Area comparison map:

slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries:
total: 528 km
[see also: Land boundaries - total country ranks ]
border countries (3): Eritrea 125 km, Ethiopia 342 km, Somalia 61 km

Coastline:
314 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - territorial sea country ranks ]
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - exclusive economic zone country ranks ]
contiguous zone: 24 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - contiguous zone country ranks ]

Climate:
desert; torrid, dry
More Climate Details

Terrain:
coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains

Elevation:
mean elevation: 430 m
[see also: Elevation - mean elevation country ranks ]
lowest point: Lac Assal -155 m
highest point: Moussa Ali 2,021 m

Natural resources:
potential geothermal power, gold, clay, granite, limestone, marble, salt, diatomite, gypsum, pumice, petroleum

Land use:
agricultural land: 73.4% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
arable land: 0.1% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 0% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
permanent pasture: 73.3% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - permanent pasture country ranks ]
forest: 0.2% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 26.4% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
10 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Population distribution:
most densely populated areas are in the east; the largest city is Djibouti, with a population over 600,000; no other city in the country has a total population over 50,000

Natural hazards:
earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic disturbances from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods

volcanism: experiences limited volcanic activity; Ardoukoba (298 m) last erupted in 1978; Manda-Inakir, located along the Ethiopian border, is also historically active

Environment - current issues:
inadequate supplies of potable water; water pollution; limited arable land; deforestation (forests threatened by agriculture and the use of wood for fuel); desertification; endangered species

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
strategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia; mostly wasteland; Lac Assal (Lake Assal) is the lowest point in Africa and the saltiest lake in the world