Djibouti




                                 Geography


Location:
     Eastern Africa, at the entrance to the Red Sea between Eritrea and
     Somalia
Map references:
     Africa, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
     22,000 sq km
land area:
     21,980 sq km
comparative area:
     slightly larger than Massachusetts
Land boundaries:
     total 508 km, Eritrea 113 km, Ethiopia 337 km, Somalia 58 km
Coastline:
     314 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
     24 nm
exclusive economic zone:
     200 nm
territorial sea:
     12 nm
International disputes:
     none
Climate:
     desert; torrid, dry
Terrain:
     coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains
Natural resources:
     geothermal areas
Land use:
arable land:
     0%
permanent crops:
     0%
meadows and pastures:
     9%
forest and woodland:
     0%
other:
     91%
Irrigated land:
     NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
     desertification
natural hazards:
     prone to earthquakes, droughts
international agreements:
     party to - Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ship Pollution; signed,
     but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change




Note:
     strategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes and close to
     Arabian oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia; a vast
     wasteland


                                  People


Population:
     412,599 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     2.71% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     42.94 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     15.8 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     111 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
     49.23 years
male:
     47.42 years
female:
     51.1 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
     6.21 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
     Djiboutian(s)
adjective:
     Djiboutian
Ethnic divisions:
     Somali 60%, Afar 35%, French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian 5%
Religions:
     Muslim 94%, Christian 6%
Languages:
     French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar
Literacy:
     age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
     48%
male:
     63%
female:
     34%
Labor force:
     NA
by occupation:
     a small number of semiskilled laborers at the port and 3,000 railway
     workers
note:
     52% of population of working age (1983)




                                Government


Names:
conventional long form:
     Republic of Djibouti
conventional short form:
former:
     French Territory of the Afars and Issas  French Somaliland
Digraph:
     DJ
Type:
     republic
Capital:
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 in referendum 4 September 1992
Legal system:
     based on French civil law system, traditional practices, and Islamic
     law
Suffrage:
     universal adult at age NA
Executive branch:
chief of state:
     President HASSAN GOULED Aptidon (since 24 June 1977); election last
     held 7 May 1993 (next to be held NA 1999); results - President Hassan
     GOULED Aptidon was reelected
head of government:
     Prime Minister BARKAT Gourad Hamadou (since 30 September 1978)
cabinet:
     Council of Ministers; responsible to the president
Legislative branch:
     unicameral
Chamber of Deputies (Chambre des Deputes):
     elections last held 18 December 1992; results - RPP is the only party;
     seats - (65 total) RPP 65
Judicial branch:
     Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Political parties and leaders:
ruling party:
     People's Progress Assembly (RPP), Hassan GOULED Aptidon
other parties:
     Democratic Renewal Party (PRD), Mohamed Jama ELABE; Democratic
     National Party (PND), ADEN Robleh Awaleh
Other political or pressure groups:
     Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD) and
     affiliates; Movement for Unity and Democracy (MUD)




Member of:
     ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB,
     IFAD, IFC, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user),
     INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UNCTAD, UNIDO,
     UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
     Ambassador Roble OLHAYE
chancery:
     Suite 515, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone:
     (202) 331-0270
FAX:
     (202) 331-0302
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
     Ambassador Martin CHESES
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:
     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:
     The economy is based on service activities connected with the
     country's strategic location and status as a free trade zone in
     northeast Africa. 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 (an important
     supplement to GDP) to help support its balance of payments and to
     finance development projects. An unemployment rate of over 30%
     continues to be a major problem. Per capita consumption dropped an
     estimated 35% over the last five years because of recession, civil
     war, and a high population growth rate (including immigrants and
     refugees).
National product:
     GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $500 million (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
     -1% (1992 est.)
National product per capita:
     $1,200 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     6% (1992)
Unemployment rate:
     over 30% (1989)




Budget:
revenues:
     $170 million
expenditures:
     $203 million, including capital expenditures of $70 million (1991
     est.)
Exports:
     $158 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
     hides and skins, coffee (in transit)
partners:
     Africa 47%, Middle East 40%, Western Europe 12%
Imports:
     $334 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
     foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products
partners:
     Western Europe 48%, Asia 25%, Africa 8%
External debt:
     $355 million (December 1990)
Industrial production:
     growth rate 3% (1991 est.); manufacturing accounts for 12% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
     115,000 kW
production:
     200 million kWh
consumption per capita:
     580 kWh (1991)
Industries:
     limited to a few small-scale enterprises, such as dairy products and
     mineral-water bottling
Agriculture:
     accounts for only 2% of GDP; scanty rainfall limits crop production to
     mostly fruit and vegetables; half of population pastoral nomads
     herding goats, sheep, and camels; imports bulk of food needs
Economic aid:
recipient:
     US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY78-89), $39 million; Western
     (non-US) countries, including ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
     (1970-89), $1.1 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $149 million;
     Communist countries (1970-89), $35 million
Currency:
     1 Djiboutian franc (DF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
     Djiboutian francs (DF) per US$1 - 177.721 (fixed rate since 1973)
Fiscal year:
     calendar year


                              Communications


Railroads:
     the Ethiopian-Djibouti railroad extends for 97 km through Djibouti




Highways:
total:
     2,900 km
paved:
     280 km
unpaved:
     improved, unimproved earth 2,620 km (1982)
Ports:
Merchant marine:
     1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,369 GRT/3,030 DWT
Airports:
total:
     13
usable:
     11
with permanent-surface runways:
     2
with runways over 3,659 m:
     0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
     2
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
     4
Telecommunications:
     telephone facilities in the city of Djibouti are adequate as are the
     microwave radio relay connections to outlying areas of the country;
     international connections via submarine cable to Saudi Arabia and by
     satellite to other countries; one ground station each for Indian Ocean
     INTELSAT and ARABSAT; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV


                              Defense Forces


Branches:
     Djibouti National Army (including Navy and Air Force), National
     Security Force (Force Nationale de Securite), National Police Force
Manpower availability:
     males age 15-49 99,811; fit for military service 58,346
Defense expenditures:
     exchange rate conversion - $26 million, NA% of GDP (1989)