FLAG: A white triangle, with a five-pointed red star within, extends from the hoist; the remaining area has a broad light blue band over a broad green band.

ANTHEM: No information available.

MONETARY UNIT: The Djibouti franc (dFr) of 100 centimes is the national currency. There are coins of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 500 Djibouti francs, and notes of 500, 1000, 5000, and 10,000 Djibouti francs. dFr1 = $0.00563 (or $1 = dFr177.72) as of 2004.

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES: The metric system is in use.

HOLIDAYS: New Year’s Day, 1 January; Labor Day, 1 May; Independence Day, 27 June; Christmas Day, 25 December. Movable religious holidays are Milad an-Nabi, Laylat al-Miraj, ‘Id al-Fitr, ‘Id al-’Adha’, and Muslim New Year (1st of Muharram).

TIME: 3 pm = noon GMT.

1 Location and Size

Djibouti is situated on the east coast of Africa along the Bab al-Mandab, the strait that links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. It is bordered by Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia. Djibouti encompasses approximately 23,000 square kilometers (8,880 square miles). It has a total land boundary length of 516 kilometers (320 miles), which includes a coastline of 314 kilometers (196 miles). Comparatively, the area occupied by Djibouti is slightly smaller than the state of Massachusetts.

Djibouti’s capital city, Djibouti, is located in the eastern part of the country on the Gulf of Aden.

2 Topography

Djibouti consists of a series of high, arid tablelands surrounding faults, within which are low plains. Many areas have thick layers of lava flow still visible. There are three principal regions: the coastal plain, the mountains, and the plateau behind the mountains. The highest point, Mount Moussa Ali, rises to 2,028 meters (6,653 feet) on the northern frontier. The saline Lac Assal, at 155 meters (508 feet) below sea level,

GEOGRAPHICAL PROFILE

Geographic Features

Area: 23,000 sq km (8,880 sq mi)

Size ranking: 146 of 194

Highest elevation: 2,028 meters (6,653 feet) at Mount Moussa (Moussa Alli)

Lowest elevation: -155 meters (-508 feet) at Lac Assal

Land Use*

Arable land: 1%

Permanent crops: 0%

Other: 99%

Weather**

Average annual precipitation: 17.7 centimeters (7.0 inches)

Average temperature in January: 25°c (77.0°f)

Average temperature in July: 36.7°c (98.1°f)

* Arable Land: Land used for temporary crops, like meadows for mowing or pasture, gardens, and greenhouses.

Permanent crops: Land cultivated with crops that occupy its use for long periods, such as cocoa, coffee, rubber, fruit and nut orchards, and vineyards.

Other: Any land not specified, including built-on areas, roads, and barren land.

** The measurements for precipitation and average temperatures were taken at weather stations closest to the country’s largest city.

Precipitation and average temperature can vary significantly within a country, due to factors such as latitude, altitude, coastal proximity, and wind patterns.

is the lowest point in Africa and the second lowest in the world. In general, the terrain is bare, dry, desolate, and marked by sharp cliffs, deep ravines, burning sands, and thorny shrubs.

There is very little groundwater except in an area along the southern border with Somalia. Earthquakes and droughts are common.

3 Climate

The climate is torrid, and rainfall is sparse and erratic. During the hot season from May to October, daytime temperatures average 35°c (95°f). The northeastern monsoon (torrential rain with wind) blows during these months. From October to April, average daytime temperatures cool down to 25°c (77°f). Humidity is high all year, but annual rainfall averages only 17.7 centimeters (7 inches).

4 Plants and Animals

Over 90% of the land in Djibouti is desert. On Mount Goda, near Tadjoura, there are rare giant juniper trees, acacias, and wild olive trees. However, most of the vegetation is typical of the desert and semidesert, consisting of thorn scrubs and palm trees. In its few animal reserves, Djibouti is home to antelopes, gazelles, hyenas, and jackals.

5 Environment

Djibouti’s most significant environmental problems are deforestation, desertification, water pollution, and the protection of its wildlife. The scarce forests are threatened by agricultural growth and the need to use wood for fuel. The rare trees on Mount Goda are protected within a national park. The water supply is threatened by increasing salinity.

Underwater reserves have been established in the Golfe of Tadjoura to prevent overfishing of tuna, barracuda, grouper, and other species.

According to a 2006 report, threatened species included four mammal species, six species of birds, nine species of fish, and two species of plants. Although there is a ban on the hunting of wild animals, abuses continue.

6 Population

In 2005, the population was estimated at 793,000. The capital city of Djibouti had an estimated population of 502,000 in 2005. The population is projected to reach 1.1 million in 2025.

7 Migration

The people of Djibouti are historically nomadic, migrating across borders that now separate nations. At the end of 1999, about 21,000 Somali refugees from southeast Ethiopia were living in Djibouti camps. As of end 2004, there were 18,035 refugees in Djibouti and no asylum seekers. In 2005 the estimated net migration rate was zero. The dominant migratory pattern in recent years has been from the rural areas of the republic to the capital.

