Key Factors That Influence The Culture Of Djibouti

In order to have a firm understanding of a certain country or region of the world it is vital to study multiple aspects of its culture and how it differs from others. Culture is defined by the Army Training and Doctrine Command’s G2 as “the set of distinctive features of a society or group, including but not limited to values, beliefs, and norms, that ties together members of that society or group and that drives action and behavior.” Five of the major factors that influence the culture of Djibouti are: geographic location and environment, religion and language, military presence, people, and government. Each factor has significant contributions to the overall culture, creating a unique and growingly important country at the horn of Africa.
Djibouti (previously known as French Somaliland) is located at the Northeastern edge of Africa known as the Horn of Africa. Djibouti is surrounded by Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Yemen is additionally located 20 miles from Djibouti, across the Bab al-Mandab straight where the Red Sea meets the Gulf of Aden. The geographic location of Djibouti, as
With the country previously being under control of France and later gaining its independence it is not surprising that France still holds a small base in the country. For the United States, Djibouti is home to the largest American Base in all of Africa. Japan holds a small base in the country as well. But, the most important country to only recently own an installation in the country is China. This is China’s first overseas installation and according to CNN’s Brad Lendon China is conducting this maneuver for peacekeeping and humanitarian support. The amount of troops and equipment is unknown at this time, but the editorial states “It’s not about seeking to control the world” by China even though Djibouti hosts a very strategic location at the Horn of