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. In 1999,
Djibouti's first multi-party presidential elections resulted in the
election of Ismail Omar GUELLEH; he was re-elected to a second and final
term in 2005. Djibouti occupies a 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 also has strong ties with the US.
Djibouti hosts the only US military base in sub-Saharan Africa and is a
front-line state in the global war on terrorism.
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
land: 22,980 sq km water: 20 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than
Massachusetts
Land boundaries:
total: 516 km
border countries: Eritrea 109 km, Ethiopia 349 km, Somalia 58
km
total: 0.02 cu km/yr
(84%/0%/16%) per capita: 25 cu m/yr (2000)
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; 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
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
total: 18.2 years
male: 18.6 years female: 17.7 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.945% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
38.61 births/1,000 population
(2008 est.)
Death rate:
19.16 deaths/1,000 population
(2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
NA
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03
male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64
years: 1.07 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.01
male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2008
est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 99.13
deaths/1,000 live births male: 106.65 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 91.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 43.31
years male: 41.89 years female: 44.77 years (2008
est.)
Total fertility rate:
5.14 children born/woman (2008
est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
2.9% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
9,100 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
690 (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 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 (2008)
Nationality:
noun: Djiboutian(s)
adjective: Djiboutian
Ethnic groups:
Somali 60%, Afar 35%, other 5%
(includes French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian)
Religions:
Muslim 94%, Christian 6%
Languages:
French (official), Arabic
(official), Somali, Afar
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and
over can read and write total population: 67.9%
male: 78% female: 58.4% (2003 est.)
Government
Djibouti
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
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Djibouti
geographic coordinates: 11 35 N, 43 09 E time
difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard
Time)
multiparty constitution
approved by referendum 4 September 1992
Legal system:
based on French civil law
system, traditional practices, and Islamic law; accepts ICJ jurisdiction,
with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
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 (eligible for a second 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%
Legislative branch:
unicameral Chamber of Deputies
or Chambre des Deputes (65 seats; members elected by popular vote for
five-year terms) elections: last held 8 February 2008 (next to
be held 2013) election results: percent of vote by party - NA;
seats - UMP (coalition of parties associated with President Ismail Omar
GUELLAH) 65
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]; 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 [Ismail Omar GUELLEH] (governing
party); Peoples Social Democratic Party or PPSD [Moumin Bahdon FARAH];
Republican Alliance for Democracy or ARD; Union for a Presidential
Majority or UMP (a coalition of parties including RPP, FRUD, PND, and
PPSD); Union for Democracy and Justice or UDJ
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, and UDJ)
chief of mission:
Ambassador Roble OLHAYE Oudine chancery: Suite 515, 1156 15th
Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 331-0270
FAX: [1] (202) 331-0302
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador W. Stuart SYMINGTON 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 the Horn of Africa. Two-thirds of Djibouti's
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. Imports and exports from landlocked neighbor Ethiopia
represent 85% 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. Per capita consumption dropped an
estimated 35% between 1999 and 2006 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.
foods, beverages, transport
equipment, chemicals, petroleum products
Imports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 21.4%, India
17.9%, China 11%, Ethiopia 4.6% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
$78.6 million (2005)
Debt - external:
$428 million (2006)
Currency (code):
Djiboutian franc (DJF)
Currency code:
DJF
Exchange rates:
Djiboutian francs per US dollar
- 177.71 (2007), 174.75 (2006), 177.72 (2005), 177.72 (2004), 177.72
(2003)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications
Djibouti
Telephones - main lines in use:
10,800 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
44,100 (2005)
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; mobile cellular
coverage is limited to the area in and around Djibouti city
international: country code - 253; landing point for the
SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable with links to Asia,
the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 (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 (2001)
Televisions:
28,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.dj
Internet hosts:
168 (2007)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)
Internet users:
11,000 (2006)
Transportation
Djibouti
Airports:
13 (2007)
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 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 10 1,524
to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 3
(2007)
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 but remains largely inoperable (2006)
Roadways:
total: 2,890 km
paved: 364 km unpaved: 2,526 km (1999)
Merchant marine:
total: 1 ship (1000 GRT
or over) 1,369 GRT/3,030 DWT by type: cargo 1 (2007)
Ports and terminals:
Djibouti
Military
Djibouti
Military branches:
Djibouti National Army
(includes Navy and Air Force)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary
military service; 16-25 years of age for voluntary military training; no
conscription (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 111,274
females age 16-49: 105,168 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 54,460
females age 16-49: 51,684 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3.8% (2006)
Transnational Issues
Djibouti
Disputes - international:
Djibouti maintains economic
ties and border accords with 'Somaliland' leadership while maintaining
some political ties to various factions in Somalia; thousands of Somali
refugees await repatriation in UNHCR camps in Djibouti
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of
origin): 8,642 (Somalia) (2007)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation:
Djibouti is a source, transit, and destination country for women and
children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and possibly
forced labor; small numbers are trafficked from Ethiopia and Somalia for
sexual exploitation; economic migrants from these countries also fall
victim to trafficking upon reaching Djibouti City or the Ethiopia-Djibouti
trucking corridor; women and children from neighboring countries
reportedly transit Djibouti to Arab countries and Somalia for ultimate use
in forced labor or sexual exploitation 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 based partly on the government's commitments to undertake future
action
