The Tiny Country Where Rival Superpowers Live Next Door
Note: This article has been rewritten in intermediate-level English based on the original article. The Tiny Country Where Superpowers Share a Zip Code Why are the biggest countries in the world racing to set up camp in Djibouti? The answer is simple: it is a "chokepoint." Video intermediate English Imagine standing on the hot, sandy beaches of Djibouti. If you look across the narrow sea on a clear day, you can almost see Yemen. This waterway is very small—only 18 miles wide. But every single day, giant oil ships and cargo boats must pass through this tight space to travel between the Indian Ocean and the Suez Canal. It is a tight squeeze, like trying to push a camel through the eye of a needle. Turn around, and you will see something even more amazing. In a space smaller than a normal city, you will find military bases from the United States, China, France, Japan, and Saudi Arabia. Fighter jets, drones, and secret agents from rival countries live right next to each ot...