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: 11 30 N 43 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Comparative: slightly smaller than Massachusetts

Land boundaries

Coastline: 314 km

Maritime claims

Climate: desert; torrid dry

Terrain: coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains

Elevation

Natural resources: geothermal areas

Land use

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

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

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


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Population: 451,442 (July 2000 est.)
Growth rate: 1.45% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

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

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.45% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 40.98 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 14.87 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: -11.63 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water; desertification

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 103.32 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 5.8 children born/woman (2000 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

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

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 by referendum 4 September 1992

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: NA years of age; universal adult

Executive branch

Legislative branch: unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes (65 seats; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme

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

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

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 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 2% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $1200 (1999 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

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 unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 0% (1999 est.)

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: $260 million (f.o.b. 1999 est.)
Commodities: reexports hides and skins coffee (in transit)
Partners: Somalia 53% Yemen 23% Ethiopia 5% (1998)

Imports: $440 million (f.o.b. 1999 est.)
Commodities: foods beverages transport equipment chemicals petroleum products
Partners: France 13% Ethiopia 12% Italy 9% Saudi Arabia 6% UK 6% (1998)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $350 million (1999 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
Production: 177 million kWh (1998)
Consumption: 165 million kWh (1998)
Exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Imports: 0 kWh (1998)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 8,000 (1995)
Mobile cellular: NA

Telephone system: telephone facilities in the city of Djibouti are adequate as are the microwave radio relay connections to outlying areas of the country

Broadcast media

Internet
Service providers isps: NA

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $23 million (FY97)
Percent of gdp: 4.5% (FY97)

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: 12 (1999 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs