Djibouti

Broadcast media

state-owned Radiodiffusion-Television de Djibouti operates the sole terrestrial TV station, as well as the only 2 domestic radio networks; no private TV or radio stations; transmissions of several international broadcasters are available (2007)

Internet country code

.dj

Internet users

total: 73,500 | percent of population: 9.1% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 178

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: Djibouti Telecom is the sole provider of telecommunications services and utilizes mostly a microwave radio relay network; fiber-optic cable is installed in the capital; rural areas connected via wireless local loop radio systems; mobile cellular coverage is primarily limited to the area in and around Djibouti city | international: country code - 253; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 and EASSy fiber-optic submarine cable systems providing links to Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America; satellite earth stations - 2 (1 Intelsat - Indian Ocean and 1 Arabsat); Medarabtel regional microwave radio relay telephone network (2009)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 21,900 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 181

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 287,000 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 35 (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 177

Television broadcast stations

1 (2001)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $563.3 million | expenditures: $647.7 million (2014 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-5.3% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 176

Commercial bank prime lending rate

10.5% (31 December 2014 est.) | 11% (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 79

Current account balance

-$436 million (2014 est.) | -$136.2 million (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 80

Debt - external

$891.3 million (31 December 2014 est.) | $863.6 million (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 165

Distribution of family income - Gini index

40.9 (2002) | country comparison to the world: 53

Economy - overview

Djibouti's economy is based on service activities connected with the country's strategic location as a deepwater port on the Red Sea. Three-fourths of Djibouti's inhabitants live in the capital city; the remainder are mostly nomadic herders. Scant rainfall limits crop production to small quantities of 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. Imports, exports, and reexports - primarily of coffee from landlocked neighbor Ethiopia - represent 70% of port activity at Djibouti's container terminal. 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 nearly 60% 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. Djibouti’s reliance on diesel-generated electricity and imported food and water leave average consumers vulnerable to global price shocks. The government has emphasized infrastructure development for transportation and energy and Djibouti – with the help of foreign partners – has begun to increase and modernize its port capacity.

Exchange rates

Djiboutian francs (DJF) per US dollar - | 177.7 (2014 est.) | 177.72 (2013 est.) | 177.72 (2012 est.) | 177.72 (2011 est.) | 177.72 (2010 est.)

Exports

$119.5 million (2014 est.) | $114.1 million (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 188

Exports - commodities

reexports, hides and skins, coffee (in transit), scrap metal

Exports - partners

Somalia 82.9%, Yemen 5%, UAE 4.4% (2014)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.589 billion (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$2.865 billion (2014 est.) | $2.703 billion (2013 est.) | $2.574 billion (2012 est.) | note: data are in 2014 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 187

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 56.5% | government consumption: 25.7% | investment in fixed capital: 35.5% | investment in inventories: 0.4% | exports of goods and services: 32.9% | imports of goods and services: -51% | (2014 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 2.9% | industry: 16.6% | services: 80.5% (2014 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$3,100 (2014 est.) | $2,900 (2013 est.) | $2,700 (2012 est.) | note: data are in 2014 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 190

GDP - real growth rate

6% (2014 est.) | 5% (2013 est.) | 4.8% (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 47

Gross national saving

20.7% of GDP (2014 est.) | 6.1% of GDP (2013 est.) | 7.8% of GDP (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 149

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.4% | highest 10%: 30.9% (2002)

Imports

$612.1 million (2014 est.) | $575 million (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 189

Imports - commodities

foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, clothing

Imports - partners

China 29.3%, Saudi Arabia 16.3%, Indonesia 8%, India 7.7% (2014)

Industrial production growth rate

4.3% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 64

Industries

construction, agricultural processing, shipping

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.9% (2014 est.) | 3.5% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 124

Labor force

294,600 (2012) | country comparison to the world: 164

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: NA% | industry: NA% | services: NA%

Population below poverty line

18.8% | note: percent of population below $1.25 per day at purchasing power parity (2012 est.)

Public debt

38.6% of GDP (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 100

Stock of broad money

$1.43 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $1.24 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 162

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$790.6 million (31 December 2014 est.) | $645.6 million (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 107

Stock of domestic credit

$569.6 million (31 December 2014 est.) | $494.1 million (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 166

Stock of narrow money

$1.011 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $877 million (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 151

Taxes and other revenues

35.6% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 59

Unemployment rate

60% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 199

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

1.796 million Mt (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 152

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.) | country comparison to the world: 102

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.) | country comparison to the world: 178

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 168

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 124

Electricity - consumption

306.9 million kWh (2011 est.) | country comparison to the world: 177

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 131

Electricity - from fossil fuels

100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.) | country comparison to the world: 12

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.) | country comparison to the world: 168

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.) | country comparison to the world: 77

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.) | country comparison to the world: 173

