2000 Edition

Background

The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas became Djibouti in 1977. A peace accord in 1994 ended a three-year uprising by Afars rebels.

Area

land

21,980 sq km

total

22,000 sq km

water

20 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Massachusetts

Climate

desert; torrid, dry

Coastline

314 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Moussa Ali 2,028 m

lowest point

Lac Assal -155 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, Ozone Layer Protection, 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

border countries

Eritrea 113 km, Ethiopia 337 km, Somalia 58 km

total

508 km

Land use

arable land

0%

forests and woodland

0%

other

91% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

0%

permanent pastures

9%

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 96,482; female 96,025) 15-64 years: 55% (male 130,264; female 116,270) 65 years and over: 2% (male 6,426; female 5,975) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

40.98 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

14.87 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Infant mortality rate

103.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

52.68 years (2000 est.)

male

49.01 years

total population

50.82 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

32.7% (1995 est.)

male

60.3%

total population

46.2%

Nationality

adjective

Djiboutian

noun

Djiboutian(s)

Net migration rate

-11.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

451,442 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

1.45% (2000 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: 1.08 male(s)/female

total population

1.07 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.8 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

Djibouti

Constitution

multiparty constitution approved by 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

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

35 39 95

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

Suite 515, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005

chief of mission

Ambassador Olhaye Oudine ROBLE

telephone

(202) 331-0270

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers responsible to the president

chief of state

President GUELLEH Ismail Omar (since NA 1999);

election results

GUELLEH Ismail Omar elected president; percent of vote - GUELLEH Ismail Omar 74.4%, IDRIS Moussa Ahmed 25.6%

elections

president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 9 April 1999 (next to be held NA 2005); prime minister appointed by the president

head of government

Prime Minister BARKAT Gourad Hamadou (since 30 September 1978)

FAX

(202) 331-0302

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, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court or Cour Supreme

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)

election results

percent of vote - NA; seats - RPP 65; note - RPP (the ruling party) dominated the election

elections

last held 19 December 1997 (next to be held NA 2002)

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 June (1977)

Political parties and leaders

Democratic National Party or PND [ADEN Robleh Awaleh]; Democratic Renewal Party or PRD ; People's Progress Assembly or RPP - the governing party

Political pressure groups and leaders

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

Suffrage

NA years of age; universal adult

Agriculture - products

fruits, vegetables; goats, sheep, camels

Budget

expenditures

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

revenues

$156 million

Currency

1 Djiboutian franc (DF) = 100 centimes

Debt - external

$350 million (1999 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. Inflation is not a concern, however, because of the fixed tie of the franc to the US dollar. 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

165 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

177 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (1998)

Exchange rates

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

Exports

$260 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Exports - commodities

reexports, hides and skins, coffee (in transit)

Exports - partners

Somalia 53%, Yemen 23%, Ethiopia 5%, (1998)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $550 million (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

3%

industry

20%

services

77% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,200 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

2% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$440 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Imports - commodities

foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products

Imports - partners

France 13%, Ethiopia 12%, Italy 9%, Saudi Arabia 6%, UK 6% (1998)

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)

0% (1999 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.)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

NA

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

52,000 (1997)

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 - main lines in use

8,000 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular

NA

Television broadcast stations

1 (plus 5 low-power repeaters) (1998)

Televisions

28,000 (1997)

Airports

12 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

2 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 3 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

364 km

total

2,890 km

unpaved

2,526 km (1996 est.)

Merchant marine

ships by type

cargo 1 (1999 est.)

total

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

Ports and harbors

Djibouti

Railways

narrow gauge

100 km 1.000-m gauge

note

Djibouti and Ethiopia plan to revitalize the century-old railroad that links their capitals by 2003

total

100 km (Djibouti segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad)

Military branches

Djibouti National Army (includes Navy and Air Force)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$23 million (FY97)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

4.5% (FY97)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 106,287 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 62,496 (2000 est.)

Disputes - international

none

DOMINICA