Obock

Coordinates: 11°58′N 43°17′E / 11.967°N 43.283°E / 11.967; 43.283

Obock
Town
Obock Location in Djibouti
Coordinates: 11°58′N 43°17′E / 11.967°N 43.283°E / 11.967; 43.283
Country	Djibouti
Region	Obock Region
Elevation	13 m (43 ft)
Population (2012)
• Total	21,200

Obock (also Obok, Ubuk) is a small port town in Djibouti. It is located on the northern shore of the Gulf of Tadjoura, where it opens out into the Gulf of Aden. It has perhaps the most beautiful beaches in the country, the largest near Obock housing a marine cemetery steeped in history. For divers, the falling Obock is undoubtedly the most beautiful Gulf.

History

During the Middle Ages, Obock was ruled by the Ifat Sultanate and the Adal Sultanate. It later formed a part of the French Somaliland protectorate in the first half of the 20th century. Obock was originally significant as the site of the first French colony in the region, established by treaty with the local Afar rulers on March 11, 1862.^[1] The French interest was in having a coaling station for steamships, which would become especially important upon the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. (Up to that time French ships had to buy coal at the British port of Aden across the gulf, an unwise dependency in case of war.) By 1885, Obock had 800 inhabitants and a school. However, the anchorage was more exposed than the site of Djibouti on the south side of the Gulf of Tadjoura, and the colonial administration moved there in 1894. Subsequently the population of Obock declined.

Postage stamps

During its time as a French colony, Obock issued its own postage stamps; for more detail see Postage stamps and postal history of Obock.

Climate

Obock has a dry climate. It is classified as hot and semi-arid (Köppen climate classification BSh). Much of the land the town lies upon is desert terrain. ^[2]

Sister towns

Country	Town
Somalia	Zeila
Republic of Yemen	Hadibu

References

The town is home to an airstrip and has ferries to Djibouti City, while mangroves lie nearby.