Djibouti

Republic of Djibouti

republicIndependence 27 June 1977 (from France)

Djibouti as the 2000 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 105 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalDjibouti

Position11 30 N, 43 00 E

Area22,000 sq km

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

Populationas each edition published it

451,442 people July 2000 est. · 337,386 in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.45% 2000 est. · 2.7% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 18.3 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

50.82 years 2000 est. · 48.78 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

5.8 children per woman 2000 est. · 6.4 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

103.32 deaths per 1,000 live births 2000 est. · 119 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$1,200 1999 est. · $1,030 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

2% 1999 est. · 1.2% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

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.

Geography

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

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Land useshare of 22,000 sq km

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

Area

22,000sq km

land: 21,980 sq kmwater: 20 sq kmslightly smaller than Massachusetts

Coastline

314km

contiguous zone: 24 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm

Highest point

2,028m

Moussa Alilowest point: Lac Assal -155 m

Land boundaries

508km

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

Location

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

Terrain

coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains

Natural hazards

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

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

Geography - note

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

People

15 fields

Population

451,442

(July 2000 est.)growth rate: 1.45% (2000 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2000 est.)

Birth

40.98Death

14.87Net migration

-11.63

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2000 est.)50.82

49.01 · 52.68

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (1995 est.)46.2%

60.3% · 32.7%

MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

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.)

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.)

Infant mortality rate

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

Nationality

noun:: Djiboutian(s)
adjective:: Djiboutian

Ethnic groups

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

Languages

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

Government

Republic; President GUELLEH Ismail Omar (since NA 1999); Prime Minister BARKAT Gourad Hamadou (since 30 September 1978)

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Presidential electionpercent of vote

74.4%

GUELLEH Ismail Omar 74.4%IDRIS Moussa Ahmed 25.6%election last held 9 April 1999 (next to be held NA 2005)

Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes, 65 seats, elected 19 December 1997one dot, one seat

RPP 65

Country name

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

Administrative divisions

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

Constitution

multiparty constitution approved by referendum 4 September 1992

Legal system

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

Executive branch

chief of state:: President GUELLEH Ismail Omar (since NA 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 9 April 1999 (next to be held NA 2005);
prime minister appointed by the president
election results:: GUELLEH Ismail Omar elected president; percent of vote - GUELLEH Ismail Omar 74.4%, IDRIS Moussa Ahmed 25.6%

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 the election

Political parties and leaders

Democratic National Party or PND [ADEN Robleh Awaleh];
Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Mohamed Jama ELABE];
People's Progress Assembly or RPP [Hassan GOULED Aptidon] - 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

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 Olhaye Oudine ROBLE
chancery:: Suite 515, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone:: [1] (202) 331-0270
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
FAX:: [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

Economy

The economy is based on service activities connected with the country's strategic location and status as a free trade zone in northeast Africa.

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Real growth rate

(1999 est.)industrial production growth: 3% (1996 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

(1999 est.)

Unemployment rate

40%

-50% (1996 est.)

Labor force

282,000

GDP - composition by sector(1996 est.)

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

Budget

Revenues

$156 millionExpenditures

$175 million (1997 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Electricity

fossil fuel 100%hydro 0% · nuclear 0% · other 0%

Electricity production

177 million (1998)Electricity consumption

165 million (1998)

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.

GDP

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

GDP - per capita

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

Population below poverty line

NA%

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 75%, industry 11%, services 14% (1991 est.)

Industries

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

Agriculture - products

fruits, vegetables; goats, sheep, camels

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)

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)

Debt - external

$350 million (1999 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$106.3 million (1995)

Currency

1 Djiboutian franc (DF) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates

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

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields

Fixed lines

8,000

(1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular

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

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

52,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations

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

Televisions

28,000 (1997)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

Transportation

7 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right

over 3,047 m

2,438 to 3,047 m

1,524 to 2,437 m

914 to 1,523 m

under 914 m

Paved 2Unpaved 10

Networkskm

Highways

2,890Railways

100

Highways: paved: 364 km · unpaved: 2,526 km (1996 est.) · Railways: (Djibouti segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad) · 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