Today we head to Djibouti a small nation roughly the size of Belize located on the Horn of Africa between Somalia and Eritrea.
Djibouti has a relatively small population of around 900,000 and roughly two-thirds of the population lives in or near the capital Djibouti City.
Djibouti is lucky in that itβs located near some of the world's busiest shipping lanes and controls access to the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. Itβs used this to its advantage serving as a refuelling and a transit point for imports from and exports to its landlocked neighbour Ethiopia.
Djibouti is home to two noteworthy lakes. First Lake Assal is a salt lake that lies 155 metres below sea level making it the lowest point on the continent of Africa.
Secondly, Lake (Lac) Abbe is a plateau dotted with hundreds of limestone chimneys lending it an eerie otherworldly feel.
Djiboutiβs national dish is Skudahkharis, a lamb and spicy rice-based dish. Whenever theyβre not eating youβll find Djiboutians chewing a mildly intoxicating herb known as khat. Djiboutians have been chewing khat for thousands of years and it releases amphetamine-like chemicals.
I'm writing about every country in the world. One a day for 195 days. Learn more