(1894-1967, Côte française des Somalis, ‘French Somaliland’; 1967, Territoire français des Afars et des Issas, the ‘French Territory of Afars and Issas’; 1977, officially, Republic of Djibouti). Currency: 100 centimes = 1 Djiboutian franc (1967). Located near the tip of the Horn of Africa, the country is bordered on the N by Eritrea, in the eastern regions by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, in the SE by Somalia, in the S and W by Ethiopia. 1893, December: stamps of France overprinted “DJ’ or ‘DJIBOUTI’ used at Djibouti. 1894-1902: first set of definitive stamps issued; inscribed Protectorat de la Côte des Somális / Djibouti. 1902, July-1903: first set of stamps inscribed Côte Française des Somális issued. 1896: organized as a French colony. 1915, July: first postage due and semi-postal stamps issued. 1941: first airmail stamps issued. 1944: peace accord ended Afars rebellion. 1946: became a territory within the French Union. 1958: became member the French Community. 1967: as French Somali Coast, stamps of Obock and Djibouti used. 1967, 21 August-25 September: first regular and airmail stamps inscribed French Territoire Français des Afars et des Issas issued. 1969, 15 December: postage due stamps issued. 1977, 27 June: independence achieved; renamed the Republic of Djibouti. See Benadir, Djibouti, Obock, Oltre Giuba, Italian East Africa, Italian Somaliland, Somalia, Somalia Coast, Somalia Coast-French, and Somalia Coast Protectorate.
