Djibouti 100-FRANCS (KM26)¶
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Reverse DROMEDARY CAMELS
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Obverse Coat of Arms
- Composition
- Copper-Nickel
- Country
- Djibouti
- Approx. Size
- 30mm
- Area
- Africa
- Animal Class
- Mammals
- Species
- Dromedary Camels
- KM#
- 26
The Dromedary Camel was originally native to northern Africa, but became extinct in the wild around 1000 BCE. They were reintroduced around the beginning of the 6th century when Persia conquered Egypt. Experts disagree on when the camel was first domesticated with opinions ranging from 1400 BCE to 4000 BCE. Today there are approximately 13 million domesticated camels in Africa.
Djibouti¶
- Area
- Africa
Djibouti is a very small country on the eastern 'horn' of Africa, at the southern end of the Red Sea. It was a French protectorate in the 19th century known as French Somaliland. The name was changed to the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas in 1967. Independence was achieved in 1977 as Djibouti. The desert land has a chronic shortage of drinking water, but it is a statregically important trade location. It is this location that fuels the country's service-based economy. Unfortunately, nearly half the people don't have jobs. The two main groups -- Issa (Somali) and Afar -- have had trouble getting along especially during the 1990s when they went to war against each other. In April 2005, Ismaïl Omar Guelleh -- the second president of Djibouti -- won his second 6-year term after winning 100% of the ballots. He was the only candidate on the ballot. Surprisingly, nearly 80% of eligible voters went out to vote.
