1999 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1999 (Internet Archive)
Geography
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: Lac Assal -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
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 43% (male 96,222; female 96,023) 15-64 years: 54% (male 128,506; female 114,767) 65 years and over: 3% (male 6,155; female 5,766) (1999 est.)
Birth rate
41.23 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate
14.41 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Ethnic groups
Somali 60%, Afar 35%, French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian 5%
Infant mortality rate
100.24 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Languages
French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 51.54 years male: 49.48 years female: 53.67 years (1999 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
-11.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Population
447,439 (July 1999 est.)
Population growth rate
1.51% (1999 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: 1.12 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.07 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate
5.87 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
5 districts (cercles, singular--cercle); 'Ali Sabih, Dikhil, Djibouti, Obock, Tadjoura
Capital
Djibouti
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); note--President HASSAN GOULED announced early in the year that he would resign in April 1999 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 for a six-year term; election last held 7 May 1993 (next to be held 9 April 1999); prime minister appointed by the president election results: President HASSAN GOULED reelected; percent of vote--NA
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, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador ROBLE Olhaye Oudine chancery: Suite 515, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 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
Judicial branch
Supreme Court (Cour Supreme) Political parties and leaders: Aptidon] 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 elected by popular vote for 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 holiday
Independence Day, 27 June (1977)
Suffrage
NA years of age; universal adult
Economy
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
$106.3 million (1995)
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). Also, renewed fighting between Ethiopia and Eritrea has disturbed normal external channels of commerce. 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--consumption
175 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--production
175 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Exchange rates
Djiboutian francs (DF) per US$1--177.721 (fixed rate since 1973)
Exports
$39.6 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
Exports--commodities
hides and skins, coffee (in transit) (1995)
Exports--partners
Ethiopia 45%, Somalia, Yemen, Saudi Arabia (1996)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power parity--$530 million (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector
agriculture: 3% industry: 20% services: 77% (1996 est.)
GDP--per capita
purchasing power parity?$1,200 (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate
0.6% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$200.5 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
Imports--commodities
foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products (1995)
Imports--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 prices)
3% (1997 est.)
Labor force
282,000
Labor force--by occupation
agriculture 75%, industry 11%, services 14% (1991 est.)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Unemployment rate
40%-50% (1996 est.)
Communications
Radio broadcast stations
AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0
Radios
35,000
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 (in addition, there are 5 low-power repeaters) (1998)
Televisions
17,000 (1998)
Transportation
Airports
11 (1998 est.) Airports--with paved runways: total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (1998 est.) Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 2 (1998 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 (1998 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 and Security
Military branches
Djibouti National Army (includes Navy and Air Force)
Military expenditures--dollar figure
$22.5 million (1997)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP
4.5% (1997)
Military manpower--availability
males age 15-49: 105,075 (1999 est.) Military manpower--fit for military service: males age 15-49: 61,712 (1999 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international
none