanic eruption their a few years ago.

Thousands of people had to be evacuated.

Lots of "Djibouti's erupting" jokes floating around the intertubes at the time. Kind of reminded me of the "Phuket" jokes after the tsunami.

[zappa_parappa]

3. The capital of Djibouti is Djibouti

droppin some knowledge on you.

[shadowknows69]

4. All I needed to know about Africa I learned in a Pepsi commercial

n/t

[lapfog_1]

6. One more thing.

The Snows of Kilimanjaro was a fine piece of fiction... there is no more snow on Mt. Kilimanjaro.

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=10856

[shadowknows69]

8. That one I knew

But hey Pepsi, is there anything it can't do?

[leveymg]

5. It's the most secure site for US and French activities in the Horn of Africa

Both have an active diplomatic and military presence there. See, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4421515.stm

[onenote]

7. used to be known as French Somaliland = gained independence in 1977

[Lex]

9. I had heard of "Ja booty" but I didn't know it started with a D.

nt

[MrCoffee]

10. There was a really good article in the September Esquire about Djibouti and drugs...

http://www.esquire.com/features/articles/2006/060807_mfe_September_06_Quest__1.html


it's long, but it's very well-written.

[jilln]

11. Current leader: Sheik Djibouti

[Wiley50]

15. or so the Frank Zappa song goes n/t

[Robbien]

12. Claiming Ignorance here also

Djibouti?

Also, I couldn't even begin to know how to pronounce it.

[reichstag911]

14. Ja-booty...

...Oh well, couldn't do a schwa, so I put an "a" after the "J" sound.

[zreosumgame]

13. you probably have, but did not realize it was a real country

It is one of those place names people find 'funny', normally prounounced as 'Di-Ja-Booty' in a kind of sing-song voice so it sounds like a made-up name in a movie.

[Igel]

16. I would have pointed to this at the map if asked to find Djibouti.

But I was a bit confused, because if you had pointed to the tiny country and asked me its name I would have called it "Afars and Isis" (or Issas). "Isis" pronounced something like ee-SEECE.

Between being French Somaliland and becoming Djibouti, that was the name it had. "Afar" is an ethnonym. Can't account for the "Issas" bit.

I suspect the Islamic Courts will aim for a greater Somalia; while they may be itching to fight Ethiopa, there are smaller, weaker areas that could be annexed first. Including the Somali areas of Djibouti.