Djibouti

total:

0.02 cu km/yr (84%/0%/16%)

per capita:

25 cu m/yr (2000)

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

• inadequate supplies of potable water;
• limited arable land;
• desertification;
• endangered species

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

• strategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields;
• terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia;
• mostly wasteland;
• Lac Assal (Lake Assal) is the lowest point in Africa

at birth:

1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.07 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

1.01 male(s)/female

total population:

1.04 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

degree of risk:

high

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever

vectorborne disease:

malaria

note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)

noun:

Djiboutian(s)

adjective:

Djiboutian

conventional long form:

Republic of Djibouti

conventional short form:

Djibouti

local long form:

Republique de Djibouti/Jumhuriyat Jibuti

local short form:

Djibouti/Jibuti

former:

French Territory of the Afars and Issas, French Somaliland

name:

Djibouti

geographic coordinates:

11 35 N, 43 09 E

time difference:

UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

chief of state:

President Ismail Omar GUELLEH (since 8 May 1999)

head of government:

Prime Minister Mohamed Dileita DILEITA (since 4 March 2001)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers responsible to the president

elections:

• president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (eligible for a second term);
• election last held 8 April 2005 (next to be held by April 2011);
• prime minister appointed by the president

election results:

Ismail Omar GUELLEH reelected president; percent of vote - Ismail Omar GUELLEH 100%

• Democratic National Party or PND [ADEN Robleh Awaleh];
• Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Abdillahi HAMARITEH];
• Djibouti Development Party or PDD [Mohamed Daoud CHEHEM];
• Front pour la Restauration de l'Unite Democratique or FRUD [Ali Mohamed DAOUD];
• People's Progress Assembly or RPP [Ismail Omar GUELLEH] (governing party);
• Peoples Social Democratic Party or PPSD [Moumin Bahdon FARAH];
• Republican Alliance for Democracy or ARD [Ahmed YOUSSOUF];
• Union for a Presidential Majority or UMP (a coalition of parties including RPP, FRUD, PND, and PPSD) [Mohamed Dileita DILEITA];
• Union for Democracy and Justice or UDJ

• Union for Presidential Majority UMP (coalition includes RPP, FRUD, PPSD and PND);
• Union for Democratic Changeover or UAD (opposition coalition includes ARD, MRDD, and UDJ)

chief of mission:

Ambassador Roble OLHAYE Oudine

chancery:

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

telephone:

[1] (202) 331-0270

FAX:

[1] (202) 331-0302

chief of mission:

Ambassador James C. SWAN

embassy:

Plateau du Serpent, Boulevard Marechal Joffre, Djibouti

mailing address:

B. P. 185, Djibouti

telephone:

[253] 35 39 95

FAX:

[253] 35 39 40

agriculture:

NA%

industry:

NA%

services:

NA%

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

general assessment:

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; mobile cellular coverage is primarily limited to the area in and around Djibouti city

international:

• country code - 253;
• landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable with links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe;
• satellite earth stations - 2 (1 Intelsat - Indian Ocean and 1 Arabsat);
• Medarabtel regional microwave radio relay telephone network (2007)

total:

100 km (Djibouti segment of the 781 km Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway)

country comparison to the world: 127

narrow gauge:

100 km 1.000-m gauge

note: railway is under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia but is largely inoperable (2008)

total:

3,065 km

country comparison to the world: 165

paved:

1,226 km

unpaved:

1,839 km (2000)

• the International Maritime Bureau reports offshore waters in the Gulf of Aden are high risk for piracy;
• numerous vessels, including commercial shipping and pleasure craft, have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway;
• crew, passengers, and cargo are held for ransom

• 18 years of age for voluntary military service;
• 16-25 years of age for voluntary military training;
• no conscription (2008)

males age 16-49:

111,274

females age 16-49:

105,168 (2008 est.)

males age 16-49:

55,173

females age 16-49:

52,825 (2009 est.)

male:

5,778

female:

5,771 (2009 est.)

• Djibouti maintains economic ties and border accords with "Somaliland" leadership while maintaining some political ties to various factions in Somalia;
• Kuwait is chief investor in the 2008 restoration and upgrade of the Ethiopian-Djibouti rail link