Ap Human Geography Djibouti

Not all developing countries are the same. In 1977 when Djibouti broke away from the French territories they had big dreams of their country developing and becoming a major port area for goods. During the colonial years little effort was made to help develop the country socially or economically (SOURCE 2.) The countries location is located at the intersection of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Djibouti is located in Northeastern Africa, also known as the Horn of Africa. The surrounding countries include Eritrea to the north, Somalia to the east, and Ethiopia to the west and south. Personally when I read that Ethiopia was a surrounding country the first thought that came into my mind about Djibouti was poverty. This may be wrong and false …show more content…
Between high temperatures, infrequent rainfall and the sandy soil it makes it almost impossible for them to have farms and such to grow food to sell. It is pretty obvious that if the heat is too high and there is no rain to water the crops that nothing will grow and even if something does grow it will die soon or have poor quality. Not having farms that the people of Djibouti can work at is one reason that this country could be considered in poverty. Without job opportunities there are fewer people working to have an income for their homes and children. This country is heavily dependent on foreign assistance to help support its finance development projects and balance payments (SOURCE 4). The unemployment rates are ridiculously high in Djibouti. Nearly sixty percent of citizens are unemployed (SOURCE 4). It breaks my heart honestly, because with more job opportunities this country would be able to bloom and flourish just like other developing countries with the resources to do so. The effort to fight poverty in Djibouti suffered in 2011 when the eastern Horn of Africa was hit with its most severe drought in 60 years (SOURCE 1). This drought was detrimental in more ways than one. It induced high child mortality rates and made the food prices increase and sadly Djibouti is still in the process of trying to recover from this crisis (SOURCE 1). It truly amazes me how all across the world areas have …show more content…
No money usually means many things, such as low amounts food available, poor education or no education opportunities at all, and awful healthcare so people are dying at very early ages. Poverty in Djibouti is high. Poverty is more widespread and deeper in the countries rural areas and also the urban areas but more away from the capital city (SOURCE 5). This once again brings me back to my experiences in Guatemala. I went to Guatemala to do mission works with the community that lives in and around the biggest dump in Latin America so I have seen first hand all the effects of poverty. Poverty does not just leave you hungry or thirsty but can mentally and physically break someone down. For example, refugees in Djibouti living in camps benefit from food aid and free health care and education; they face difficult circumstances and describe themselves as having lost everything, even their identity (SOURCE 5). Poverty in Djibouti and low education are strongly correlated. Just like here in the United States. If someone goes to college and gets a degree they are more likely going to have more and better paid job opportunities than people who did not go to college and receive a degree. Yes, there are circumstances where people do not go to college and still have a well paying career but the chances are slimmer. The literacy rate in Djibouti is at fifty seven percent, but the