Djibouti is a small but strategically vital country located at the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, the gateway to the Suez Canal. Its capital, Djibouti City, is a major deep-water port that serves as the primary maritime outlet for landlocked Ethiopia. Geologically, the country is home to the Afar Triple Junction, where three tectonic plates (the African, Somalian, and Arabian) are pulling away from each other. This creates a surreal landscape of salt lakes and volcanic vents. Djibouti contains Lake Assal, which is the lowest point in Africa and the second-lowest point on Earth after the Dead Sea, sitting at 155 meters (509 feet) below sea level. The lake is ten times saltier than the ocean, making it one of the most saline bodies of water in the world. Due to its strategic location, Djibouti hosts the largest number of foreign military bases in a single country, including those of the U.S., France, China, and Japan.