1989 Edition

Climate

temperate; humid and overcast; mild, windy winters and cool summers

desert; torrid, dry

Coastline

3,379 km

314 km

Comparative area

slightly more than twice the size of Massachusetts

slightly larger than Massachusetts

Contiguous zone

4 nm

24 nm

Continental shelf

200 meters or to depth of exploitation

Disputes

Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Iceland, Ireland, and the UK (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area); Denmark has challenged Norway's maritime claims between Greenland and Jan Mayen

possible claim by Somalia based on unification of ethnic Somalis

Environment

air and water pollution

vast wasteland

Exclusive fishing zone

200 nm

Extended economic zone

200 nm

Land boundaries

68 km with FRG

517 km total; Ethiopia 459 km, Somalia 58 km

Land use

61% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 6% meadows and pastures; 12% forest and woodland; 21% other; includes 9% irrigated

0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 9% meadows and pastures; NEGL% forest and woodland; 91% other

Natural resources

crude oil, natural gas, fish, salt, limestone

geothermal areas

Note

controls Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas

strategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia

Terrain

low and flat to gently rolling plains

coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains

Territorial sea

3 nm

12 nm

Total area

43,070 km2; land area: 42,370 km2; includes the island of Bornholtn in the Baltic Sea and the rest of metropolitan Denmark, but excludes the Faroe Islands and Greenland

22,000 km2; land area: 21,980 km2

Total area

100 km Faroe Islands and Greenland are separate entries sec regional mtp V

Birth rate

12 births/ 1,000 population (1990)

43 births/ 1 ,000 population (1990)

Death rate

11 deaths/ 1,000 population (1990)

17 deaths/ 1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic divisions

Scandinavian, Eskimo, Faroese, German

60% Somali (Issa); 35% Afar, 5% French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian

Infant mortality rate

6 deaths/ 1,000 live births (1990)

119 deaths/ 1,000 live births (1990)

Labor force

2,760,000; 51% services, 34% industry, 8% government, 7% agriculture, forestry, and fishing (1988)

NA, but a small number of semiskilled laborers at the port and 3,000 railway workers; 52% of population of working age (1983)

Language

Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic (an Eskimo dialect); small German-speaking minority

French (official); Arabic, Somali, and Afar widely used

Life expectancy at birth

73 years male, 79 years female (1990)

46 years male, 49 years female (1990)

Literacy

99%

20%

Nationality

noun — Danc(s); adjective — Danish

noun — Djiboutian(s); adjective— Djiboutian

Net migration rate

NEGL migrants/ 1,000 population (1990)

0 migrants/ 1 ,000 population (1990)

Organized labor

65% of labor force

3,000 railway workers

Population

5,131,217 (July 1990), growth rate NEGL% (1990)

337,386 (July 1990), growth rate 2.6% (1990)

Religion

97% Evangelical Lutheran, 2% other Protestant and Roman Catholic, 1% other

94% Muslim, 6% Christian

Total fertility rate

1 .6 children born/ woman (1990)

6.4 children born/ woman (1990)

Administrative divisions

metropolitan Denmark — 14 counties (amter, singular — amt) and 1 city* (stad); Arhus, Bornholm, Frederiksborg, Fyn, Kebenhavn, Nordjylland, Ribe, Ringkebing, Roskilde, S0nderjylland, Staden Kebenhavn*, Storstrem, Vejle, Vestsjaelland, Viborg; note — see separate entries for the Faroe Islands and Greenland which are part of the Danish realm and self-governing administrative divisions

5 districts (cercles, singular — cercle); 'Ali Sahih, Dikhil, Djibouti, Obock, Tadjoura

Capital

Copenhagen

Djibouti

Communists

NA

Constitution

5 June 1953

partial constitution ratified January 1981 by the Chamber of Deputies

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Peter Pedersen DYVIG; Chancery at 3200 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 234-4300; there are Danish Consulates General at Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York; US— Ambassador Keith L. BROWN; Embassy at Dag Hammarskjolds Alle 24, 2100 Copenhagen O (mailing address is APO New York 09170); telephone [45] (31) 42 31 44

Ambassador Roble OLHAYE; Chancery (temporary) at the Djiboutian Permanent Mission to the UN; 866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 4011, New York, NY 10017; telephone (212) 753-3163; US— Ambassador Robert S. BARRETT IV; Embassy at Villa Plateau du Serpent Boulevard, Marechal Joffre, Djibouti (mailing address is B. P. 185, Djibouti); telephone [253] 35-38-49 or 35-39-95, 35-29-16, 35-29-17