8 Ethnic Groups

The Issa branch of the Somali people and its related clans constitutes 60% of all Djiboutians. The Afars, a related people of the north and west, account for about 35%. The remaining 5% consists of French (about 3%), Arabs of Yemeni background, Ethiopians, and Italians.

9 Languages

French and Arabic are the official languages of Djibouti. The home languages of the vast majority of Djiboutians are Somali and Afar, both of Cushitic origin.

10 Religions

Over 99% of the population practices Islam, which is the state religion. The constitution provides for freedom of religion, and discrimination against other faiths is not widespread. About 1% of all Djiboutians are Roman Catholic, Protestant, or affiliated with the Baha’i faith. A large foreign community also supports Greek and Ethiopian Orthodox churches. Christmas is the only non-Muslim holiday that is officially recognized.

11 Transportation

In 2004, about 97 kilometers (60 miles) of single-track, meter-gauge railway linked the capital with Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In 2002 Djibouti had 2,890 kilometers (1,796 miles) of roads, 364 kilometers (226 miles) of which were paved. There are an estimated 13,000 passenger cars and 2,500 commercial trucks, taxis, and buses in Djibouti. A quarter of Ethiopia’s imports and half of its exports move through its improved natural harbor. Ambouli Airport, about 6 kilometers (4 miles) from the city of Djibouti, is the country’s international air terminal.

12 History

Somali and Afar herders lived in and around Djibouti for hundreds of years before European explorers came to the area in the nineteenth century. Obock and, later, Djibouti city were recognized as ports of great usefulness on the sea routes to India, Mauritius, and Madagascar. The Italians and British were active colonizers farther south along the Somali coast, and Britain gained control in areas that are now Yemen, the Sudan, and Egypt.

France decided to establish its colonial foothold in 1862 along what is now the northeastern coast of Djibouti. In 1884 France formed the protectorates of Obock and Tadjoura. In 1885 these were merged to form French Somaliland. In 1896 the boundaries of the colony were officially drawn between France and Ethiopia.

In 1898 a group of French companies began building a narrow-gauge railway that finally reached Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 1917. The Italians invaded and occupied Ethiopia in the 1930s and into the early part of World War II (1939–45). During this time there were constant border skirmishes between French and Italian forces. In December 1942 French Somaliland forces joined the Free French under General Charles de Gaulle.

After World War II, French Somaliland gradually gained a measure of local autonomy. In 1957 it was granted a territorial assembly and a local executive council. These bodies were able to advise the French-appointed governor-general. In 1967, French Somaliland joined the French Community as an overseas territory. The territory elected one deputy and one senator to the French national assembly.

During this period there were ongoing disagreements between the two ethnic groups in the country, the Afars and the Issas. Although the Afars were in the minority, they dominated the government. The Issas complained that the laws unfairly favored the Afars. Consequently, the Issas continued to press the French for full independence. Their movement was opposed by the Afars, who feared Issa domination.

Finally in 1975 the French began to accommodate demands for independence. In a May 1977 referendum, the Issa majority voted decisively for independence, which was officially established on 27 June 1977. Hassan Gouled Aptidon, the territory’s premier, was elected the nation’s first president and reelected without

opposition by universal suffrage, or the right to vote, in June 1981 and again in April 1987.

Dissatisfaction with Gouled grew in the late 1980s. The human-rights record of his regime came increasingly under attack in the late 1980s and 1990s. This led to uprisings by Afar guerrillas that began in late 1991. Their group was called the Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD). FRUD gained control of some areas of the north and west. In early 1992 French troops came to the aid of the Djibouti government, and the Afars declared a cease-fire. However, fighting continued until mid-1992 when the rebel bases were occupied, and their leaders imprisoned.

The military occupation of the north has been expensive for the government. By the end of 1993, about 35% of the government’s budget went toward maintaining security in the north. In March 1995, a cease-fire was negotiated between the rebels and the government. Most of the FRUD guerrillas were then disarmed. Skirmishes continued into 1998 however.

Gouled became ill in December 1995 and spent several months in a French hospital. During this period a power struggle for the presidency surfaced between Ismael Omar Guelleh and Ismael Godi Hared, both close advisors to the president. In part to cut down on such inter-party fighting, Gouled decided to remain president

BIOGRAPHICAL PROFILE

Name: Ismail Omar Guelleh

Position: President of a republic

Took Office: 7 May 1999, reelected April 2005 without opposition

Birthplace: Ethiopia

Birthdate: 27 November 1947

Of interest: Guelleh was once a police inspector.

after his recovery. Finally, in February 1999 he announced his intention to retire. Guelleh was elected president in the April 1999 elections.

In January 2003 parliamentary elections were held. However, an opposition coalition called the Union for Democratic Changeover (UAD) alleged that the election was highly fraudulent. In addition, the country’s winner-takes-all system gave the ruling People’s Rally for Progress (RPP) party all 65 seats in contention, even though the UAD was only 4,939 votes behind the RPP. This election however, was notable for one other event. Seven women won seats in the parliament, the first time in the country’s history that women held public office.

