Map of Djibouti | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas became Djibouti in 1977. Hassan Gouled APTIDON installed an authoritarian one-party state and proceeded to serve as president until 1999. Unrest among the Afars minority during the 1990s led to a civil war that ended in 2001 following the conclusion of a peace accord between Afar rebels and the Issa-dominated government. In 1999 Djibouti's first multi-party presidential elections resulted in the election of Ismail Omar GUELLEH; he was re-elected to a second and final term in 2005. Djibouti occupies a strategic geographic location at the mouth of the Red Sea and serves as an important transshipment location for goods entering and leaving the east African highlands. The present leadership favors close ties to France which maintains a significant military presence in the country but is also developing stronger ties with the US. Djibouti hosts the only US military base in sub-Saharan Africa and is a front-line state in the global war on terrorism.


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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
Total: 23,000 km²
Land: 22,980 km²
Water: 20 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Massachusetts

Land boundaries
Total: 516 km
Border countries: (3) Eritrea 109 km; , Ethiopia 349 km; , Somalia 58 km

Coastline: 314 km

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

Climate: desert; torrid dry

Terrain: coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Lac Assal -155 m
Extremes highest point: Moussa Ali 2,028 m

Natural resources: geothermal areas gold clay granite limestone marble salt diatomite gypsum pumice petroleum

Land use
Arable land: 0.04%
Permanent crops: 0%
Other: 99.96% (2005)

Irrigated land: 10 km² (2003)

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; Lac Assal (Lake Assal) is the lowest point in Africa


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Population: 496,374 (July 2007 est.)
Growth rate: 1.984% (2007 est.)
Below poverty line: 50% (2001 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Djiboutian
Adjective: Djiboutian

Ethnic groups: Somali 60% Afar 35% other 5% (includes French Arab Ethiopian and Italian)

Languages: French (official) Arabic (official) Somali Afar

Religions: Muslim 94% Christian 6%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 43.4% (male 107,957/female 107,233)
15-64 years: 53.2% (male 137,111/female 126,952)
65 years and over: 3.4% (male 8,626/female 8,495) (2007 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 18.2 years
Male: 18.6 years
Female: 17.7 years (2007 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.984% (2007 est.)

Birth rate: 39.07 births/1000 population (2007 est.)

Death rate: 19.23 deaths/1000 population (2007 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2007 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water; limited arable land; desertification; endangered species
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.007 male/female
15-64 years: 1.08 male/female
65 years and over: 1.015 male/female
Total population: 1.045 male/female (2007 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 100.77 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 108.35 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 92.96 deaths/1000 live births (2007 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 43.25 years
Male: 41.88 years
Female: 44.65 years (2007 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.23 children born/woman (2007 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 2.9% (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids: 9,100 (2003 est.)
Deaths: 690 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases
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 among birds in this country or surrounding region; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2007)

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 67.9%
Male: 78%
Female: 58.4% (2003 est.)

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
Local long form: Republique de Djibouti/Jumhuriyat Jibuti
Local short form: Djibouti/Jibuti
Former: French Territory of the Afars and Issas, French Somaliland

Government type: republic

Capital
Name: Djibouti
Geographic coordinates: 11 35 N, 43 09 E
Time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 6 districts (cercles singular - cercle); Ali Sabieh Arta Dikhil Djibouti Obock Tadjourah

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; accepts ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
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%

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 10 January 2003 (next to be held in January 2008)
Election results: percent of vote - RPP 62.2%, FRUD 36.9%; seats - RPP 65; note - RPP (the ruling party) dominated the election

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme

Political parties and leaders: 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 Dini AHMED]; Union for Democracy and Justice or UDJ

International organization participation: ACCT ACP AfDB AFESD AMF AU COMESA FAO G-77 IBRD ICAO ICCt ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS IGAD ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IPU ITU ITUC LAS NAM OIC OIF OPCW (signatory) UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNWTO UPU WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In 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 W. Stuart SYMINGTON
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 are 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. Djibouti 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 50% continues to be a major problem. While inflation is not a concern due to the fixed tie of the Djiboutian franc to the US dollar the artificially high value of the Djiboutian franc adversely affects Djibouti's balance of payments. 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). 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: $1.878 billion (2006 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 3.2% (2005 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $1000 (2005 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 17.9%
Industry: 22.5%
Services: 59.6% (2003 est.)

Agriculture products: fruits vegetables; goats sheep camels animal hides

Industries: construction agricultural processing

Industrial production growth rate: 3% (1996 est.)

Labor force: 282,000 (2000)
By occupation agriculture: NA%
By occupation industry: NA%
By occupation services: NA%

Unemployment rate: 50% (2004 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 50% (2001 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $135 million
Expenditures: $182 million (1999 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3% (2005 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: $250 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Commodities: reexports hides and skins coffee (in transit)
Partners: Somalia 66.2% Ethiopia 21.4% Yemen 3.4% (2006)

Imports: $987 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Commodities: foods beverages transport equipment chemicals petroleum products
Partners: Saudi Arabia 21.4% India 17.9% China 11% Ethiopia 4.6% (2006)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $394 million (2004 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Djiboutian francs per US dollar - 174.75 (2006) 177.72 (2005) 177.72 (2004) 177.72 (2003) 177.72 (2002)


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Electricity
Production: 200 million kWh (2005)
Consumption: 186 million kWh (2005)
Exports: 0 kWh (2005)
Imports: 0 kWh (2005)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2005 est.)
Consumption: 0 m³ (2005 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 10,800 (2005)
Mobile cellular: 44,100 (2005)

Telephone system
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 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 - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; Medarabtel regional microwave radio relay telephone network

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .dj
Hosts: 168 (2007)
Users: 11,000 (2006)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: 3.8% (2006)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 13 (2007)
With paved runways total: 3
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2007)
With unpaved runways total: 10
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 5
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 3 (2007)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways
Total: 100 km (Djibouti segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway)
Narrow gauge: 100 km 1.000-m gauge
Note: railway under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia (2006)

Roadways
Total: 2,890 km
Paved: 364 km
Unpaved: 2,526 km (1999)

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 1,369 GRT/3,030 DWT
By type: cargo 1 (2007)

Ports and terminals: Djibouti


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Disputes international: Djibouti maintains economic ties and border accords with 'Somaliland' leadership while maintaining some political ties to various factions in Somalia; thousands of Somali refugees await repatriation in UNHCR camps in Djibouti

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: 9,828 (Somalia) (2006)

Illicit drugs