Elections

Parliament — last held 10 May 1988 (next to be held by May 1992); results— Social Democratic 29.9%, Conservative 19.3%, Socialist People's 13.0%, Liberal 11.8%, Radical Liberal 9.0%, Center Democratic 5.6%, Christian People's 2.0%, Common Course 2.7%, other 6.7%; seats — (175 total; includes 2 from Greenland and 2 from the Faroe Islands) Social Democratic 55, Conservative 35, Socialist People's 24, Liberal 22, Progress 16, Radical Liberal 10, Center Democratic 9, Christian People's 4

President — last held 24 April 1987 (next to be held April 1993); results — President Hassan Gouled Aptidon was reelected without opposition; Chamber of Deputies — last held 24 April 1987 (next to be held April 1992); results — RPP is the only party; seats — (65 total) RPP 65

Executive branch

monarch, heir apparent, prime minister, Cabinet

president, prime minister, Council of Ministers

Flag

red with a white cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side and that design element of the Dannebrog (Danish flag) was subsequently adopted by the other Nordic countries of Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden

two equal horizontal bands of light blue (top) and light green with a white isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bearing a red five-pointed star in the center

Independence

became a constitutional monarchy in 1 849

27 June 1977 (from France; formerly French Territory of the Afars and Issas)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Leaders

Chief of State— Queen MARGRETHE II (since January 1972); Heir Apparent Crown Prince FREDERIK, elder son of the Queen (born 26 May 1968); Head of Government — Prime Minister Poul SCHLUTER (since 10 September 1982) Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic, Svend Auken; Liberal, Uffe EllemannJensen; Conservative, Poul Schluter; Radical Liberal, Niels Helveg Petersen; Socialist People's, Gert Petersen; Communist, Ole Sohn; Left Socialist, Elizabeth Brun Olesen; Center Democratic, Mimi Stilling Jakobsen; Christian People's, Flemming Kofoed-Svendsen; Justice, Poul Gerhard Kristiansen; Progress Party, Aage Brusgaard; Socialist Workers Party, leader NA; Communist Workers' Party (KAP); Common Course, Preben Mailer Hansen; Green Party, Inger Borlehmann

Chief of State — President Hassan GOULED Aptidon (since 24 June 1977); Head of Government — Prime Minister Barkat GOURAD Hamadou (since 30 September 1978) Political parties and leaders: only party — People's Progress Assembly (RPP), Hassan Gouled Aptidon

Legal system

civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

based on French civil law system, traditional practices, and Islamic law

Legislative branch

unicameral Parliament (Folketing)

Chamber of Deputies (Chambre des Deputes)

Long-form name

Kingdom of Denmark

Republic of Djibouti

Member of

ADB, CCC, Council of Europe, DAC, EC, EMS, ESA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDA, IDB, Inter-American Development Bank, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ISO, ITC, ITU, IWC— International Wheat Council, NATO, Nordic Council, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG

ACP, AfDB, Arab League, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB— Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAU, QIC, UN, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO

National holiday

Birthday of the Queen, 16 April (1940)

Independence Day, 27 June (1977)

Suffrage

universal at age 21

universal adult at age NA

Type

constitutional monarchy

republic

Agriculture

accounts for 7% of GNP and employs 1 .8% of labor force (includes fishing); farm products account for nearly 16% of export revenues; principal products— meat, dairy, grain, potatoes, rape, sugar beets, fish; self-sufficient in food production

accounts for 30% of GDP; scanty rainfall limits crop production to mostly fruit and vegetables; half of population pastoral nomads herding goats, sheep, and camels; imports bulk of food needs

Aid

donor — ODA and OOF commitments (1970-87) $4.8 billion

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY78-88), $36 million; Western (non-US) countries, including ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $962 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $149 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $35 million

Budget

revenues S34 billion; expenditures S34 billion, including capital expenditures of $19 billion (1988)

revenues $117 million; expenditures $163 billion, including capital expenditures of $52 million (1987 est.)

Currency

Danish krone (plural — kroner); 1 Danish krone (DKr) = 100 ere

Djiboutian franc (plural — francs); 1 Djiboutian franc (DF) = 100 centimes

Electricity

1 1,215,000 kW capacity; 30,910 million kWh produced, 6,030 kWh per capita (1989)

110,000 kW capacity; 190 million kWh produced, 580 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates

Danish kroner (DKr) per US$1— 6.560 (January 1990), 7.310 (1989), 6.732 (1988), 6.840 (1987), 8.091 (1986), 10.596 (1985) Fiscal yean calendar year

Djiboutian francs (DF) per US$1— 177.721 (fixed rate since 1973)

Exports

$27.7 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities — meat and meat products, dairy products, transport equipment, fish, chemicals, industrial machinery; partners— US 6.0%, FRG, Norway, Sweden, UK, other EC, Japan

$128 million (f.o.b., 1986); commodities— hides and skins, coffee (in transit); partners — Middle East 50%, Africa 43%, Western Europe 7%

External debt

$41.1 billion (1989 est.)

