page_title: Djibouti (city)
section_title: Administration
hierarchical_section_title: Djibouti (city) / Administration
caption_attribution_description: English: National Assembly of Djibouti Français&#160;: Assemblée nationale de Djibouti Deutsch: Nationalversammlung von Dschibuti
context_page_description: Djibouti City is the eponymous capital and largest city of Djibouti. It is located in the coastal Djibouti Region on the Gulf of Tadjoura.
  Djibouti City has a population of around 562,000 inhabitants, which counts for over 70% of the country's population. The settlement was founded in 1888 by the French, on land leased from the ruling Somali and Afar Sultans. During the ensuing period, it served as the capital of French Somaliland and its successor the French Territory of the Afars and Issas.
  Known as the Pearl of the Gulf of Tadjoura due to its location, Djibouti City is strategically positioned near the world's busiest shipping lanes and acts as a refueling and transshipment center. The Port of Djibouti is the principal maritime port for imports to and exports from neighboring Ethiopia. Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport is the main domestic airport, connecting the capital to various major global destinations. Djibouti City has the second-largest economy of any city in the Horn of Africa after Addis Ababa.
context_section_description: Djibouti City has the distinction of being both a city and an administrative province. The Djibouti Region is one of the six regions of Djibouti. It borders the Gulf of Tadjoura to the north and east, and the Arta Region to the south and west. The Djibouti Region is the smallest province in the country, but also the region with the highest population. Djibouti Region occupies an area of 200 square kilometres (77 square miles). It is the smallest region in Djibouti, and contains the national capital, Djibouti City.
  Djibouti City has been the capital of Djibouti since independence in 1977. Due to its maritime location, it was the logical choice as the young republic's administrative center. Following independence, Djibouti City continued with its status as the country's political and cultural hub. It is the seat of the government and home to all the national institutions: the government house, the parliament, ministries, the presidential palace, the vice-presidential residence, the constitutional court, judicial bodies and other public organizations.
  The Djibouti City includes three communes:
  The commune of Ras-Dika whose territory corresponds to the 6th arrondissement.
  The commune of Boulaos regroups the 1st, 2nd and 3rd arrondissements.
  The town of Balbala includes the 4th and 5th arrondissements.
  Djibouti City also serves as a hub for various state agencies, as well as continental and international organizations. The Social Development Agency of Djibouti (Agence de Développement Sociale de Djibouti) has its head offices here, as does the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) trade bloc. Additionally, the Regional Somali Language Academy, a language regulator established in June 2013 by the governments of Djibouti, Somalia and Ethiopia, has its headquarters in the city.
  Djibouti City is also home to the Armoured Regiment of Djibouti. The French 5th Overseas Interarms Regiment has served as the Djibouti garrison since 1 November 1969.
caption: The National Assembly of Djibouti in the centre of Djibouti City.
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