The U.S. government estimates the total population at 884,000 (July 2018 estimate), of which 94 percent is Sunni Muslim. Shia Muslims, Roman Catholics, Protestants, Ethiopian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Hindus, Jews, Baha’is, and atheists constitute the remaining 6 percent.

Head of state and government

At 23,200 sq km (8,958 sq mi), Djibouti is the third smallest country in continental Africa, after Swaziland (second smallest) and Gambia (smallest). Whale sharks – the largest known fish in the world – regularly visit the coast of Djibouti, making the country a prime spot for swimming with whale sharks.

Djibouti is a predominantly Islamic country, with 94% of citizens describing themselves as Muslim and 6% as Christian.

From Egyptian art, we know that people were depicted with reddish, olive, or yellow skin tones. The Sphinx has been described as having Nubian or sub-Saharan features. And from literature, Greek writers like Herodotus and Aristotle referred to Egyptians as having dark skin.

Although Egypt sits in the north of the African continent it is considered by many to be a Middle Eastern country, partly because the main spoken language there is Egyptian Arabic, the main religion is Islam and it is a member of the Arab League.

Islam in Afghanistan began to be practiced after the Arab Islamic conquest of Afghanistan from the 7th to the 10th centuries, with the last holdouts to conversion submitting in the late 19th century. Islam is the official state religion of Afghanistan, with approximately 99.7% of the Afghan population being Muslim.