1994 Edition

Administrative divisions

5 districts (cercles, singular - cercle); 'Ali Sabih, Dikhil, Djibouti, Obock, Tadjoura

Agriculture

accounts for only 2% 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

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: 4

Area

total area: 22,000 sq km land area: 21,980 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Massachusetts

Birth rate

42.94 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Branches

Djibouti National Army (including Navy and Air Force), National Security Force (Force Nationale de Securite), National Police Force

Budget

revenues: $170 million expenditures: $203 million, including capital expenditures of $70 million (1991 est.)

Capital

Djibouti

Chamber of Deputies (Chambre des Deputes)

elections last held 18 December 1992; results - RPP is the only party; seats - (65 total) RPP 65

Climate

desert; torrid, dry

Coastline

314 km

Constitution

multiparty constitution approved in referendum 4 September 1992

Currency

1 Djiboutian franc (DF) = 100 centimes

Death rate

15.8 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $26 million, NA% of GDP (1989)

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

Economic aid

recipient: 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

capacity: 115,000 kW production: 200 million kWh consumption per capita: 580 kWh (1991)

Environment

current issues: desertification natural hazards: prone to earthquakes, droughts international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change

Ethnic divisions

Somali 60%, Afar 35%, French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian 5%

Exchange rates

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

Executive branch

chief of state: President HASSAN GOULED Aptidon (since 24 June 1977); election last held 7 May 1993 (next to be held NA 1999); results - President Hassan GOULED Aptidon was reelected head of government: Prime Minister BARKAT Gourad Hamadou (since 30 September 1978) cabinet: Council of Ministers; responsible to the president

Exports

$158 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: hides and skins, coffee (in transit) partners: Africa 47%, Middle East 40%, Western Europe 12%

External debt

$355 million (December 1990)

FAX

(202) 331-0302

[253] 35-39-40

Fiscal year

calendar year

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

Highways

total: 2,900 km paved: 280 km unpaved: improved, unimproved earth 2,620 km (1982)

Imports

$334 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products partners: Western Europe 48%, Asia 25%, Africa 8%

Independence

27 June 1977 (from France)

Industrial production

growth rate 3% (1991 est.); manufacturing accounts for 12% of GDP

Industries

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

Infant mortality rate

111 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

6% (1992)

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

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)

Land boundaries

total 508 km, Eritrea 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%

Languages

French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

unicameral

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 49.23 years male: 47.42 years female: 51.1 years (1994 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 48% male: 63% female: 34%

Location

Eastern Africa, at the entrance to the Red Sea between Eritrea and Somalia

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 99,811; fit for military service 58,346

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

Member of

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UNCTAD, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO

Merchant marine

1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,369 GRT/3,030 DWT

Names

conventional long form: Republic of Djibouti conventional short form: Djibouti former: French Territory of the Afars and Issas French Somaliland

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 June (1977)

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $500 million (1993 est.)

National product per capita

$1,200 (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate

-1% (1992 est.)

Nationality

noun: Djiboutian(s) adjective: Djiboutian

Natural resources

geothermal areas

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Note

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

Other political or pressure groups

Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD) and affiliates; Movement for Unity and Democracy (MUD)

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 (an important supplement to GDP) 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, civil war, and a high population growth rate (including immigrants and refugees).

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

Population

412,599 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

2.71% (1994 est.)

Ports

Djibouti

Railroads

the Ethiopian-Djibouti railroad extends for 97 km through Djibouti

Religions

Muslim 94%, Christian 6%

Suffrage

universal adult at age NA

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

Terrain

coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains

Total fertility rate

6.21 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Type

republic

Unemployment rate

over 30% (1989)

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Martin CHESES embassy: Plateau du Serpent, Boulevard Marechal Joffre, Djibouti mailing address: B. P. 185, Djibouti telephone: [253] 35-39-95