27th June: Djibouti Independence Day.

Today it is Djibouti's Independence Day. Here are 10 things you might not know about Djibouti:

1. The country became independent in 1977 and on the same day adopted their Flag. The flag consists of light blue and light Green bands with a white triangle on the hoist side, which has a red five pointed star in the middle. The flag was designed by Mahamoud Harbi. The white triangle stands for peace. The blue stripe represents the sea and sky and the green stripe represents earth. The red star stands for unity.
2. Over 90% of the population are Muslims. Djibouti is thought to be a very early adopter of Islam, dating from when the Prophet Mohammed urged a group of Muslims who were being persecuted to seek refuge there. Islam may thus have been introduced to the area well before the faith even took root in its place of origin.
3. Djibouti is home to lake Assal, the saltiest lake outside of Antarctica. Its average salt concentration is 34.8%, beating the Dead Sea (33.7%). The name means "honey lake", and the salt extracted from it was an important commodity historically. Caravan routes sprang up around it and salt was traded for all sorts of other items, including Coffee, ivory, musk, and slaves.
4. At 23,200 square kilometers (8,958 square miles), Djibouti is the third smallest country in continental Africa, after Swaziland and Gambia.
5. The country was named after the bottom point of the Gulf of Tadjoura, derived from the word ‘gabouti’, a type of doormat made of palm fibres. During its history, Djibouti has been known by other names, including: “Land of Tehuti” after the Egyptian Moon God; French Somaliland; Territoire Français des Afars et des Issas (TFAI) ("French Territory of the Afars and the Issas").
6. It is thought to be part of the location known by the Ancient Egyptians as the Land of Punt. The Puntites had close relations with Ancient Egypt during the times of Pharaoh Sahure and Queen Hatshepsut. According to temple reliefs at Deir el-Bahari, the Land of Punt was ruled at that time by King Parahu and Queen Ati.
7. The capital and largest city is Djibouti City, which was founded by the French in 1888. It is sometimes called the Pearl of the Gulf of Tadjoura, because of its proximity to the world's busiest shipping lanes. 60% of the population live here.
8. The highest point is in the Mousa Ali mountain range and is on the border with Ethiopia and Eritrea. It has an elevation of 2,028 m. The lowest point is Lake Assal, which is 155m (509 feet) below sea level and is also the lowest land point in Africa.
9. The official languages of Djibouti are French and Arabic. Somali and Afar are also widely spoken.
10. Djibouti has a long tradition of poetry. A sign of achievement for a young poet is to be able to compose a gabay (epic poem), the most complex type, which can be over 100 lines long. Poems have several main themes, including baroorodiiq (elegy), amaan (praise), jacayl (romance), guhaadin (diatribe), digasho (gloating) and guubaabo (guidance).