Silversea Djibouti Cruise Port Guide | Silversea Cruises

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Awaiting Your Return FROM Shore

Djibouti, the former

and Somalia consisting of little more than a port at the southern entrance

to the Red Sea. Its importance increased during both the Gulf War and the

U.N. intervention in Somalia when it served as a base for Allied troops.

The area known as Djibouti was only sparsely populated by nomadic people

who used it as grazing land, until the French realized its strategic value

in 1859. Their initial interest in the area was to counteract the British

trading presence in Aden, fueled by the desire of both countries to control

the entrance to the Red Sea. In 1862, the French established themselves on

the coast and drew up a treaty with Afar leaders to legitimize their

acquisition of the coastal region. International pressure FROM the Arab

League, local unrest and the increasingly turbulent situation in the horn of

Africa eventually led to the French withdrawing FROM Djibouti in 1976. Close

links with France still exist, with over 3,500 French troops remaining in

Independence did not bring harmony to the former French colony due to the

tension between the Afar and Issa tribes. These indigenous people are evenly

divided, with the Issa located in the south and the Afar living in the

northern part of the country. Both tribes are Muslim with nomadic culture.

The country also harbors some 30,000 refugees who have fled into Djibouti as

a result of various wars in neighboring Ethiopia and Somalia.

The construction of the country's capital began under the French in 1888.

More than half of the country's population, thought to be around 500,000,

live in Djibouti City, which acts as an international transit port and

refueling center. The town has an Arab flavor to it both in terms of its

architecture and its culture. A colorful market near the mosque in the

center of town is probably the main attraction. It retains elements of

African, European and Arab culture.

Most travelers visit the country for its desert scenery, interesting sea

life and white sand beaches. Much of Djibouti's territory lies below sea

level accounting for the vast deposits of salt. The only continuous annual

vegetation is found in the upper part of the basaltic range, north of the

Gulf of Tadjoura, where the altitude reaches more than 3,940 feet above sea

Please Note: Guests must be aware of poor conditions and very limited

infrastructure in Djibouti.

Awaiting Your Return

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