Africa

Flag of Djibouti

Djibouti is a tiny nation at the Horn of Africa where the Red Sea meets the Gulf of Aden, occupying one of the world's most strategically important maritime chokepoints. This location has made it home to multiple foreign military bases — American, French, Chinese, Japanese, and Italian — a unique concentration for such a small country. Despite limited natural resources, Djibouti generates significant revenue from port services and serves as the main trade gateway for landlocked Ethiopia.

CapitalDjibouti City
RegionAfrica
Current flag since1977
Main coloursBlue, Green, White, Red
Populationabout 1.1 million
Areaabout 23,000 km²
Flags in history2

Population and area are rounded.

What the flag of Djibouti means

Light blue represents the Issa Somali people as well as the sea and sky, green the Afar people and the earth, white peace, and the red star the unity of the nation. It was the flag of the independence movement and was adopted when Djibouti became independent from France in 1977.

More about the flag

Djibouti sits on the Bab-el-Mandeb strait between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, one of the world's busiest shipping routes, and hosts military bases of several foreign countries. Before independence on 27 June 1977 it was the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas, named after the two peoples whose colours appear on the flag.

How to recognise it

Horizontal light blue-over-green with a white triangle on the left containing a red star.

Did you know?

Djibouti hosts more foreign military bases than almost any other country, due to its strategic location.

Easily confused with

Djibouti's flag is often mixed up with these. Learn to tell them apart:

Somalia

Eritrea

Flag history of Djibouti

Every flag that has flown over Djibouti, from today back through time.

1977–present

Flag of Djibouti

Adopted at independence from France in 1977: light blue and green bands with a white triangle and red star. The colors are associated with the Issa and Afar communities, the star representing unity.

1888–1977

French Somaliland / Afars and Issas

Djibouti was French Somaliland from 1888, renamed the French Territory of the Afars and Issas in 1967 — a strategically vital colony guarding the Red Sea entrance to the Suez route, flying the French tricolor. France held it longer than almost any other African territory, granting independence only in 1977.

Neighbouring countries

Djibouti shares a land border with 3 countries: Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia.

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Somalia

Other flags in blue, green, white and red

4 other national flags use the same main colours as Djibouti's.

Play Globalio and learn Djibouti's flag