Arta, Djibouti

Arta
Arta; Carta (Somali); أرتا (Arabic)
	Town
	A view of the Gulf of Tadjoura from Arta (1970). A view of the Gulf of Tadjoura from Arta (1970).
	Arta Location in Djibouti
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Country	Djibouti
Region	Arta
Established	17th century
Elevation	755 m (2,477 ft)
Population
• Total	6,025
Time zone	EAT (UTC+3)

Arta (Arabic: أرتا‎‎, Somali: Carta) is a town in southeastern Djibouti. The center of the Arta Region, it is the country's sixth-largest city. As of 2013, the population was 6,025. Arta is situated on the Mountains of Arta and is famous for its mild climate. It is located some 35 kilometres (22 miles) west of the national capital, Djibouti City.

History

The Arta settlement is several centuries old. During the Middle Ages, it was ruled by the Ifat Sultanate|Ifat]] and Adal sultanates. Arta later formed a part of the French Somaliland protectorate in the first half of the 20th century. In December 1942, British invasion of French Somaliland about 700 British troops and Free French troops occupied the town. Under French colonial rule in 1946, a new housing estate and hill station was built.^[1] Because of its usually dry and relatively cool weather, Arta was the summer residence of the French and Djiboutian people.

From 2 May 2000,^[2] peace talks between various factions of the Somali Civil War were held in the city with some 810 delegates, resulting in the establishment of the Transitional National Government of Somalia.^[3]

Geography and climate

The town lies at an elevation of 755 metres (2,477 feet) above sea level. It sits on middle trending highlands known as the Mountains of Arta. The temperate central portion, where Arta lies, is situated on a rocky plateau.

Arta is connected to other environs by National Highway 4. Public buses go from Djibouti City to Arta. It takes half an hour to get to Arta. A contracted bus ride from Djibouti city to Arta can charge between 350 Djiboutian franc. We`a is situated just down the mountain, around 3 kilometres (2 miles) to the south.

Elevation is the major factor in temperature levels. The higher areas on average register temperatures 11 °C (52 °F) cooler, day or night. Temperatures drop to about 50–54 °F (10–12 °C) every night.

Sunshine is abundant in the town, averaging eight to ten hours a day year-round. It is lowest during the wet season, when there is some coastal fog and greater cloud coverage as warm air passes over the mountains.

Arta has a hot desert climate (BWh) in Köppen-Geiger system.

Climate data for Arta
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	24.5 (76.1)	24.7 (76.5)	26.7 (80.1)	29.2 (84.6)	33 (91)	37.2 (99)	37.4 (99.3)	36.4 (97.5)	34.3 (93.7)	30 (86)	26.9 (80.4)	25.2 (77.4)	30.46 (86.8)
Daily mean °C (°F)	20 (68)	20.7 (69.3)	22.3 (72.1)	24.8 (76.6)	28.3 (82.9)	32.3 (90.1)	31.7 (89.1)	30.9 (87.6)	29.9 (85.8)	25.3 (77.5)	22.3 (72.1)	20.7 (69.3)	25.77 (78.37)
Average low °C (°F)	15.6 (60.1)	16.7 (62.1)	18 (64)	20.5 (68.9)	23.7 (74.7)	27.4 (81.3)	26.1 (79)	25.5 (77.9)	25.6 (78.1)	20.6 (69.1)	17.8 (64)	16.3 (61.3)	21.15 (70.04)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	29 (1.14)	25 (0.98)	24 (0.94)	29 (1.14)	14 (0.55)	1 (0.04)	11 (0.43)	22 (0.87)	16 (0.63)	11 (0.43)	37 (1.46)	14 (0.55)	233 (9.16)
Source: Climate-Data.org, altitude: 703m^[4]

Demographics

As of 2013, the population of Arta has been estimated to be 6,025. The town inhabitants belong to various mainly Afro-Asiatic-speaking ethnic groups, with the Issa Somali predominant.