year. Diwali is a major holiday in India,
but it is celebrated by people living outside
of India as well. The name Diwali
comes from a Sanskrit word that means
“row of lights.” The holiday is often
called the Festival of Lights. During
Diwali small lamps filled with oil light
up houses and temples. The lights are
meant to welcome the goddess of
wealth. The festivities last for five days.
The fourth day marks the start of the
new year on the Hindu calendar. On the
calendar used by most of the world,
Diwali falls in late October or early
November.
Diwali is one of the major religious holidays
of Hinduism. People often visit
friends and family during Diwali. They
give each other gifts and eat their favorite
foods, especially sweets. Merchants
perform religious ceremonies and open
new account books in the hope of gaining
wealth.
#More to explore
Hinduism
For many
years Walt
Disney himself
was the voice
of Mickey
Mouse.
An Indian boy lights a lamp during Diwali.
Sometimes people float the lamps on rivers.
58 Diwali BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Djibouti
The small Republic of Djibouti shares
the Horn of Africa—a triangle of land
on Africa’s east coast—with Eritrea,
Ethiopia, and Somalia. Its capital is the
port city of Djibouti.
Geography
Djibouti sits between the Red Sea and
the Gulf of Aden. The gulf is a part of
the Indian Ocean. The climate is hot
year-round, and it rarely rains. Much of
the land is bare desert. Dry riverbeds
and salty lakes dot the interior. Mountains
rise in the north.
Plants and Animals
Djibouti’s few plants include thorny
shrubs and grasses. A small forest of
olive, juniper, and acacia trees grows
around Mount Mousa, the country’s
highest point. Millions of flamingos
spend the winter around the salty Lake
Assal. Other animals include hyenas,
jackals, ostriches, antelope, and gazelles.
People
The country’s two largest ethnic groups
are the Issas and the Afars. The Issas are
related to the Somalis of Somalia. The
Afars are of Arabian origin. Nearly all
the people are Muslims. The official
languages are French and Arabic, but
many people speak Somali or Afar. Most
people live in or near Djibouti city.
Economy
Djibouti’s economy depends on transportation
services. Its port is a supply
station for ships traveling through the
Red Sea. A railway connects Djibouti to
Ethiopia. In rural areas people raise
goats and sheep.
History
Hundreds of years ago the region of
Djibouti was part of a Christian Ethiopian
empire. Arab traders brought Islam
to the area in about the AD 800s. Muslims
ruled the region until the 1800s,
when France took control. The colony
of French Somaliland became the
French Territory of the Afars and Issas in
1967. The territory gained independence
as Djibouti in 1977.
In the 1990s Afar rebels fought the Issadominated
government. In the early
21st century warfare and drought in
neighboring countries forced thousands
of people to move to Djibouti.
..More to explore
Djibouti City • Red Sea
Facts About
DJIBOUTI
Population
(2008 estimate)
506,000
Area
8,950 sq mi
(23,200 sq km)
Capital
Djibouti
Form of
government
Republic
Major cities
Djibouti, !Ali
Sabih, Tadjoura,
Dikhil
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Djibouti 59
Djibouti
Population
(2005 estimate)
350,000
Djibouti is a city in northeastern Africa
on the Gulf of Aden, a part of the
Indian Ocean. Djibouti is the capital of
a small country that is also named Djibouti.
Most of the country’s people live
in Djibouti city.
Djibouti city has a mixture of old and
modern buildings in African and French
styles. The economy of the city depends
on trade through its port. Transporting
goods on a railway to Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia, also brings money to the city.
Djibouti city began as a port in about
1888. In that year the French built a
station for fueling ships in the harbor. A
city soon rose up. The colony called
French Somaliland grew around the city.
In 1892 Djibouti city became the capital
of the colony.
Djibouti became an independent country
in 1977. Djibouti city was its capital.
The city grew rapidly in the late 20th
century. Many people went there to
escape droughts and wars in nearby
countries.
#More to explore
Djibouti
DNA
DNA is the material that carries all the
information about how a living thing
will look and function. For instance,
DNA in humans determines such things
as what color the eyes are and how the
lungs work. Each piece of information is
carried on a different section of the
DNA. These sections are called genes.
DNA is short for deoxyribonucleic acid.
It is in every cell of every living thing.
DNA is found in structures of the cell
called chromosomes. Chromosomes are
tiny. Scientists need to use very powerful
microscopes to see them.
Functions
When DNA works correctly, it helps
keep the body working properly. DNA
helps cells to make the substances called
proteins, which the cells need to live.
DNA also allows living things to reproduce.
The genes in DNA pass along
traits from parents to children.
Part of a long DNA chain shows the
twisted, ladderlike structure.
60 Djibouti BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Sometimes there are mistakes in DNA.
These mistakes are called mutations.
