The Djiboutians (french: Djiboutiens) are the people inhabiting or originating from
Djibouti
Djibouti, ar, جيبوتي ', french: link=no, Djibouti, so, Jabuuti officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red ...
. The country is mainly composed of two ethnic groups, the
Somali and the
Afar. It has many languages - though
Somali and
Afar are the most widely spoken ones,
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
and
French serve as the official languages. There is a small Djiboutian diaspora in
North America,
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
, and
Australia.
Demographics
Djibouti has a population of about 884,017 inhabitants. It is a
multiethnic
A multinational state or a multinational union is a sovereign entity that comprises two or more nations or states. This contrasts with a nation state, where a single nation accounts for the bulk of the population. Depending on the definition of ...
country. The local population grew rapidly during the latter half of the 20th century, increasing from about 69,589 in 1955 to around 869,099 by 2015. The two largest ethnic groups are the
Somalis
The Somalis ( so, Soomaalida 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒆𐒖, ar, صوماليون) are an ethnic group native to the Horn of Africa who share a common ancestry, culture and history. The Lowland East Cushitic Somali language is the shared ...
(60%) and
Afars (35%). The
Somali clan
The Somalis ( so, Soomaalida 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒆𐒖, ar, صوماليون) are an ethnic group native to the Horn of Africa who share a common ancestry, culture and history. The Lowland East Cushitic Somali language is the shared mo ...
component is mainly composed of the
Issa, followed by the
Gadabuursi and the
Isaaq
The Isaaq (also Isaq, Ishaak, Isaac) ( so, Reer Sheekh Isxaaq, ar, بني إسحاق, Banī Isḥāq) is a Somali clan. It is one of the major Somali clans in the Horn of Africa, with a large and densely populated traditional territory. Pe ...
. The remaining 5% of Djibouti's population primarily consists of Yemeni
Arab
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...
s, Ethiopians and Europeans (French and Italians). Approximately 76% of local residents are urban dwellers; the remainder are
pastoralists
Pastoralism is a form of animal husbandry where domesticated animals (known as "livestock") are released onto large vegetated outdoor lands (pastures) for grazing, historically by nomadic people who moved around with their herds. The animal s ...
.
[
After the ]civil war
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
in 1991, many Djiboutians emigrated abroad. Most reside in Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
, North America and the Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...
.
Culture
Djiboutians' culture is primarily rooted in Somali and Afar traditions. They speak different Cushitic languages, which are part of the larger Afro-Asiatic language family. Historically, they have been nomadic pastoralists
Pastoralism is a form of animal husbandry where domesticated animals (known as "livestock") are released onto large vegetated outdoor lands (pastures) for grazing, historically by nomadic people who moved around with their herds. The animal s ...
. However, recently the population has become urbanized - today, more than half live in the capital, along with the nearby towns and villages of the interior. Poetry has been traditionally recited in the villages by special readers called gabaye. This was a way of recording the community's history and customs, as well as current events.
Cuisine
Djiboutian cuisine
Djiboutian cuisine is a mixture of Somali, Afar, Yemeni, and French cuisine, with some additional South Asian (especially Indian) culinary influences.
Local dishes are commonly prepared using a variety of Middle Eastern spices, ranging from sa ...
is a mixture of Somali, Afar, Yemeni
Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
, and French cuisine
French cuisine () is the cooking traditions and practices from France. It has been influenced over the centuries by the many surrounding cultures of Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Belgium, in addition to the food traditions of the re ...
, with some additional South Asian (especially Indian
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
) culinary influences. Local dishes are commonly prepared using Middle Eastern spices, ranging from saffron
Saffron () is a spice derived from the flower of ''Crocus sativus'', commonly known as the "saffron crocus". The vivid crimson stigma and styles, called threads, are collected and dried for use mainly as a seasoning and colouring agent in ...
to cinnamon. Spicy dishes come in many variations, from the traditional ''Fah-fah'' or "''Soupe Djiboutienne''" (spicy boiled beef soup), to the ''yetakelt wet'' (spicy mixed vegetable stew). ''Xalwo'' (pronounced "halwo") or halva is a popular confection eaten during festive occasions, such as Eid celebrations or wedding receptions. Halva is made from sugar, corn starch, cardamom
Cardamom (), sometimes cardamon or cardamum, is a spice made from the seeds of several plants in the genera ''Elettaria'' and ''Amomum'' in the family Zingiberaceae. Both genera are native to the Indian subcontinent and Indonesia. They are r ...
powder, nutmeg
Nutmeg is the seed or ground spice of several species of the genus ''Myristica''. ''Myristica fragrans'' (fragrant nutmeg or true nutmeg) is a dark-leaved evergreen tree cultivated for two spices derived from its fruit: nutmeg, from its seed, an ...
powder, and ghee. Peanut
The peanut (''Arachis hypogaea''), also known as the groundnut, goober (US), pindar (US) or monkey nut (UK), is a legume crop grown mainly for its edible seeds. It is widely grown in the tropics and subtropics, important to both small and ...
s are sometimes added to enhance texture and flavor. After meals, homes are traditionally perfumed using incense
Incense is aromatic biotic material that releases fragrant smoke when burnt. The term is used for either the material or the aroma. Incense is used for aesthetic reasons, religious worship, aromatherapy, meditation, and ceremony. It may also b ...
