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Djibouti Tourism - Travel to Djibouti

        

This article is an import from the CIA World Factbook 2002. It's a starting point for creating a real aTRAVELdirectory country article according to our country article template. Please plunge forward and edit it.

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.

Table of contents

1 Geography 2 People 3 Government 4 Economy 5 Communications 6 Transportation 7 Military 8 Transnational Issues

Geography in 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 in 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 in 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 in 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

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 in 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

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 in Djibouti

Disputes - international

Djibouti maintains economic ties and border accords with "Somaliland" leadership while politically supporting the Somali Transitional National Government in Mogadishu

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