The Republic of Djibouti is a small nation at the head of the Gulf of Aden in northeastern Africa. It was formerly a French colony known as French Somaliland (1884-1967) and then as the Territory of the Afars and Issas (1967-1977). It became independent in 1977. The country has maintained ties with France and has established ties with the U.S., making it possible for western tourists to visit the area. Djibouti's territory surrounds the Gulf of Tadjoura, an inlet (or firth) of the Gulf of Aden about 65 km (40 mi) long and 25 km (15 mi) wide at its entrance. The gulf is quite deep because it is a drowned rift valley opened by the separation of the Indian and African Plates of the earth's surface. The great lighthouse of Ra's Bir is the one fairly well known Djiboutian light. Very little is known about the others so photos and visitor reports are badly needed. Special thanks to Jean-François Rodriguez-Nadal for contributing two of the photos on this page. French and Arabic are the official languages in Djibouti. In French the word for a lighthouse is phare; île is an island, banc is a shoal, passe is a strait or inlet, and havre is a harbor. The Arabic word for a lighthouse is mnarh or manara (منارة). Ra's is a cape, jaza'ir or jazirat is an island, and shi'b is a reef. Transliteration of Arabic to Latin characters can be done in many ways, so alternate spellings are common. Aids to navigation in Djibouti are operated and maintained by the port authority, the Port of Djibouti. The port is operated under lease by Dubai Ports International. DPI is developing Djibouti as the major port of entry and export for northeastern Africa. ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volume D of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 112.
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Information available on lost lighthouses: Notable faux lighthouses: |
![]() Passe Ouest Light, Djibouti, November 2011 Google Maps photo by Nassir Moxa |
Adjoining pages: North: Eritrea | East: Somaliland
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Posted June 20, 2005. Checked and revised December 30, 2024. Lighthouses: 11. Site copyright 2024 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.