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Languages in Djibouti
Djibouti is a country which is not only diversified in its history and culture but also has varied influences on its languages. The languages in Djibouti have been influenced by French, Arabic and Somali as these nations have played a political and social role in the development of the country. Therefore, Djibouti is a multi-lingual country. Awareness of the languages in Djibouti is essential information that new travelers to the country find useful as it breaks communication barriers and makes life in Djibouti smooth.
Languages in Djibouti
The languages in Djibouti include Afar, Arabic, Somali and French. Somali and Afar are the most widely spoken languages in Djibouti by the locals. However, as Djibouti was under the French colonial rule for a long time, one of the official languages in Djibouti is French which is spoken by 17000 Djiboutians. The second official language in Djibouti is Arabic. Arabic is of religious importance in the country of Djibouti and the Djibouti Arabic dialect is widely spoken by the 59000 residents of Djibouti. Somali and Aafar are also widely spoken languages in Djibouti as they are the mother tongue of the Somali and Afar ethnic groups.
Immigrant Languages Of Djibouti
The immigrant languages in Djibouti include Amharic, Hundi, Omani Spoken Arabic, Tigrigna which makes the country an even more diverse hub of languages.
Written Languages Of Djibouti
For written purposes, the Latin script is most widely used orthography for all languages in Djibouti. Somali is written by the Somali alphabet. In addition, Somali and Afar are written using the Arabic script.