Djibouti, means "boiled steamer" in Afar, is located in the west bank in the Gulf of Aden, northeastern Africa. It serves as the communications hub from the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean, borders Somalia in the southeast, adjacent to Ethiopia in the southwest, west and northwest sides and borders Eritrea in the north.

Djibouti has complex terrain: there are towering volcanoes and deep lakes, with many volcano plateau which is not high, desert and volcano account for 90% of the country's area, and there are also low-lying plains and lakes. Most of the southern part is plateau and mountain, with the elevation ranging from 500 to 800 meters. The Great Rift Valley runs through the central part, and the Lake Assal in the northern end of the Valley is 150 meters below sea level, which the lowest point in the African continent. The Moussa Ali Mountain in the northern part is 2,010 meters high, which is the highest point in the country.