Map of Djibouti | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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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.


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

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total area total: 22,000 km²
Land: 21,980 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Massachusetts

Land boundaries: total 508 km, Eritrea 113 km, Ethiopia 337 km, Somalia 58 km

Coastline: 314 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: desert; torrid, dry

Terrain: coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains

Elevation

Natural resources: geothermal areas

Land use
Arable land: 0%
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 9%
Forest and woodland: 0%
Other: 91%

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: strategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia; a vast wasteland


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Population: 421,320 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: 1.48% (1995 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

Religions: Muslim 94%, Christian 6%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 43% (female 90,070; male 90,631)
15-64 years: 55% (female 108,824; male 121,715)
65 years and over: 2% (female 4,900; male 5,180) (July 1995 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.48% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 42.79 births/1000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 15.51 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: -12.46 migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water; desertification
Current issues natural hazards: earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic disturbances from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods
Current issues international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Climate Change, Desertification

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 108.8 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 49.7 years
Male: 47.83 years
Female: 51.62 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.15 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
Total population: 48%
Male: 63%
Female: 34%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Djibouti
Conventional short form: Djibouti
Former: French Territory of the Afars and Issas French Somaliland

Government type: republic

Capital: Djibouti

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

Dependent areas

Independence: 27 June 1977 (from France)

National holiday: Independence Day, 27 June (1977)

Constitution: multiparty constitution approved in referendum 4 September 1992

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal adult at age NA

Executive branch
Chief of state: President HASSAN GOULED Aptidon (since 24 June 1977); election last held 7 May 1993 (next to be held NA 1999); results - President Hassan GOULED Aptidon was reelected
Head of government: Prime Minister BARKAT Gourad Hamadou (since 30 September 1978)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers; responsible to the president

Legislative branch: unicameral
Chamber of Deputies Chambre des Deputes: elections last held 18 December 1992; results - RPP (the ruling party) dominated; seats - (65 total) RPP 65

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Roble OLHAYE
In the us chancery: Suite 515, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20,005
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 331-0270
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 331-0302
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Martin L. CHESHES
From the us embassy: Plateau du Serpent, Boulevard Marechal Joffre, Djibouti
From the us mailing address: B. P. 185, Djibouti
From the us telephone: [253] 35 39 95
From the us 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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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 (an important supplement to GDP) to help support its balance of payments and to finance development projects. An unemployment rate of over 30% continues to be a major problem. Per capita consumption dropped an estimated 35% over the last six years because of recession, civil war, and a high population growth rate (including immigrants and refugees).

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: -3% (1994 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $1,200 (1994 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: mostly fruit and vegetables; herding of goats, sheep, and camels

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

Industrial production growth rate: 3% (1991 est.), accounts for 14% of GDP

Labor force

Unemployment rate: over 30% (1994 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $164 million
Expenditures: $201 million, including capital expenditures of $16 million (1993 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $184 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
Commodoties: hides and skins, coffee (in transit)
Partners: Somalia 48%, Yemen 42%

Imports: $384 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
Commodoties: foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products
Partners: France, UK, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, South Korea

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $227 million (1993 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

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


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Electricity
Capacity: 90,000 kW
Production: 170 million kWh
Production consumption per capita: 398 kWh (1993)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system: NA telephones; telephone facilities in the city of Djibouti are adequate as are the microwave radio relay connections to outlying areas of the country
Local: NA
Intercity: microwave radio relay network
International: international connections via submarine cable to Saudi Arabia and by satellite link to other countries; 1 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) and 1 ARABSAT earth station

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $26 million, NA% of GDP (1989)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 13
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 3
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2438 m: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: total:1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,369 GRT/3,030 DWT

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs