Djibouti

Airports

12 total, 9 usable; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air

2 major transport aircraft

Highways

2,900 km total; 280 km bituminous surface, 2,620 km improved or unimproved earth (1982)

Ports

Djibouti

Railroads

the Ethiopian-Djibouti railroad extends for 97 km through Djibouti

Telecommunications

fair system of urban facilities in Djibouti and radio relay stations at outlying places; 7,300 telephones; stations--2 AM, 1 FM, 2 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station and 1 ARABSAT; 1 submarine cable to Saudi Arabia

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force; paramilitary National Security Force

Defense expenditures

$29.9 million, 23% of central government budget (1986)

Military manpower

males 15-49, 88,132; 51,260 fit for military service

Agriculture

accounts for 30% 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

Aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY78-88), $36 million; Western (non-US) countries, including ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $962 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $149 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $35 million

Budget

revenues $117 million; expenditures $163 billion, including capital expenditures of $52 million (1987 est.)

Currency

Djiboutian franc (plural--francs); 1 Djiboutian franc (DF) = 100 centimes

Electricity

110,000 kW capacity; 190 million kWh produced, 580 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates

Djiboutian francs (DF) per US$1--177.721 (fixed rate since 1973)

Exports

$128 million (f.o.b., 1986); commodities--hides and skins, coffee (in transit); partners--Middle East 50%, Africa 43%, Western Europe 7%

External debt

$250 million (December 1988)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GNP

$333 million, $1,070 per capita; real growth rate - 0.7% (1986)

Imports

$198 million (f.o.b., 1986); commodities--foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products; partners--EC 36%, Africa 21%, Bahrain 14%, Asia 12%, US 2%

Industrial production

growth rate - 1.6% (1986)

Industries

limited to a few small-scale enterprises, such as dairy products and mineral-water bottling

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

8.0% (1987)

Overview

The economy is based on service activities connected with the country's strategic location and status as a free trade zone. 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 over 50% continues to be a major problem.

Unemployment rate

over 50% (1987)

Climate

desert; torrid, dry

Coastline

314 km

Comparative area

slightly larger than Massachusetts

Contiguous zone

24 nm;

Disputes

possible claim by Somalia based on unification of ethnic Somalis

Environment

vast wasteland

Extended economic zone

200 nm;

Land boundaries

517 km total; Ethiopia 459 km, Somalia 58 km

Land use

0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 9% meadows and pastures; NEGL% forest and woodland; 91% other

Natural resources

geothermal areas

Note

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

Terrain

coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains

Territorial sea

12 nm

Total area

22,000 km2; land area: 21,980 km2

Administrative divisions

5 districts (cercles, singular--cercle); Ali Sahih, Dikhil, Djibouti, Obock, Tadjoura

Capital

Djibouti

Communists

NA

Constitution

partial constitution ratified January 1981 by the Chamber of Deputies

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Roble OLHAYE; Chancery (temporary) at the Djiboutian Permanent Mission to the UN; 866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 4011, New York, NY 10017; telephone (212) 753-3163; US--Ambassador Robert S. BARRETT IV; Embassy at Villa Plateau du Serpent Boulevard, Marechal Joffre, Djibouti (mailing address is B. P. 185, Djibouti); telephone [253] 35-38-49 or 35-39-95, 35-29-16, 35-29-17

Executive branch

president, prime minister, Council of Ministers

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

Independence

27 June 1977 (from France; formerly French Territory of the Afars and Issas)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Cour Supreme) Chief of State--President Hassan GOULED Aptidon (since 24 June 1977); Head of Government--Prime Minister Barkat GOURAD Hamadou (since 30 September 1978)

Legal system

based on French civil law system, traditional practices, and Islamic law

Legislative branch

Chamber of Deputies (Chambre des Deputes)

Long-form name

Republic of Djibouti

Member of

ACP, AfDB, Arab League, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 June (1977)

Political parties and leaders

only party--People's Progress Assembly (RPP), Hassan Gouled Aptidon

Suffrage

universal adult at age NA President--last held 24 April 1987 (next to be held April 1993); results--President Hassan Gouled Aptidon was reelected without opposition; Chamber of Deputies--last held 24 April 1987 (next to be held April 1992); results--RPP is the only party; seats--(65 total) RPP 65

Type

republic

Birth rate

43 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate

17 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic divisions

60% Somali (Issa); 35% Afar, 5% French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian

Infant mortality rate

119 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Labor force

NA, but a small number of semiskilled laborers at the port and 3,000 railway workers; 52% of population of working age (1983)

Language

French (official); Arabic, Somali, and Afar widely used

Life expectancy at birth

46 years male, 49 years female (1990)

Literacy

20%

Nationality

noun--Djiboutian(s); adjective--Djiboutian

Net migration rate

0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Organized labor

3,000 railway workers

Population

337,386 (July 1990), growth rate 2.6% (1990)

Religion

94% Muslim, 6% Christian

Total fertility rate

6.4 children born/woman (1990)