1993 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1993 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 22,000 km2 land area: 21,980 km2 comparative area: slightly larger than Massachusetts
Climate
desert; torrid, dry
Coastline
314 km
Environment
vast wasteland
International disputes
possible claim by Somalia based on unification of ethnic Somalis
Irrigated land
NA km2
Land boundaries
total 508 km, Erithea 113 km, Ethiopia 337 km, Somalia 58 km
Land use
arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 9% forest and woodland: 0% other: 91%
Location
Eastern Africa, at the entrance to the Red Sea between Ethiopia and Somalia
Map references
Africa, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World
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
People and Society
Birth rate
43.05 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate
16.06 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Ethnic divisions
Somali 60%, Afar 35%, French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian 5%
Infant mortality rate
113.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Labor force
NA by occupation: a small number of semiskilled laborers at the port and 3,000 railway workers note: 52% of population of working age (1983)
Languages
French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 48.78 years male: 47.01 years female: 50.59 years (1993 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 48% male: 63% female: 34%
Nationality
noun: Djiboutian(s) adjective: Djiboutian
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Population
401,579 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate
2.7% (1993 est.)
Religions
Muslim 94%, Christian 6%
Total fertility rate
6.27 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
5 districts (cercles, singular - cercle); `Ali Sabih, Dikhil, Djibouti, Obock, Tadjoura
Capital
Djibouti
Chief of State
President HASSAN GOULED Aptidon (since 24 June 1977)
Constitution
multiparty constitution approved in referendum September 1992
Digraph
DJ
Diplomatic representation in US
chief of mission: Ambassador Roble OLHAYE chancery: Suite 515, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: (202) 331-0270
Executive branch
president, prime minister, Council of Ministers
FAX
[253] 35-39-40
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
Head of Government
Prime Minister BARKAT Gourad Hamadou (since 30 September 1978)
Independence
27 June 1977 (from France)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Legal system
based on French civil law system, traditional practices, and Islamic law
Legislative branch
unicameral Chamber of Deputies (Chambre des Deputes)
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, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO
Names
conventional long form: Republic of Djibouti conventional short form: Djibouti former: French Territory of the Afars and Issas French Somaliland
National Assembly
last held 18 December 1992; results - RPP is the only party; seats - (65 total) RPP 65
National holiday
Independence Day, 27 June (1977)
Other political or pressure groups
Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD) and affiliates; Movement for Unity and Democracy (MUD)
Political parties and leaders
ruling party: People's Progress Assembly (RPP), Hassan GOULED Aptidon other parties: Democratic Renewal Party (PRD), Mohamed Jama ELABE; Democratic National Party (PND), ADEN Robleh Awaleh
President
last held 24 April 1987 (next to be held April 1993); results - President Hassan GOULED Aptidon was reelected without opposition
Suffrage
universal adult at age NA
Type
republic
US diplomatic representation
chief of mission: Ambassador Charles R. BAQUET III embassy: Plateau du Serpent, Boulevard Marechal Joffre, Djibouti mailing address: B. P. 185, Djibouti telephone: [253] 35-39-95
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for only 3% 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 $170 million; expenditures $203 million, including capital expenditures of $70 million (1991 est.)
Currency
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 (1970-89), $1.1 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $149 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $35 million
Electricity
115,000 kW capacity; 200 million kWh produced, 580 kWh per capita (1991)
Exchange rates
Djiboutian francs (DF) per US$1 - 177.721 (fixed rate since 1973)
Exports
$186 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.) commodities: hides and skins, coffee (in transit) partners: Africa 50%, Middle East 40%, Western Europe 9%
External debt
$355 million (December 1990)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Imports
$360 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.) commodities: foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products partners: Western Europe 54%, Middle East 20%, Asia 19%
Industrial production
growth rate 10.0% (1990); manufacturing accounts for 11% of GDP
Industries
limited to a few small-scale enterprises, such as dairy products and mineral-water bottling
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
7.7% (1991 est.)
National product
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $358 million (1990 est.)
National product per capita
$1,030 (1990 est.)
National product real growth rate
1.2% (1990 est.)
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 30% continues to be a major problem. Per capita consumption dropped an estimated 35% over the last five years because of recession and a high population growth rate (including immigrants and refugees).
Unemployment rate
over 30% (1989)
Communications
Airports
total: 13 usable: 11 with permanent-surface runways: 2 with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 5
Highways
2,900 km total; 280 km paved; 2,620 km improved or unimproved earth (1982)
Merchant marine
1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,369 GRT/3,030 DWT
Ports
Djibouti
Railroads
the Ethiopian-Djibouti railroad extends for 97 km through Djibouti
Telecommunications
telephone facilities in the city of Djibouti are adequate as are the microwave radio relay connections to outlying areas of the country; international connections via submarine cable to Saudi Arabia and by satellite to other countries; one ground station each for Indian Ocean INTELSAT and ARABSAT; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV
Military and Security
Branches
Djibouti National Army (including Navy and Air Force), National Security Force (Force Nationale de Securite), National Police Force
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $26 million, NA% of GDP (1989)
Manpower availability
males age 15-49 97,943; fit for military service 57,187 (1993 est.)