Djibouti

Internet country code

.dj

Internet hosts

702 (2004)

Internet users

6,500 (2003)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2001)

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 international: country code - 253; submarine cable to Jiddah, Suez, Sicily, Marseilles, Colombo, and Singapore; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; Medarabtel regional microwave radio relay telephone network

Telephones - main lines in use

9,500 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular

23,000 (2003)

Television broadcast stations

1 (2002)

Agriculture - products

fruits, vegetables; goats, sheep, camels, animal hides

Budget

revenues: $135 million expenditures: $182 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1999 est.)

Currency (code)

Djiboutian franc (DJF)

Debt - external

$366 million (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$36 million (2001)

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 at least 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.

Electricity - consumption

167.4 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - production

180 million kWh (2002)

Exchange rates

Djiboutian francs per US dollar - 177.72 (2004), 177.72 (2003), 177.72 (2002), 177.72 (2001), 177.72 (2000)

Exports

$155 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities

reexports, hides and skins, coffee (in transit)

Exports - partners

Somalia 63.8%, Yemen 22.6%, Ethiopia 5% (2004)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$619 million (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 3.5% industry: 15.8% services: 80.7% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,300 (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

3.5% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA

Imports

$665 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities

foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products

Imports - partners

Saudi Arabia 19.7%, India 12.4%, Ethiopia 11.8%, China 8.1%, France 5.6%, US 4.8% (2004)

Industrial production growth rate

3% (1996 est.)

Industries

construction, agricultural processing, salt

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2% (2002 est.)

Labor force

282,000 (2000)

Labor force - by occupation

NA

Oil - consumption

11,300 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA

Oil - imports

NA

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line

50% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate

50% (2004 est.)

Area

total: 23,000 sq km land: 22,980 sq km water: 20 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Massachusetts

Climate

desert; torrid, dry

Coastline

314 km

Elevation extremes

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

Environment - current issues

inadequate supplies of potable water; limited arable land; desertification; endangered species

Environment - 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 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

11 30 N, 43 00 E

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

Irrigated land

10 sq km (1998 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 516 km border countries: Eritrea 109 km, Ethiopia 349 km, Somalia 58 km

Land use

arable land: 0.04% permanent crops: 0% other: 99.96% (2001)

Location

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

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

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

Natural hazards

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

Natural resources

geothermal areas, gold, clay, granite, limestone, marble, salt, diatomite, gypsum, pumice, petroleum

Terrain

coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

Djibouti

Constitution

multiparty constitution approved by referendum 4 September 1992

Country name

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Marguerita RAGSDALE embassy: Plateau du Serpent, Boulevard Marechal Joffre, Djibouti mailing address: B. P. 185, Djibouti telephone: [253] 35 39 95 FAX: [253] 35 39 40

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador ROBLE Olhaye chancery: Suite 515, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 331-0270 FAX: [1] (202) 331-0302

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; 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%

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

Government type

republic

Independence

27 June 1977 (from France)

International organization participation

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court or Cour Supreme

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes (65 seats; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms) elections: last held 10 January 2003 (next to be held January 2008) election results: percent of vote - RPP 62.2%, FRUD 36.9%; seats - RPP 65, FRUD 0; note - RPP (the ruling party) dominated the election

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 June (1977)

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 (governing party) [Ismail Omar GUELLEH]; 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 [leader NA]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Union for Presidential Majority UMP (coalition includes RPP, FRUD, PPSD and PND); Union for Democratic Changeover or UAD (opposition coalition includes ARD, MRDD, UDJ, and PDD) [Ahmed Dini AHMED]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal adult

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. Djibouti's first multi-party presidential elections in 1999 resulted in the election of Ismail Omar GUELLEH. Djibouti occupies a very 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 has also developed increasingly stronger ties with the United States in recent years. Djibouti currently hosts the only United States military base in sub-Saharan Africa and is a front-line state in the global war on terrorism.

Manpower available for military service

males age 18-49: 95,328 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 18-49: 46,020 (2005 est.)

Military branches

Djibouti National Army (includes Navy and Air Force)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$28.6 million (2004)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

4.4% (2004)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)

Age structure

0-14 years: 43.3% (male 103,516/female 102,860) 15-64 years: 53.5% (male 133,168/female 121,823) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 7,748/female 7,588) (2005 est.)

Birth rate

39.98 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate

19.39 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

2.9% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

690 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

9,100 (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 104.13 deaths/1,000 live births male: 111.82 deaths/1,000 live births female: 96.21 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 43.1 years male: 41.84 years female: 44.39 years (2005 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 67.9% male: 78% female: 58.4% (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 (2004)

Median age

total: 18.23 years male: 18.77 years female: 17.69 years (2005 est.)

Nationality

noun: Djiboutian(s) adjective: Djiboutian

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Population

476,703 (July 2005 est.)

Population growth rate

2.06% (2005 est.)

Religions

Muslim 94%, Christian 6%

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.4 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Disputes - international

Djibouti maintains economic ties and border accords with "Somaliland" leadership while maintaining some political ties to various factions in Somalia; although most of the 26,000 Somali refugees in Djibouti who fled civil unrest in the early 1990s have returned, several thousand still await repatriation in UNHCR camps

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 25,474 (Somalia) (2004)

Airports

13 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 3 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1524 to 2437 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 3 (2004 est.)

Highways

total: 2,890 km paved: 364 km unpaved: 2,526 km (1999 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,369 GRT/3,030 DWT by type: cargo 1 (2005)

Ports and harbors

Djibouti

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 (2004)