(''cuunsi'') or frankincense (''lubaan''), which is prepared inside an incense burner referred to as a ''dabqaad
The dabqaad (Somali for "fire raiser"), also known as unsi or girgire, is an incense burner, or censer. With either one or two handles, it is commonly used in Somalia, Ethiopia and Djibouti.
Usage and production
Dabqaads are traditionally used t ...
''.
Music
Djiboutian music has Somali and Afar roots. Most Somali songs follow the pentatonic scale
A pentatonic scale is a musical scale with five notes per octave, in contrast to the heptatonic scale, which has seven notes per octave (such as the major scale and minor scale).
Pentatonic scales were developed independently by many an ...
. That is, they only use five pitches per octave in contrast to a heptatonic
A heptatonic scale is a musical scale that has seven pitches, or tones, per octave. Examples include the major scale or minor scale; e.g., in C major: C D E F G A B C—and in the relative minor, A minor, natural minor: A B C D E F G A; the m ...
(seven note) scale, often found in Western music. At first listen, Somali music might be mistaken for the sounds of nearby regions such as Ethiopia, Sudan or the Arabian Peninsula, but it is ultimately recognizable by its own unique tunes and styles. Traditional Afar music resembles the folk music of other parts of the Horn of Africa such as Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
; it also contains elements of Arabic music
Arabic music or Arab music ( ar, الموسيقى العربية, al-mūsīqā al-ʿArabīyyah) is the music of the Arab world with all its diverse music styles and genres. Arabic countries have many rich and varied styles of music and also man ...
. The history of Djibouti is recorded in the poetry and songs of its nomadic people, and goes back thousands of years to a time when the peoples of Djibouti traded hides and skins for the perfumes and spices of ancient Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
, India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, and China. Afar Oral Literature is also quite musical. Popular Djiboutian musicians include Nima Djama, Abdo Xamar Qoodh
Abdo Xamar Qoodh ( so, Cabdo Xamar Qoodh) was a well-known Djiboutian songwriter, composer and singer.
Biography
Abdo Ismael Bouh ( so, Cabdo Ismaaciil Buux) was born to an artistic family in Ali Sabieh, French Somaliland in 1949. The son of Ismae ...
, Mohamed Ali Fourchette, Abdallah Lee, Said Xamar Qoodh, and Xabiiba Cabdilaahi.
Cinema
Storytelling is an ancient custom in Djiboutian culture. This tradition is continued by a love of cinema. The earliest forms of public film display in Djibouti were in French. In the 1920s, the first local movie theaters opened, during a time when Djibouti City
Djibouti (also called Djibouti City and in many early English texts and on many early maps, Jibuti; so, Magaalada Jabuuti, french: link=no, Ville de Djibouti, ar, مدينة جيبوتي, aa, Gabuutî Magaala) is the eponymous capital of Dji ...
was growing in size. Film theaters became a place where local residents could watch movies in a relaxed atmosphere. With the development of the local film industry, additional theaters were launched. Among these establishments was the ''Eden'' in 1934, ''Olympia'' in 1939, ''Le Paris'' in 1965, and ''Al Hilal'' in 1975.
During the 1970s, the capital city had five movie theaters, with one in each district. A few local attempts at film making were also concurrently carried out with the participation of local actors. One of these was ''Burta Djinka'', a film in Somali directed by G. Borg in 1972. Following independence in 1977, a growing number of government-owned production and distribution companies as well as actual projection theaters sprang up.
In the 1990s two of the biggest cinemas, Odeon and Olympia, closed their doors.
Languages
The languages of Djibouti include Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
and French (official), and Somali and Afar (primary), which are the mother tongues of the Somali and Afar ethnic groups, respectively. Both languages belong to the larger Afro-Asiatic family.
Religion
Islam entered the region very early on, as a group of persecuted Muslims had sought refuge across the Red Sea
The Red Sea ( ar, البحر الأحمر - بحر القلزم, translit=Modern: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar, Medieval: Baḥr al-Qulzum; or ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϩⲁϩ ''Phiom Enhah'' or ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲣⲓ ''Phiom ǹšari''; ...
in the Horn of Africa at the urging of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. In 1900, during the early part of the colonial era, there were virtually no Christians
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...
in the area, with only about 100–300 followers coming from the schools and orphanages of the few Catholic missions in French Somaliland. Islam is the driving force behind the unity of varying ethnic groups from different parts of the country, and has significantly shaped the values and traditions of Djibouti.
Notable Djiboutians
*Hassan Gouled Aptidon
Hassan Gouled Aptidon ( so, Xasan Guuleed Abtidoon; ar, حسن جوليد أبتيدون) (October 15, 1916 – November 21, 2006) was the first President of Djibouti from 1977 to 1999.
