1991 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1991 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
desert; torrid, dry
Coastline
314 km
Comparative area
slightly larger than Massachusetts
Disputes
possible claim by Somalia based on unification of ethnic Somalis
Environment
vast wasteland
Land boundaries
517 km total; Ethiopia 459 km, Somalia 58 km
Land use
arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 9%; forest and woodland NEGL%; other 91%
Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 nm; Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
geothermal areas
Note
strategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia
Terrain
coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains
Total area
22,000 km2; land area: 21,980 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
43 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate
16 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Ethnic divisions
Somali (Issa) 60%, Afar 35%, French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian 5%
Infant mortality rate
117 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Labor force
NA, but a small number of semiskilled laborers at the port and 3,000 railway workers; 52% of population of working age (1983)
Language
French and Arabic (both official); Somali and Afar widely used
Life expectancy at birth
46 years male, 50 years female (1991)
Literacy
48% (male 63%, female 34%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Nationality
noun--Djiboutian(s); adjective--Djiboutian
Net migration rate
0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Organized labor
3,000 railway workers
Population
346,311 (July 1991), growth rate 2.6% (1991)
Religion
Muslim 94%, Christian 6%
Total fertility rate
6.4 children born/woman (1991)
Government
Administrative divisions
5 districts (cercles, singular--cercle); Ali Sabih, Dikhil, Djibouti, Obock, Tadjoura
Capital
Djibouti
Communists
NA
Constitution
partial constitution ratified January 1981 by the National Assembly
Diplomatic representation
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] 35-39-95
Elections
President--last held 24 April 1987 (next to be held April 1993); results--President Hassan GOULED Aptidon was reelected without opposition; National Assembly--last held 24 April 1987 (next to be held April 1992); results--RPP is the only party; seats--(65 total) RPP 65
Executive branch
president, prime minister, Council of Ministers
Flag
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
27 June 1977 (from France; formerly French Territory of the Afars and Issas)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Leaders
Chief of State--President Hassan GOULED Aptidon (since 24 June 1977); Head of Government--Prime Minister BARKAT Gourad Hamadou (since 30 September 1978)
Legal system
based on French civil law system, traditional practices, and Islamic law
Legislative branch
National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
Long-form name
Republic of Djibouti
Member of
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UNCTAD, UPU, WHO, WMO
National holiday
Independence Day, 27 June (1977)
Political parties and leaders
only party--People's Progress Assembly (RPP), Hassan GOULED Aptidon
Suffrage
universal adult at age NA
Type
republic
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for only 5% 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
Budget
revenues $131 million; expenditures $154 million, including capital expenditures of $25 million (1990 est.)
Currency
Djiboutian franc (plural--francs); 1 Djiboutian franc (DF) = 100 centimes
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY78-89), $39 million; Western (non-US) countries, including ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1,035 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $149 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $35 million
Electricity
110,000 kW capacity; 190 million kWh produced, 580 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
Djiboutian francs (DF) per US$1--177.721 (fixed rate since 1973)
Exports
$190 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.); commodities--hides and skins, coffee (in transit); partners--Middle East 50%, Africa 43%, Western Europe 7%
External debt
$355 million (December 1990)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$340 million, $1,030 per capita; real growth rate - 1.0% (1989 est.)
Imports
$311 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.); commodities--foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products; partners--EC 36%, Africa 21%, Asia 12%, US 2%
Industrial production
growth rate 0.1% (1989); manufacturing accounts for 4% of GDP
Industries
limited to a few small-scale enterprises, such as dairy products and mineral-water bottling
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3.7% (1989)
Overview
The economy is based on service activities connected with the country's strategic location and status as a free trade zone in northeast Africa. 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 40% continues to be a major problem. Per capita consumption dropped an estimated 35% over the last five years with a population growth rate of 6% (including immigrants and refugees) and a recession.
Unemployment rate
over 40% (1989)
Communications
Airports
13 total, 10 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
2 major transport aircraft
Highways
2,900 km total; 280 km bituminous surface, 2,620 km improved or unimproved earth (1982)
Ports
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; 7,300 telephones; stations--2 AM, 1 FM, 2 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station and 1 ARABSAT; 1 submarine cable to Saudi Arabia
Military and Security
Branches
Army (including Navy and Air Force), paramilitary National Security Force, National Police Force
Defense expenditures
$29.9 million, NA% of GDP (1986) _%_
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 89,519; 52,093 fit for military service