Djibouti. English. |
| The World Factbook 2002 | ||
| Djibouti | 
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|
 |
| Introduction | Djibouti |
| 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. |
| Geography | Djibouti |
| Location: |
Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Somalia |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
11 30 N, 43 00 E |
| Map
references: |
Africa |
| Area: |
total: 23,000 sq
km water: 20 sq km land: 22,980 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly smaller than Massachusetts |
| Land
boundaries: |
total: 516 km border countries: Eritrea 109 km, Ethiopia 349 km, Somalia 58 km |
| Coastline: |
314 km |
| Maritime
claims: |
contiguous zone:
24 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Climate: |
desert; torrid, dry |
| Terrain: |
coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point: Lac
Assal -155 m highest point: Moussa Ali 2,028 m |
| Natural
resources: |
geothermal areas |
| Land
use: |
arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
10 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic disturbances from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods |
| Environment
- current issues: |
inadequate supplies of potable water; desertification; endangered species |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| 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 |
| People | Djibouti |
| Population: |
472,810 (July 2002 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years: 42.6%
(male 100,903; female 100,420) 15-64 years: 54.5% (male 135,409; female 122,209) 65 years and over: 2.9% (male 7,220; female 6,649) (2002 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
2.59% (2002 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
40.33 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
14.43 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.09 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
99.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population:
51.6 years female: 53.52 years (2002 est.) male: 49.73 years |
| Total
fertility rate: |
5.64 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
11.75% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
37,000 (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
4,400 (2002 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun: Djiboutian(s)
adjective: Djiboutian |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Somali 60%, Afar 35%, French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian 5% |
| Religions: |
Muslim 94%, Christian 6% |
| Languages: |
French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar |
| Literacy: |
definition: age 15
and over can read and write total population: 46.2% male: 60.3% female: 32.7% (1995 est.) |
| Government | Djibouti |
| Country
name: |
conventional long form:
Republic of Djibouti conventional short form: Djibouti former: French Territory of the Afars and Issas, French Somaliland |
| 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: |
18 years of age; universal adult |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of state: President
Ismail Omar GUELLEH (since 8 May 1999) head of government: Prime Minister DILEITA Mohamed 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 9 April 1999 (next to be held NA 2005); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Ismail Omar GUELLEH elected president; percent of vote - Ismail Omar GUELLEH 74.4%, IDRIS Moussa Ahmed 25.6% |
| 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 NA 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 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Democratic National Party or PND [ADEN Robleh Awaleh]; Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Abdillahi HAMARITEH]; Front pour la Restauration de l'Unite Democratique or FRUD [Ali Mohamed DAOUD]; People's Progress Assembly or RPP (governing party) [Ismail Omar GUELLEH] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
Movement for Unity and Democracy or MUD |
| 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, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador ROBLE Olhaye Oudine FAX: [1] (202) 331-0302 telephone: [1] (202) 331-0270 chancery: Suite 515, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Donald YAMAMOTO embassy: Plateau du Serpent, Boulevard Marechal Joffre, Djibouti mailing address: B. P. 185, Djibouti telephone: [253] 35 39 95 FAX: [253] 35 39 40 |
| 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 | Djibouti |
| 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 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). 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. Another factor limiting growth is the negative impact on port activity now that Ethiopia has more trade route options. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power parity - $586 million (2001 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
0% (2001 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power parity - $1,400 (2001 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture: 3% industry: 10% services: 87% (2001 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
50% (2001 est.) |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
2% (2001 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
282,000 |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
NA% |
| Unemployment
rate: |
50% (2000 est.) (2000 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues: $135 million
expenditures: $182 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.) |
| Industries: |
construction, agricultural processing |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
3% (1996 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
180 million kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0% |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
167.4 million kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (2000) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
fruits, vegetables; goats, sheep, camels |
| Exports: |
$260 million f.o.b. (1999 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
reexports, hides and skins, coffee (in transit) |
| Exports
- partners: |
Somalia 53%, Yemen 23%, Ethiopia 5% (1998) |
| Imports: |
$440 million f.o.b. (1999 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products |
| Imports
- partners: |
France 13%, Ethiopia 12%, Italy 9%, Saudi Arabia 6%, UK 6% (1998) |
| Debt
- external: |
$366 million (2002 est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$36 million (2001) |
| Currency: |
Djiboutian franc (DJF) |
| Currency
code: |
DJF |
| Exchange
rates: |
Djiboutian francs per US dollar - 177.721 (fixed rate since 1973) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Communications | Djibouti |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
10,000 (2002) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
5,000 (2002) |
| 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: 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 |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2001) |
| Radios: |
52,000 (1997) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
1 (2002) |
| Televisions: |
28,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.dj |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
1 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
3,300 (2002) |
| Transportation | Djibouti |
| Railways: |
total: 100 km (Djibouti
segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad) narrow gauge: 100 km 1.000-m gauge note: Djibouti and Ethiopia plan to revitalize the century-old railroad that links their capitals by 2003 (2001 est.) |
| Highways: |
total: 2,890 km paved: 364 km unpaved: 2,526 km (1996) |
| Waterways: |
none |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Djibouti |
| Airports: |
12 (2001) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total: 3 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2002) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 3 (2002) |
| Military | Djibouti |
| Military
branches: |
Djibouti National Army (including Navy and Air Force) |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age 15-49: 110,221 (2002 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age 15-49: 64,940 (2002 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$26.5 million (FY01) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
4.4% (FY01) |
| Transnational Issues | Djibouti |
| Disputes
- international: |
Djibouti maintains economic ties and border accords with "Somaliland" leadership while politically supporting the Somali Transitional National Government in Mogadishu |
Source:
The World Factbook 2002
Last Updated: 19 March 2003
2000-2007
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