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 is also developing stronger 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.
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
Coastline
314 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea
12 nm
contiguous zone
24 nm
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Climate
desert; torrid, dry
Terrain
coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains
earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic disturbances from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods
Environment - current issues
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
Population
496,374 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
43.4% (male 107,957/female 107,233)
15-64 years
53.2% (male 137,111/female 126,952)
65 years and over
3.4% (male 8,626/female 8,495) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
18.2 years
male
18.6 years
female
17.7 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
1.984% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
39.07 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
19.23 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.007 male(s)/female
15-64 years
1.08 male(s)/female
65 years and over
1.015 male(s)/female
total population
1.045 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
100.77 deaths/1,000 live births
male
108.35 deaths/1,000 live births
female
92.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
43.25 years
male
41.88 years
female
44.65 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
5.23 children born/woman (2007 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 among birds in this country or surrounding region; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2007)
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.)
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 30 N, 43 15 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
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 in January 2008)
election results: percent of vote - RPP 62.2%, FRUD 36.9%; seats - RPP 65; 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]; 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 [Ahmed Dini AHMED]; 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, UDJ, and PDD) [Ahmed Dini AHMED]
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 - overview
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$619 million (2002 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$702 million (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
3.2% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$1,000 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
17.9%
industry
22.5%
services
59.6% (2003 est.)
Labor force
282,000 (2000)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
NA%
industry
NA%
services
NA%
Unemployment rate
50% (2004 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)
3% (2005 est.)
Budget
revenues
$135 million
expenditures
$182 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)
Agriculture - products
Industries
construction, agricultural processing
Industrial production growth rate
3% (1996 est.)
Electricity - production
200 million kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel
100%
hydro
0%
nuclear
0%
other
0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption
186 million kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (2004)
Oil - production
0 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - consumption
11,900 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports
NA bbl/day
Oil - imports
NA bbl/day
Natural gas - production
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Exports
$250 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities
reexports, hides and skins, coffee (in transit)
Exports - partners
Somalia 66.3%, Ethiopia 21.5%, Yemen 3.4% (2006)
Imports
$987 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities
foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products
Imports - partners
Saudi Arabia 21.4%, India 17.9%, China 11%, Ethiopia 4.6% (2006)
Debt - external
$394 million (2004 est.)
Economic aid - recipient
$64.1 million (2004)
Currency (code)
Djiboutian franc (DJF)
Currency code
DJF
Exchange rates
Djiboutian francs per US dollar - 174.75 (2006), 177.72 (2005), 177.72 (2004), 177.72 (2003), 177.72 (2002)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use
11,100 (2004)
Telephones - mobile cellular
34,500 (2004)
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, Marseille, 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 (2001)
Televisions
28,000 (1997)
Internet country code
.dj
Internet hosts
1,540 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
1 (2000)
Internet users
9,000 (2005)
Airports
13 (2006)
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 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total
10
1,524 to 2,437 m
2
914 to 1,523 m
5
under 914 m
3 (2006)
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 (2005)
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 (2006)
Ports and terminals
Djibouti
Military branches
Djibouti National Army (includes Navy and Air Force)
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)
Manpower available for military service
males age 18-49
95,328
females age 18-49
87,795 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 18-49
46,020
females age 18-49
42,181 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
3.8% (2006)
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): 9,828 (Somalia) (2006)
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