$250 million (December 1988)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

$73.7 billion, per capita $14,300; real growth rate 1.4% (1989 est.) Denmark (continued) Djibouti

GNP

$333 million, $1,070 per capita; real growth rate -0.7% (1986)

Imports

S26.4 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.); commodities — petroleum, machinery and equipment, chemicals, grain and foodstuffs, textiles, paper; partners — US 7.0%, FRG, Netherlands, Sweden, UK, other EC

$198 million (f.o.b., 1986); commodities— foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products; partners — EC 36%, Africa 21%, Bahrain 14%, Asia 12%, US 2%

Industrial production

growth rate 0.9% (1988)

growth rate — 1 .6% (1986)

Industries

food processing, machinery and equipment, textiles and clothing, chemical products, electronics, construction, furniture, and other wood products

limited to a few small-scale enterprises, such as dairy products and mineral-water bottling

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.25% (1989 est.)

8.0% (1987)

Overview

This modern economy features high-tech agriculture, up-to-date smallscale and corporate industry, extensive government welfare measures, comfortable living standards, and high dependence on foreign trade. Growth in output, however, has been sluggish in 1987-89, and unemployment in early 1989 stood at 9.6% of the labor force. The government is trying to revitalize growth in preparation for the economic integration of Europe in 1992.

The economy is based on service activities connected with the country's strategic location and status as a free trade zone. Djibouti provides services as both a transit port for the region and an international transshipment and refueling center. It has few natural resources and little industry. The nation is, therefore, heavily dependent on foreign assistance to help support its balance of payments and to finance development projects. An unemployment rate of over 50% continues to be a major problem.

Unemployment rate

9.6% (1989)

over 50% (1987)

Airports

130 total, 114 usable; 27 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 9 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 6 with runways 1, 220-2,439 m

12 total, 9 usable; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with permanentsurface runways; 1 with runways 2,4403,659 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Branches

Royal Danish Army, Royal Danish Navy, Royal Danish Air Force

Army, Navy, Air Force; paramilitary National Security Force

Civil air

2 major transport aircraft

Defense expenditures

2.1% of GDP, or $1.5 billion (1989 est.) Srr regional map VII

$29.9 million, 23% of central government budget (1986)

Highways

66,482 km total; 64,551 km concrete, bitumen, or stone block; 1,931 km gravel, crushed stone, improved earth

2,900 km total; 280 km bituminous surface, 2,620 km improved or unimproved earth (1982)

Inland waterways

417 km

Merchant marine

252 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,498,61 1 GRT/ 6,711,011 DWT; includes 12 short-sea passenger, 82 cargo, 15 refrigerated cargo, 28 container, 36 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 railcar carrier, 37 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 3 chemical tanker, 1 2 liquefied gas, 4 livestock carrier, 1 2 bulk; note — Denmark has created a captive register called the Danish International Ship Register (DIS) as its own internal register; DIS ships do not have to meet Danish manning regulations, and they amount to a flag of convenience within the Danish register; by the end of 1990, most Danish flag ships will belong to the DIS Civil air. 58 major transport aircraft

Military manpower

males 15-49, 1,368,013; 1,180,865 fit for military service; 37,228 reach military age (20) annually

males 15-49, 88,132; 51,260 fit for military service

Pipelines

crude oil, 1 10 km; refined products, 578 km; natural gas, 700 km

Ports

Alborg, Arhus, Copenhagen, Esbjerg, Fredericia; numerous secondary and minor ports

Djibouti

Railroads

2,675 km 1.435-meter standard gauge; Danish State Railways (DSB) operate 2,025 km (1,999 km rail line and 121 km rail ferry services); 1 88 km electrified, 730 km double tracked; 650 km of standard-gauge lines are privately owned and operated

the Ethiopian-Djibouti railroad extends for 97 km through Djibouti

Telecommunications

excellent telephone, telegraph, and broadcast services; 4,237,000 telephones; stations — 2 AM, 1 5 (39 repeaters) FM, 27 (25 repeaters) TV stations; 7 submarine coaxial cables; 1 satellite earth station operating in INTELSAT, 4 Atlantic Ocean, EUTELSAT, and domestic systems Defense Forces

fair system of urban facilities in Djibouti and radio relay stations at outlying places; 7,300 telephones; stations— 2 AM, 1 FM, 2 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station and 1 ARABSAT; 1 submarine cable to Saudi Arabia Defense Forces