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 138

Electricity - installed generating capacity

130,000 kW (2011 est.) | country comparison to the world: 171

Electricity - production

330 million kWh (2011 est.) | country comparison to the world: 170

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 137

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 86

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 185

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 123

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 130

Refined petroleum products - consumption

11,680 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 151

Refined petroleum products - exports

19 bbl/day (2010 est.) | country comparison to the world: 124

Refined petroleum products - imports

8,089 bbl/day (2010 est.) | country comparison to the world: 135

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2010 est.) | country comparison to the world: 137

Area

total: 23,200 sq km | land: 23,180 sq km | water: 20 sq km | country comparison to the world: 151

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than New Jersey

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, Wetlands | signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 0.02 cu km/yr (84%/0%/16%) | per capita: 24.84 cu m/yr (2000)

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 and the saltiest lake in the world

Irrigated land

10.12 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

total: 528 km | border countries (3): Eritrea 125 km, Ethiopia 342 km, Somalia 61 km

Land use

agricultural land: 73.4% | arable land 0.1%; permanent crops 0%; permanent pasture 73.3% | forest: 0.2% | other: 26.4% (2011 est.)

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 | volcanism: experiences limited volcanic activity; Ardoukoba (elev. 298 m) last erupted in 1978; Manda-Inakir, located along the Ethiopian border, is also historically active

Natural resources

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

Terrain

coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains

Total renewable water resources

0.3 cu km (2011)

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

name: Djibouti | geographic coordinates: 11 35 N, 43 09 E | time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Constitution

approved by referendum 4 September 1992; amended 2006, 2008, 2010 (2010)

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas P. KELLY III (since 13 October 2014) | embassy: Lot 350-B, Haramouss, Djibouti | mailing address: B. P. 185, Djibouti | telephone: [253] 21 45 30 00 | FAX: [253] 21 45 31 29

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Roble OLHAYE Oudine (since 22 March 1988) | chancery: 1156 15th Street NW, Suite 515, 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 Abdoulkader Kamil MOHAMED (since 1 April 2013) | cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister | elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term; (constitution amended in 2010 to allow a third term); election last held on 8 April 2011 (next to be held by 2016); prime minister appointed by the president | election results: Ismail Omar GUELLEH reelected president for a third term; percent of vote - Ismail Omar GUELLEH (RPP) 80.6%, Mohamed Warsama RAGUEH (independent) 19.4%

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; blue stands for sea and sky and the Issa Somali people; green symbolizes earth and the Afar people; white represents peace; the red star recalls the struggle for independence and stands for unity

Government type

republic

Independence

27 June 1977 (from France)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, CAEU (candidates), COMESA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of NA magistrates); Constitutional Council (consists of 6 magistrates) | judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court magistrates appointed by the president with the advice of the Superior Council of the Magistracy; magistrates appointed for life with retirement at age 65; Constitutional magistrates - 2 appointed by the president, 2 by the president of the National Assembly, and 2 by High Council of the Judiciary; magistrates appointed for 8-year, non-renewable terms | subordinate courts: High Court of Appeal; 5 Courts of First Instance; customary courts

Legal system

mixed legal system based primarily on the French civil code (as it existed in 1997), Islamic religious law (in matters of family law and successions), and customary law

Legislative branch

description: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale, formerly the Chamber of Deputies (65 seats; 52 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 13 directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); note - in 2012, the electoral law was modified to include proportional representation for 13 seats | elections: last held on 22 February 2013 (next to be held in 2018) | election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats - UMP (coalition of parties associated with President Ismail Omar GUELLEH) 49, USN 16

National anthem

name: "Jabuuti" (Djibouti) | lyrics/music: Aden ELMI/Abdi ROBLEH | note: adopted 1977

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 June (1977)

National symbol(s)

red star; national colors: light blue, green, white, red

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] | Movement for Development and Liberty or MODEL [Sheikh Guirreh MEIDAL] | People's Rally for Progress or RPP [Ismail Omar GUELLEH] (governing party) | Peoples Social Democratic Party or PPSD [Moumin Bahdon FARAH] | Republican Alliance for Democracy or ARD [Ahmed YOUSSOUF] | Union for a Presidential Majority or UMP (a coalition of parties including RPP, FRUD, PND, and PPSD) | Union for Democracy and Justice or UDJ [Ismail GUEDI Hared] | Union for National Salvation or USN (an umbrella coalition comprising PRD, PDD, MODEL, ARD, and UDJ) [Ahmed Youssouf HOUMER]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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 Afar minority during the 1990s led to a civil war that ended in 2001 with a peace accord between Afar rebels and the Somali Issa-dominated government. In 1999, Djibouti's first multiparty presidential election resulted in the election of Ismail Omar GUELLEH as president; he was reelected to a second term in 2005 and extended his tenure in office via a constitutional amendment, which allowed him to begin a third term in 2011. Djibouti occupies a strategic geographic location at the intersection of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and serves as an important shipping portal for goods entering and leaving the east African highlands and transshipments between Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The government holds longstanding ties to France, which maintains a significant military presence in the country, and has strong ties with the United States. Djibouti hosts several thousand members of US armed services at US-run Camp Lemonnier.

