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.

Geographic coordinates: 11 30 N 43 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Comparative: slightly smaller than Massachusetts

Coastline: 314 km

Climate: desert; torrid dry

Terrain: coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains

Natural resources: geothermal areas

Irrigated land: NA km²

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

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

Ethnic groups: Somali 60% Afar 35% French Arab Ethiopian and Italian 5%

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

Religions: Muslim 94% Christian 6%

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.)

Environment
Current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water; desertification

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

Total fertility rate: 5.8 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Government type: republic

Capital: Djibouti

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

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

Suffrage: NA years of age; universal adult

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

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

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 growth rate: 2% (1999 est.)

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

Population below poverty line: NA%

Fiscal year: calendar year

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

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)

Debt external: $350 million (1999 est.)

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

Electricity
Production: 177 million kWh (1998)
Consumption: 165 million kWh (1998)
Exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Imports: 0 kWh (1998)

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

Internet
Service providers isps: NA

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

Airports: 12 (1999 est.)

Disputes international: none