Djibouti, officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a small, strategically vital nation located in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the southwest, Somalia to the south, Eritrea to the north, and possesses extensive coastlines on both the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The country's geography is characterized by arid plains and rugged escarpments, making it a critical global transit point for maritime trade and military logistics.