Statistical information Djibouti 1999

Djibouti in the World
top of pageBackground: 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.
top of pageLocation: Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Somalia
Geographic coordinates: 11 30 N, 43 00 E
Map reference:
AfricaAreaTotal: 22,000 km²
Land: 21,980 km²
Water: 20 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Massachusetts
Land boundariesTotal: 508 km
Border countries: (3) Eritrea 113 km;
, Ethiopia 337 km;
, Somalia 58 kmCoastline: 314 km
Maritime claimsContiguous 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
ElevationExtremes lowest point: Lac Assal -155 m
Extremes highest point: Moussa Ali 2,028 m
Natural resources: geothermal areas
Land useArable land: NA%
Permanent crops: NA%
Permanent pastures: 9%
Forests and woodland: 0%
Other: 91% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA km²
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazards: earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic disturbances from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods
GeographyNote: strategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia; mostly wasteland
top of pagePopulation: 447,439 (July 1999 est.)
Growth rate: 1.51% (1999 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%
NationalityNoun: 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 profileAge structure0-14 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.)
Dependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate: 1.51% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 41.23 births/1000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 14.41 deaths/1000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: -11.73 migrant(s)/1000 population (1999 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: inadequate supplies of potable water; desertification
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ship Pollution
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Air pollutantsSex ratioAt 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.)
Mothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 100.24 deaths/1000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 51.54 years
Male: 49.48 years
Female: 53.67 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.87 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracyDefinition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 46.2%
Male: 60.3%
Female: 32.7% (1995 est.)
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional 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 areasIndependence: 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 participationCitizenshipSuffrage: NA years of age; universal adult
Executive branchChief 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
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
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Political parties and leadersInternational 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 representationIn the us chief of mission: Ambassador ROBLE Olhaye Oudine
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 Lange SCHERMERHORN
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 symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy 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.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rate: 0.6% (1998 est.)
Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $1,200 (1998 est.)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture: 3%
Industry: 20%
Services: 77% (1996 est.)
Agriculture products: fruits, vegetables; goats, sheep, camels
Industries: limited to a few small-scale enterprises, such as dairy products and mineral-water bottling
Industrial production growth rate: 3% (1996 est.)
Labor force: 282,000
By occupation agriculture: 75%
By occupation industry: 11%
By occupation services: 14% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate: 40%-50% (1996 est.)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty line: NA%
Gini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudgetRevenues: $156 million
Expenditures: $175 million, including capital expenditures of $N/A (1997 est.)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $39.6 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
Commodities: hides and skins, coffee (in transit) (1995)
Partners: Ethiopia 45%, Somalia, Yemen, Saudi Arabia (1996)
Imports: $200.5 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
Commodities: foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products (1995)
Partners: France, Ethiopia, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Thailand (1996)
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $276 million (1996 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: Djiboutian francs (DF) per US$1_177.721 (fixed rate since 1973)
top of pageElectricityProduction: 175 million kWh (1996)
Production by source fossil fuel: 100%
Production by source hydro: 0%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (1996)
Consumption: 175 million kWh (1996)
Exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Imports: 0 kWh (1996)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephones: 7,200 (1986 est.)
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
Broadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresDollar figure: $22.5 million (1997)
Percent of gdp: 4.5% (1997)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 11 (1998 est.)
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1 (1998 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 9
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 5
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 2 (1998 est.)
HeliportsPipelinesRailwaysTotal: 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
RoadwaysWaterwaysMerchant marine: total:1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,369 GRT/3,030 DWT (1998 est.)
Ports and terminalstop of pageDisputes international: none
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs