Djibouti

Airports

13 total, 11 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air

1 major transport aircraft

Highways

2,900 km total; 280 km paved; 2,620 km improved or unimproved earth (1982)

Ports

Djibouti

Railroads

the Ethiopian-Djibouti railroad extends for 97 km through Djibouti

Telecommunications

fair system of urban facilities in Djibouti and radio relay stations at outlying places; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station and 1 ARABSAT; 1 submarine cable to Saudi Arabia

Branches

Djibouti National Army (including Navy and Air Force), National Security Force (Force Nationale de Securite), National Police Force

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $29.9 million, NA% of GDP (1986)

Manpower availability

males 15-49, 96,150; 56,077 fit for military service

Agriculture

accounts for only 5% of GDP; scanty rainfall limits crop production to mostly fruit and vegetables; half of population pastoral nomads herding goats, sheep, and camels; imports bulk of food needs

Budget

revenues $131 million; expenditures $154 million, including capital expenditures of $25 million (1990 est.)

Currency

Djiboutian franc (plural - francs); 1 Djiboutian franc (DF) = 100 centimes

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY78-89), $39 million; Western (non-US) countries, including ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.1 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $149 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $35 million

Electricity

115,000 kW capacity; 200 million kWh produced, 580 kWh per capita (1991)

Exchange rates

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

Exports

$190 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.) commodities: hides and skins, coffee (in transit) partners: Middle East 50%, Africa 43%, Western Europe 7%

External debt

$355 million (December 1990)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

exchange rate conversion - $340 million, $1,000 per capita; real growth rate -1.0% (1989 est.)

Imports

$311 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.) commodities: foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products partners: EC 36%, Africa 21%, Asia 12%, US 2%

Industrial production

growth rate 0.1% (1989); manufacturing accounts for 4% of GDP

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.7% (1989)

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. 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 over 30% continues to be a major problem. Per capita consumption dropped an estimated 35% over the last five years because of recession and a high population growth rate (including immigrants and refugees).

Unemployment rate

over 30% (1989)

Climate

desert; torrid, dry

Coastline

314 km

Comparative area

slightly larger than Massachusetts

Disputes

possible claim by Somalia based on unification of ethnic Somalis

Environment

vast wasteland

Land area

21,980 km2

Land boundaries

517 km; Ethiopia 459 km, Somalia 58 km

Land use

arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 9%; forest and woodland NEGL%; other 91%

Maritime claims

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

Natural resources

geothermal areas

Note

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

Terrain

coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains

Total area

22,000 km2

Administrative divisions

5 districts (cercles, singular - cercle); `Ali Sabih, Dikhil, Djibouti, Obock, Tadjoura

Capital

Djibouti

Constitution

partial constitution ratified January 1981 by the National Assembly

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Roble OLHAYE; Chancery at Suite 515, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005; telephone (202) 331-0270 US: Ambassador Charles R. BAQUET III; Embassy at Villa Plateau du Serpent, Boulevard Marechal Joffre, Djibouti (mailing address is B. P. 185, Djibouti); telephone [253] 35-39-95; FAX [253] 35-39-40

Elections

National Assembly: last held 24 April 1987 (next scheduled for May 1992 but post- poned); results - RPP is the only party; seats - (65 total) RPP 65 President: last held 24 April 1987 (next to be held April 1993); results - President Hassan GOULED Aptidon was reelected without opposition

Executive branch

president, prime minister, Council of Ministers

Flag

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

Independence

27 June 1977 (from France; formerly French Territory of the Afars and Issas)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Leaders

Chief of State: President Hassan GOULED Aptidon (since 24 June 1977) Head of Government: Prime Minister BARKAT Gourad Hamadou (since 30 September 1978)

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)

Long-form name

Republic of Djibouti

Member of

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UNCTAD, UPU, WHO, WMO

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 June (1977)

Other political or pressure groups

Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy and affiliates

Political parties and leaders

only party - People's Progress Assembly (RPP), Hassan GOULED Aptidon

Suffrage

universal adult at age NA

Type

republic

Birth rate

43 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate

16 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic divisions

Somali 60%, Afar 35%, French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian 5%

Infant mortality rate

115 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force

NA, but a small number of semiskilled laborers at the port and 3,000 railway workers; 52% of population of working age (1983)

Languages

French and Arabic (both official); Somali and Afar widely used

Life expectancy at birth

47 years male, 50 years female (1992)

Literacy

48% (male 63%, female 34%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990)

Nationality

noun - Djiboutian(s); adjective - Djiboutian

Net migration rate

0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor

3,000 railway workers, General Union of Djiboutian Workers (UGTD), government affiliated; some smaller unions

Population

390,906 (July 1992), growth rate 2.7% (1992)

Religions

Muslim 94%, Christian 6%

Total fertility rate

6.3 children born/woman (1992)