Biography
He was born in the small village of Gerisa in t ...
, first President of Djibouti from 1977 to 1999
*Mahmoud Harbi
Mahamoud Harbi Farah ( ar, محمود الحربي, so, Maxamuud Xarbi Faarax) (1921 – 29 September 1960) was a Djiboutian politician of Somali ethnicity. A pan-Somalist, he was the Vice President of the Government Council of French Somal ...
, Vice-President of the Government Council of French Somaliland
* Ahmed Dini Ahmed, Prime Minister of Djibouti from 1977 to 1978
*Dileita Mohamed Dileita
Dileita Mohamed Dileita ( aa, Dileita Macammad Dileita, ar, دليطة محمد دليطة) (born 12 March 1959''Profiles of People in Power: The World's Government Leaders'' (2003), page 142–143.[Hussein Ahmed Salah
Hussein Ahmed Salah ( ar, حسين أحمد صلاح, so, Xuseen Axmed Saalax) is a Djiboutian former long-distance runner, best known for winning a bronze medal in the marathon at the 1988 Summer Olympics. He also won silver medals in this eve ...]
, Djiboutian marathon runner
* Jamal Abdi Dirieh, Athlete
* Ayanleh Souleiman, Professional athlete
* Mouna-Hodan Ahmed, Novelist
* Lula Ali Ismaïl, Djiboutian-Canadian film director
*Roda Ali Wais
Roda Ali Wais ( so, Rooda Cali Wacays) is a middle-distance athlete who competed for Djibouti before defecting to Australia.
Ali Wais was only sixteen and the first ever Djiboutian female to represent her country in the Olympics when she compet ...
, Athlete
* Zeinab Kamel Ali, Politician
*Abdourahman Waberi
Abdourahman A. Waberi ( so, Cabdiraxmaan Waaberi) is a novelist, essayist, poet, academic and short-story writer from Djibouti.
Early life
Abdourahman Waberi was born in Djibouti City in the French Somali Coast, the current Republic of Djibouti. ...
, Novelist
*Abdo Xamar Qoodh
Abdo Xamar Qoodh ( so, Cabdo Xamar Qoodh) was a well-known Djiboutian songwriter, composer and singer.
Biography
Abdo Ismael Bouh ( so, Cabdo Ismaaciil Buux) was born to an artistic family in Ali Sabieh, French Somaliland in 1949. The son of Ismae ...
, Musician
*Ismail Hassan
Ismail Ahmed Kadar Hassan ( so, Ismaaciil Axmed Khadar Xasan; born 23 May 1987) is a Djiboutian footballer who plays as a midfielder
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively d ...
, Footballer
*Abdi Waiss Mouhyadin
Abdi Waiss Mouhyadin ( so, Cabdi Wacays Muxiyadiin) is a Djiboutian middle-distance runner competing primarily in the 1500 metres. He represented his country at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing reaching the semifinals. In addition he won ...
, Athlete
*Daher Ahmed Farah
Daher Ahmed Farah, ( so, Daahir Axmed Faarax) also known as DAF, is a Djiboutian politician and writer, who was born in 1962 in Dikhil.
Biography
Training
In 1983 Farah was an Inter-African admission to the annual entry competition at the Ecole ...
, Politician
*Youssouf Hiss Bachir
Youssouf Hiss Bachir (born 1 January 1987) is a Djiboutian middle-distance runner. He represented his country at two indoor and one outdoor World Championships.
Competition record
1Did not finish in the final
Personal bests
Outdoor
*1500 metr ...
, Athlete
* Ahmed Goumane-Roble, Politician
*Abdourahman Waberi
Abdourahman A. Waberi ( so, Cabdiraxmaan Waaberi) is a novelist, essayist, poet, academic and short-story writer from Djibouti.
Early life
Abdourahman Waberi was born in Djibouti City in the French Somali Coast, the current Republic of Djibouti. ...
, Novelist
* Nima Djama, Musician
* Hasna Mohamed Dato, Politician
*Mumin Gala
Mumin Booqora Gala or (Moumin Guelleh) ( so, Muumin Geele) (born 6 September 1986 in Djibouti City, Djibouti) is a Djiboutian runner. He competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the 5000m event and placed thirteenth.
Running career
In 2011, he ...
, Djiboutian athlete
* Omar Farah Iltireh, Djiboutian politician
*Yacin Elmi Bouh
Yacin Elmi Bouh ( ar, ياسين علمي بوح, so, Yaasiin Cilmi Buux) is a Djiboutian politician. He was Minister of Economy and Finance of Djibouti, Minister of Economy and Finance from 1997 to 2005 and has been Minister of Interior and De ...
, Politician
* Aden Robleh Awaleh, President of the National Democratic Party
* Mohamed Ali Fourchette, Musician
* Shanice Dileita Mohamed, Musician
* Moumin Bahdon Farah, Politician
Notes
{{authority control
Ethnic groups in Djibouti