Djibouti

Branches

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

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $26 million, NA% of GDP (1989)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49: 102,528 males fit for military service: 60,076 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 2, shortwave 0

Radios

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 domestic: microwave radio relay network international: submarine cable to Saudi Arabia; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat

Telephones

7,200 (1986 est.)

Television broadcast stations

1

Televisions

17,000 (1993 est.) Defense

Agriculture

fruits, vegetables; goats, sheep, camels

Budget

revenues: $164 million expenditures: $201 million, including capital expenditures of $16 million (1993 est.)

Currency

1 Djiboutian franc (DF) = 100 centimes

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economic 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 (an important supplement to GDP) 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 six years because of recession, civil war, and a high population growth rate (including immigrants and refugees).

Electricity

capacity: 90,000 kW production: 170 million kWh consumption per capita: 398 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates

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

Exports

$184 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: hides and skins, coffee (in transit) partners: Somalia 48%, Yemen 42%

External debt

$227 million (1993 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $500 million (1994 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture: 3% industry: 21% services: 76% (1993 est.)

GDP per capita

$1,200 (1994 est.)

GDP real growth rate

-3% (1994 est.)

Imports

$384 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products partners: France, UK, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, South Korea

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

6% (1993 est.)

Labor force

282,000 by occupation: agriculture 75%, industry 11%, services 14% (1991 est.)

Unemployment rate

over 30% (1994 est.)

Area

total area: 22,000 sq km land area: 21,980 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Massachusetts

Climate

desert; torrid, dry

Coastline

314 km

Environment

current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water; desertification natural hazards: earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic disturbances from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Desertification

Geographic coordinates

11 30 N, 43 00 E

Geographic note

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

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

total: 508 km border countries: Eritrea 113 km, Ethiopia 337 km, Somalia 58 km

Land use

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

Location

Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Somalia

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources

geothermal areas

Terrain

coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains lowest point: Asal -155 m highest point: Mousa Alli 2,028 m

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

Djibouti

Chamber of Deputies (Chambre des Deputes)

elections last held 18 December 1992; results - RPP (the ruling party) dominated; seats - (65 total) RPP 65

Constitution

multiparty constitution approved in referendum 4 September 1992

Data code

DJ

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador ROBLE Olhaye Oudine chancery: Suite 515, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 331-0270

Executive branch

chief of state: President HASSAN GOULED Aptidon (since 24 June 1977); election last held 7 May 1993 (next to be held NA 1999); results - President HASSAN GOULED reelected to a six-year term by universal suffrage head of government: Prime Minister BARKAT Gourad Hamadou (since 30 September 1978) cabinet: Council of Ministers is responsible to the president

FAX

[1] (202) 331-0302

FAX

[253] 35 39 40

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)

International organization participation

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNAMIR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIH, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

unicameral

Name of country

conventional long form: Republic of Djibouti conventional short form: Djibouti former: French Territory of the Afars and Issas, French Somaliland

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 June (1977)

Other political or pressure groups

Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD) and affiliates; Movement for Unity and Democracy (MUD)

Political parties and leaders

ruling party: People's Progress Assembly (RPP), Hassan GOULED Aptidon other parties: Democratic Renewal Party (PRD), Mohamed Jama ELABE; Democratic National Party (PND), ADEN Robleh Awaleh

Suffrage

NA years of age; universal adult

Type of government

republic

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Martin L. CHESHES embassy: Plateau du Serpent, Boulevard Marechal Joffre, Djibouti mailing address: B. P. 185, Djibouti telephone: [253] 35 39 95

Age structure

0-14 years: 43% (male 91,687; female 91,242) 15-64 years: 55% (male 123,699; female 110,530) 65 years and over: 2% (male 5,389; female 5,095) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

42.5 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

15.26 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

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

Infant mortality rate

106.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 50.15 years male: 48.24 years female: 52.12 years (1996 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.) total population: 46.2% male: 60.3% female: 32.7%

Nationality

noun: Djiboutian(s) adjective: Djiboutian

Net migration rate

-12.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

427,642 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

1.5% (1996 est.)

Religions

Muslim 94%, Christian 6%

Sex ratio

at 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: 1.06 male(s)/female all ages: 1.07 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate

6.08 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Airports

total: 11 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 1 with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 2 with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 2 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 5 (1995 est.)

Highways

total: 2,879 km paved: 363 km unpaved: 2,516 km (1991 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,369 GRT/3,030 DWT (1995 est.)

Ports

Djibouti

Railways

total: 97 km (Djibouti segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad) narrow gauge: 97 km 1.000-m gauge