1987 Edition

Boundary disputes

none; possible claim by Somalia based on unification of ethnic Somalis

Climate

desert; torrid, dry

Coastline

314 km

Comparative area

about the size of New Hampshire

Contiguous zone

24 nm

Environment

vast wasteland with important geothermal resources

Extended economic zone

200 nm

Land boundaries

517 km total

Land use

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

Special notes

strategic location near world’s busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields

Terrain

coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains

Territorial sea

12 nm

Total area

22,000 km?; land area: 21,980 km?

Ethnic divisions

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

Infant mortality rate

140/1,000 (1985)

Labor force

a small number of semiskilled laborers at port; 3,000 railway workers

Language

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

Life expectancy

50

Literacy

20%

Nationality

noun—Djiboutian(s); adjective—Diiboutian Djibouti (continued)

Organized labor

3,000 railway workers

Population

312,405 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 2.538%

Religion

94% Muslim, 6% Christian

Administrative divisions

5 cercles (districts)

Branches

legislative—65-member parliament (National Assembly), executive, judiciary

Capital

Djibouti

Communists

possibly a few sympathizers

Elections

parliament elected May 1982 Political party and leader: Peoples Progress Assembly (RPP), Hassan Gouled Aptidon; sole legal party

Government leader

Hassan GOULED Aptidon, President (since June 1977)

Legal system

based on French civil law system, traditional practices, and Islamic law; partial constitution ratified January 1981 by National Assembly

Member of

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

National holiday

27 June

Official name

Republic of Djibouti

Suffrage

universal adult

Type

republic

Agriculture

livestock; limited commercial crops, including fruit and vegetables

Budget

estimated in percent of GDP— revenues 30.7%, grants 4.0%, expenditures 45.7% (1986)

Electric power

80,000 kW capacity; 140 million kWh produced, 460 kWh per capita (1986)

Exports

$96 million (f.0.b., 1986 est.); hides and skins and transit of coffee; a large portion consists of reexports to foreign residents of Djibouti

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

$344 million; per capita income $1,130 (1986 est.)

Imports

$197 million (f.0.b., 1986 est.); almost all domestically needed goods— foods, machinery, transport equipment

Major industries

transit trade, port, railway, services; live cattle and sheep exports to Saudi Arabia; secondary services to French military

Monetary conversion rate

176.14 Djibouti francs=US$1 (average JanuarySeptember 1986)

Natural resources

none

Airfields

12 total, 10 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-8,659 m, 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air

1 major transport aircraft

Highways

2,800 km total; 279 km bituminous surface, 229 km improved earth, 2,292 km unimproved earth

Ports

1 major (Djibouti)

Railroads

the Ethiopian-Djibouti railroad extends for 97 km through Djibouti

Telecommunications

fair system of urban facilities in Djibouti and radio-relay stations at outlying places; 7,800 telephones (2.4 per 100 popl.); 2 AM, 1 FM, 2 TV stations; 1 Indian Ocean satellite ground station, 1 ARABSAT station, 1 submarine cable to Saudi Arabia

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force; paramilitary National Security Force

Saudi Arabian Land Forces, Royal Saudi Naval Forces, Royal Saudi Air Force, Royal Saudi Air Defense Force, Saudi Arabian National Guard, Coast Guard and Frontier Forces, Special Security Force, Public Security Force, Special Emergency Force

Military budget

for fiscal year ending 31 December 1986, $29.9 million; 23% of central government budget

Military manpower

males 15-49, about 84,000; about 49,000 fit for military service

males 15-49, 5,688,000; 3,209,000 fit for military service; 154,000 reach military age (18) annually