1998 Edition

Area

total: 22,000 sq km land: 21,980 sq km water: 20 sq km

Area-comparative

slightly smaller than Massachusetts

Climate

desert; torrid, dry

Coastline

314 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Asal -155 m highest point: Moussa Ali 2,028 m

Environment-current issues

inadequate supplies of potable water; desertification

Environment-international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

11 30 N, 43 00 E

Geography-note

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

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

total: 508 km border countries: Eritrea 113 km, Ethiopia 337 km, Somalia 58 km

Land use

arable land: NA% permanent crops: NA% permanent pastures: 9% forests and woodland: 0% other: 91% (1993 est.)

Location

Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Somalia

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural hazards

earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic disturbances from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods

Natural resources

geothermal areas

Terrain

coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains

Age structure

0-14 years: 43% (male 94,399; female 94,154) 15-64 years: 55% (male 127,190; female 113,582) 65 years and over: 2% (male 5,877; female 5,525) (July 1998 est.)

Birth rate

41.75 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate

14.69 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Infant mortality rate

102.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 51.07 years male: 49.06 years female: 53.15 years (1998 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 46.2% male: 60.3% female: 32.7% (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun: Djiboutian(s) adjective: Djiboutian

Net migration rate

-11.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Population

440,727 (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate

1.51% (1998 est.)

Religions

Muslim 94%, Christian 6%

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.06 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.94 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Administrative divisions

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

Constitution

multiparty constitution approved in referendum 4 September 1992

Country name

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

Data code

DJ

Executive branch

chief of state: President HASSAN GOULED Aptidon (since 24 June 1977) head of government: Prime Minister BARKAT Gourad Hamadou (since 30 September 1978) cabinet: Council of Ministers responsible to the president elections: president elected by popular vote to a six-year term; election last held 7 May 1993 (next to be held NA 1999) election results: President HASSAN GOULED reelected; percent of vote-NA

FAX

[1] (202) 331-0302 Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Lange SCHERMERHORN embassy: Plateau du Serpent, Boulevard Marechal Joffre, Djibouti mailing address: B. P. 185, Djibouti telephone: [253] 35 39 95

[253] 35 39 40

Flag description

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

Government type

republic

Independence

27 June 1977 (from France)

International organization participation

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador ROBLE Olhaye Oudine chancery: Suite 515, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 331-0270

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Cour Supreme) Political parties and leaders: ruling party: People's Progress Assembly or RPP [Hassan GOULED Aptidon] other parties: Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Mohamed Jama ELABE]; Democratic National Party or PND [ADEN Robleh Awaleh] Political pressure groups and leaders: Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy or FRUD, and affiliates; Movement for Unity and Democracy or MUD

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes (65 seats; members are elected to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 19 December 1997 (next to be held NA 2002) election results: percent of vote-NA; seats-RPP 65; note-RPP (the ruling party) dominated

National capital

Djibouti

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 June (1977)

Suffrage

NA years of age; universal adult

Agriculture-products

fruits, vegetables; goats, sheep, camels

Budget

revenues: $156 million expenditures: $175 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)

Currency

1 Djiboutian franc (DF) = 100 centimes

Debt-external

$276 million (1996 est.)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economy-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. Two-thirds of the inhabitants live in the capital city, the remainder being mostly nomadic herders. Scanty rainfall limits crop production to fruits and vegetables, and most food must be imported. 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 40% to 50% continues to be a major problem. Per capita consumption dropped an estimated 35% over the last seven years because of recession, civil war, and a high population growth rate (including immigrants and refugees). Faced with a multitude of economic difficulties, the government has fallen in arrears on long-term external debt and has been struggling to meet the stipulations of foreign aid donors.

Electricity-capacity

85,000 kW (1995)

Electricity-consumption per capita

427 kWh (1995)

Electricity-production

180 million kWh (1995)

Exchange rates

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

Exports

total value: $39.6 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: hides and skins, coffee (in transit) (1995) partners: Ethiopia 45%, Somalia, Yemen, Saudi Arabia (1996)

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications

GDP

purchasing power parity-$520 million (1997 est.)

GDP-composition by sector

agriculture: 3% industry: 20% services: 77% (1996 est.)

GDP-per capita

purchasing power parity-$1,200 (1997 est.)

GDP-real growth rate

0.5% (1997 est.)

Imports

total value: $200.5 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products (1995) partners: France, Ethiopia, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Thailand (1996)

Industrial production growth rate

3% (1996 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate-consumer price index

3% (1997 est.)

Labor force

total: 282,000 by occupation: agriculture 75%, industry 11%, services 14% (1991 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 2, shortwave 0

Radios

NA

Telephone system

telephone facilities in the city of Djibouti are adequate as are the microwave radio relay connections to outlying areas of the country domestic: microwave radio relay network international: submarine cable to Jiddah, Suez, Sicily, Marseilles, Colombo, and Singapore; satellite earth stations-1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; Medarabtel regional microwave radio relay telephone network

Telephones

7,200 (1986 est.)

Television broadcast stations

1

Televisions

17,000 (1993 est.)

Unemployment rate

40%-50% (1996 est.)

Airports

11 (1997 est.) Airports-with paved runways: total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (1997 est.) Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 2 (1997 est.)

Highways

total: 2,890 km paved: 364 km unpaved: 2,526 km (1996 est.) Ports and harbors: Djibouti

Merchant marine

total: 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,369 GRT/3,030 DWT (1997 est.)

Railways

total: 97 km (Djibouti segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad) narrow gauge: 97 km 1.000-m gauge note: in April 1998, Djibouti and Ethiopia announced plans to revitalize the century-old railroad that links their capitals

Military branches

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

Military expenditures-dollar figure

$26 million (1989)

Military expenditures-percent of GDP

NA%

Military manpower-availability

males age 15-49: 104,450 (1998 est.) Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 61,319 (1998 est.)

Disputes-international

none