Afars and Issas was the former name of Djibouti, a small country in East Africa bordering the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. There are several synonyms for the term Afars and Issas. Djibouti is the current official name of the country and is derived from the capital city of the same name. Another synonym is the French term Côte Française des Somalis, which was used during the colonial period when Djibouti was part of French Somaliland. Another term used is the Somali Republic, which was the name of the country when it gained independence in 1977. Regardless of the name, Djibouti remains an important strategic location for both military and commercial purposes due to its location and natural resources.