Arta (, ) is a town in southeastern
Djibouti. The center of the
Arta Region, it is the country's sixth-largest city. , the population was 11,221.
Arta is situated on the
Mountains of Arta and is famous for its mild climate. It is located some west of the national capital,
Djibouti City.
History

Arta was a small village when the French created their
French Somaliland. During the Middle Ages, it was ruled by the
Ifat and
Adal Sultanates subsequently came under
Ottoman and French protection in the 18th century. Arta later formed a part of the
French Somaliland protectorate in the first half of the 20th century. In the December 1942
British invasion of French Somaliland, about 700 British troops and Free French troops occupied the town. Under
French colonial rule in 1946, a new housing estate and hill station was built.
Arta's climate lent itself to becoming the prime sanctuary of the French civil servants in
Djibouti. The region of Arta is inhabited of the popular ethnic group of Djibouti, the
Issa, formulated the "Declaration of Arta", in which they professed cohesion under the protection of
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. They argued against the influence of the large independent neighboring countries of
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...
and
Somalia
Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...
and against the connection to one of these countries.
From May 2, 2000,
peace talks between various factions of the
Somali Civil War were held in the city with some 810 delegates, resulting in the establishment of the
Transitional National Government of Somalia.
Geography
Arta is situated on a
plateau
In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; : plateaus or plateaux), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. ...
in the
Arta Mountains which over looks the
coastal plains,
above sea level
Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...
. The town is connected to other environs by
National Highway 4. Public buses go from Djibouti City to Arta. It takes half an hour to get to Arta. A contracted bus ride from Djibouti city to Arta can charge between 350 Djiboutian franc. Arta's terrain is typified by its mountains.
We`a is situated just down the mountain, around to the south.
Climate
Arta is characterized by a
hot arid climate (
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
: ''BWh'') with hot and dry, prolonged summers and relatively wet mild winters. It has a somewhat milder climate than other Djiboutian cities due to its higher altitude.
The summer season in Arta is moderately long, characterized by hot and dry and refreshing breezes with little rain, but
relative humidity
Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation (meteorology), precipitation, dew, or fog t ...
is generally low, making the heat tolerable. Average high temperatures are between and during
summer months, and it can sometimes rise up to during
heat waves, and it can occasionally drop to below - at night. Winter usually sets in around the end of November, extending through early to mid-March. Arta experiences fog coastal fog and greater cloud coverage as warm air passes over the mountains. During the
winter months, average low temperatures are between and , and it can occasionally drop to below . The average annual rainfall in Arta is around 205 mm (8 in)
Demographics
, the population of Arta has been estimated to be 11,043. The town inhabitants belong to various mainly
Afro-Asiatic-speaking ethnic groups, with the
Issa Somali predominant.
Twin towns – sister cities
Arta is
twinned with:
References
{{Authority control
Arta Region
Populated places in Djibouti