Page 77 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 15

Leadership

its volcanoes and extreme heat, with
daytime temperatures surpassing 50
°C (122 °F). The Danakil Desert is
one of the lowest and hottest places
on Earth.
Djibouti has 314 kilometers (195
miles) of coastline. Much of the
coastline consists of white and gold,
sandy beaches.
(Source: http://justfunfacts.com/)

Hope and strength for Djibouti
Like always, every word of encour-
agement given to any nation we fea-
Henna palm art in Djibouti ture in the issues of this magazine
is a word to every nation of Afrika
and Afrikans both home and in the
diaspora.
With that, I knew this issue was Djibouti can be divided into three
about the tiny and beautiful nation major geographic regions: a coastal No one needs reminding that there
of Djibouti. plain, mountains behind the plain, is a lot of pressure in our world right
and a plateau behind the mountains. now and that Afrikan nations are not
About Djibouti exempted from these pressures. So it
Djibouti is a country in Northeast Mousa Ali is a 2,021 meters (6,631 comes as a refreshing message that
Africa. The official name of the feet) stratovolcano located on the we all can actually raise our heads up
country is the Republic of Djibouti. tri-point of Ethiopia, Eritrea and and say we have hope and strength in
Djibouti. The volcano is the highest the fact that our lives are not a wast-
It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, point in Djibouti. ed dump on the earth, but a calcu-
Ethiopia in the west and south, and About 90 percent of Djibouti’s ter- lated and well-articulated plan, with a
Somalia in the southeast. The re- rain is flat, barren desert land made genuine purpose in the Creator that
mainder of the border is formed by up of volcanic rock. cannot fail.
the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at
the east. The desert terrain of Djibouti is So to Djibouti and the good people
broken in places by salt lakes. The of Djibouti, it does not matter what
Djibouti has two official languages: largest of these is Lac Assal, at 155 you have had to endure over the
Arabic and French. meters (509 feet) below sea level, it years and even whatever you may be
is the lowest point in Africa and the enduring right now, you are remem-
As of 1 January 2017, the popula- second-lowest elevation in the world. bered. The news media is loaded
tion of Djibouti was estimated to be It is also the world’s saltiest body of with all manner of sad news about
905,618 people. water, with a concentration surpass- how Covid-19 has done some dam-
ing even that of the Dead Sea. Its age in your nation and the fear of
It is the 146th largest country in the water reaches temperatures of up to death is real each day. But I pray for
world in terms of land area, with 57°C (135°F) in the summer. you that the good Lord, who made
23,200 square kilometers (9,000 The country’s flora and fauna live you a nation of people, will keep and
square miles). in a harsh landscape with forest ac- guide you even in the midst of the
counting for less than one percent of troublesome days of pandemic.
Djibouti City is the capital and largest the total area of the country. I ask that you be strengthened in
city of Djibouti, which is named after hope and power and to deal with
it. It is located in the coastal Djibou- The Danakil Desert is a lowland each day with your heads lifted up
ti Region on the Gulf of Tadjoura. geothermal region, which covers above the pressures around you.
The city is known for its 19th-cen- much of western Djibouti. The Da-
tury architecture and the port at the nakil Desert extends into Ethiopia God bless the land and people of
entrance to the Red Sea. and Eritrea. The area is known for Djibouti.

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