Regions of Djibouti

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Updates: 

I found slightly more recent population estimates.

FIPS Publication Change Notice No. 10, affecting FIPS PUB 10-4, was issued on 2006-03-23. It assigns new FIPS codes to the new region and the two old districts that were modified to create it. The status of the divisions is listed as regions rather than cercles.

ISO 3166-2 Newsletter number I-7 was published on 2005-09-13. It shows the results of the 2002 change.

A law on decentralization was passed on 2002-07-07. It created five regions, not including the city of Djibouti. The territorial effect of this change was to form a new region, Arta, by taking parts of the old districts of Dikhil and Djibouti. The law also promises to create communes at a later date. Subsequently, a decree issued 2003-04-09 defined the boundaries of the five regions, the city of Djibouti, and six arrondissements which are subdivisions of the city of Djibouti (Arrondissement du Plateau, Premier Arrondissement, ... Cinquième Arrondissement).

Country overview: 

In 1900, French Somaliland was a freshly-minted French colony. It became an overseas territory in 1947. The name was changed to Afars and Issas, after the two major ethnic groups, in 1967. On 1977-06-27, the country became independent, changing its name to the Republic of Djibouti at the same time. There have been moderate border changes during the century.

Other names of country: 

1. Arabic: Jumhouriyya Djibouti (formal)
2. Danish: Djibouti
3. Dutch: Djibouti, Republiek Djibouti (formal)
4. English: Republic of Djibouti (formal), Afars and Issas (obsolete), French Somaliland (obsolete), Jibuti (obsolete), Somali Coast (obsolete)
5. Finnish: Djibouti
6. French: Djibouti m, Côte f Française des Somalis (obsolete), Territoire m Français des Afars et des Issas (obsolete)
7. German: Dschibuti n, Französisch Somali-Küste f (obsolete)
8. Icelandic: Djíbútí
9. Italian: Gibuti
10. Norwegian: Djibouti, Republikken Djibouti (formal)
11. Portuguese: Djibuti, Jibuti, República f de Djibuti m (formal)
12. Spanish: Djibouti, Yibuti, República f de Djibouti f (formal), Somalia f Francesa (obsolete), Territorio m de los Afares y los Issas (obsolete)
13. Swedish: Djibouti
14. Turkish: Cibuti

Origin of name: 

Afar gabod: basketwork tray, which Arabic traders adapted to Gabuti to refer to a cape (promontory) with a similar shape.

Primary subdivisions: 

Djibouti is divided into five régions (regions) and one ville (city).

Origins of names: 

1. Djibouti: after the city, which was named for the cape (Ras Gabuti in Arabic)
2. Tadjourah: from Arabic tidjare: marketplace

Change history: 

1. 1967-07-05: Name of country changed from French Somaliland to French Territory of Afars and Issas (French: Côte Française des Somalis to Territoire Français des Afars et des Issas).
2. ~1981: Obock, formerly a subdistrict of Tadjoura, became a separate district.
3. 2002-07-07: Status of districts changed to regions, except for Djibouti district, which became a city. Arta region created from parts of Dikhil and Djibouti districts (former HASC codes DJ.DI and DJ.DJ, respectively; former FIPS codes DJ02 and DJ03). Spelling of Tadjoura changed to Tadjourah.

Other names of subdivisions: 

1. `Ali Sabieh: `Ali Sabîh (variant)
2. Dikhil: Dikkil (variant)
3. Tadjourah: Tadjoura (obsolete)