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 170,386 | females age 16-49: 221,411 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 114,557 | females age 16-49: 154,173 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 8,360 | female: 8,602 (2010 est.)

Military branches

Djibouti Armed Forces (Forces Armees Djiboutiennes, FAD): Djibouti National Army (includes Navy, Djiboutian Air Force (Force Aerienne Djiboutienne, FAD), National Gendarmerie (GN)) (2013)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service; 16-25 years of age for voluntary military training; no conscription (2012)

Age structure

0-14 years: 32.31% (male 134,166/female 133,479) | 15-24 years: 21.82% (male 85,021/female 95,706) | 25-54 years: 37.59% (male 129,382/female 182,021) | 55-64 years: 4.67% (male 17,970/female 20,689) | 65 years and over: 3.61% (male 13,422/female 16,468) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

23.65 births/1,000 population (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 64

Child labor - children ages 5-14

total number: 13,176 | percentage: 8% (2006 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

29.8% (2012) | country comparison to the world: 14

Contraceptive prevalence rate

19% (2012)

Death rate

7.73 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 105

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 58.5% | youth dependency ratio: 51.9% | elderly dependency ratio: 6.6% | potential support ratio: 15.1% (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 97.4% of population | rural: 64.7% of population | total: 90% of population | urban: 2.6% of population | rural: 35.3% of population | total: 10% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

4.5% of GDP (2010) | country comparison to the world: 11

Ethnic groups

Somali 60%, Afar 35%, other 5% (includes French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

1.59% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 32

HIV/AIDS - deaths

600 (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 80

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

9,900 (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 93

Health expenditures

8.9% of GDP (2013) | country comparison to the world: 44

Hospital bed density

1.4 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Infant mortality rate

total: 48.7 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 55.79 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 41.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 39

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 62.79 years | male: 60.28 years | female: 65.37 years (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 188

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: high | food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever | vectorborne disease: dengue fever | note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)

Major urban areas - population

DJIBOUTI (capital) 529,000 (2015)

Median age

total: 23.2 years | male: 21.5 years | female: 24.5 years (2015 est.)

Nationality

noun: Djiboutian(s) | adjective: Djiboutian

Net migration rate

6.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 20

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

8.5% (2014) | country comparison to the world: 134

Physicians density

0.23 physicians/1,000 population (2006)

Population

828,324 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 163

Population growth rate

2.2% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 40

Religions

Muslim 94%, Christian 6%

Sanitation facility access

urban: 59.8% of population | rural: 5.1% of population | total: 47.4% of population | urban: 40.2% of population | rural: 94.9% of population | total: 52.6% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 6 years | male: 7 years | female: 6 years (2011)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 0.89 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 0.71 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.87 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female | total population: 0.85 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.39 children born/woman (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 83

Urbanization

urban population: 77.3% of total population (2015) | rate of urbanization: 1.6% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Disputes - international

Djibouti maintains economic ties and border accords with "Somaliland" leadership while maintaining some political ties to various factions in Somalia; Kuwait is chief investor in the 2008 restoration and upgrade of the Ethiopian-Djibouti rail link; in 2008, Eritrean troops moved across the border on Ras Doumera peninsula and occupied Doumera Island with undefined sovereignty in the Red Sea

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 25,219 (Yemen); 11,931 (Somalia) (2015)

Trafficking in persons

current situation: Djibouti is a transit, source, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; economic migrants from East Africa en route to Yemen and other Middle East locations are vulnerable to exploitation in Djibouti; some women and girls may be forced into domestic servitude or prostitution after reaching Djibouti City, the Ethiopia-Djibouti trucking corridor, or Obock – the main crossing point into Yemen; Djiboutian and foreign children may be forced to beg, to work as domestic servants, or to commit theft and other petty crimes | tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List – Djibouti does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government has a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute a significant effort toward meeting the minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking; a national action plan was completed in 2014, but tangible efforts to prevent trafficking were minimal; authorities failed to investigate or prosecute any forced labor of child prostitution crimes, and no victim identifications were reported in 2013; foreign victims were deported to countries where they could face retribution (2014)

Airports

13 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 152

Airports - with paved runways

total: 3 | over 3,047 m: 1 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 10 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 | 914 to 1,523 m: 7 | 2 (2013)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Djibouti

Railways

total: 100 km (Djibouti segment of the 781 km Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway) | narrow gauge: 100 km 1.000-m gauge | note: railway is under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia but is largely inoperable (2008) | country comparison to the world: 128

Roadways

total: 3,065 km | paved: 1,226 km | unpaved: 1,839 km (2000) | country comparison to the world: 166

Transportation - note

while attacks decreased significantly in 2012, the International Maritime Bureau reports offshore waters in the Gulf of Aden remain a high risk for piracy; the presence of several naval task forces in the Gulf of Aden and additional anti-piracy measures on the part of ship operators, including the use of on-board armed security teams, contributed to the drop in incidents