On 8 April 2005, presidential elections were held. However, the opposition boycotted the polls, alleging intimidation and irregularities during the campaign. As a result President Guelleh won another six-year term in office. These victories gave the president’s sub-clan, the Issa Mamassans, near complete domination of the government.

Guelleh attempted to mend political relations by announcing that he would not run for a third term, reports in 2005 began to surface of rebel activity by disaffected elements of FRUD.

A U.S. State Department report in early 2003 cited evidence of ongoing human rights abuses by the government. Given U.S. interest in Djibouti as an ally in the Middle East and for the war on terrorism, strong pressure for reforms was unlikely.

13 Government

Djibouti is a parliamentary republic. The president must be an Issa, according to the constitution. The president is elected by universal adult suffrage. The prime minister, who heads the cabinet, must be an Afar.

The legislature consists of the single chamber of deputies, whose 65 members are elected for five-year terms. Before 1992 candidates came from a single list submitted by the ruling party, the People’s Rally for Progress (RPP). In that year, voters approved a new constitution permitting a multiparty democracy.

Ismael Omar Guelleh, who was a key advisor to the country’s first president, Hassan Gouled Aptidon, for more than 23, was elected in 1999 and reelected in 2005. As of 2003, Dileita Mohamed Dileita was the prime minister.

Djibouti is divided into five cercles, or districts, with councils and appointed administrators.

14 Political Parties

Despite the 1992 constitutional changes that legalized opposition party political activity, Djibouti is actually a one-party system. However, illegal Issa and Afar parties continue to operate.

After the 2003 election, the RPP (People’s Rally for Progress) held all seats in the legislature and the presidency. However, two opposition groups, the Democratic Renewal Party (PRD) and the Democratic National Party (PND), function openly. The Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD) formed in 1991 and was engaged in armed rebellion. FRUD-Renaissance, which separated from the FRUD in 1996, signed a peace accord with the Djibouti government in Paris on 7 February 2000.

15 Judicial System

The judicial system consists of courts of first instance, a high court of appeal, and a supreme court. Each of the five administrative districts also has a customary court. The constitutional council rules on the constitutionality of laws. The judiciary is not completely independent of the executive branch.

16 Armed Forces

In 2005, Djibouti’s armed forces totaled 9,850 active personnel, of which the army had 8,000 members, the navy an estimated 200 active members, and the air force 250 active personnel. There was also a 1,400 person gendarmerie and a 2,500-man national security force. A total of 2,850 French troops are also near the city of Djibouti to deal with threats to French interests in the region. The defense budget in 2005 totaled $25.8 million.

17 Economy

Djibouti is a free-enterprise economy. The country’s main economic advantage is its strategic position at the southern entrance to the Red Sea.

The French military base in Djibouti is the country’s largest single source of economic activity. The remainder of the economy is centered around the free port of Djibouti, the end of the railway there, the airport, and government administration.

18 Income

In 2005 Djibouti’s gross domestic product (GDP) was estimated at $619 million, or $1,300

Yearly Growth Rate

This economic indicator tells by what percent the economy has increased or decreased when compared with the previous year.

per person. The annual growth rate of GDP was estimated at 3.5%. The average inflation rate in 2002 was 2%. It was estimated that services accounted for 59% of GDP, followed by industry at 23% and agriculture at 18%.

19 Industry

Shipbuilding and urban construction are the only major industrial undertakings. Local manufacturing is limited to a mineral-water bottling facility and small plants that produce food, dairy products, beverages, furniture, building materials, and bottled gas.

20 Labor

In 2002 (the latest year for which data was available), the labor force numbered 282,000. Labor in the cash economy is concentrated in the city of Djibouti, particularly on the docks and in shipbuilding and the construction industries. The railway is a significant employer, as is the national government. Unemployment was estimated at 50% in 2004, and underemployment is widespread.

Components of the Economy

This pie chart shows how much of the country’s economy is devoted to agriculture (including forestry, hunting, and fishing), industry, or services.

In 2005 the monthly minimum wage for an unskilled worker was approximately $125. The minimum age for child labor is 14 years. However, a lack of labor inspectors means that compliance is uneven.

21 Agriculture

Agriculture in Djibouti is very limited, due to acute water shortages in rural areas. In 2004 agriculture contributed only 18% to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP). In 2004, about 25,464 tons of vegetables were produced. Tomatoes are grown for domestic consumption. Date palms are cultivated along the coastal fringe. Famine and malnutrition in Djibouti have created a regular reliance on the distribution of food aid for millions of its people. In 2004 grain imports totaled 87,115 tons.

22 Domesticated Animals

Cattle, fat-tailed sheep, goats, and camels are grazed in the interior. In 2004 Djibouti had an estimated 512,000 goats, 466,000 sheep, 297,000 cattle, and 8,800 asses. Meat production for that same year totaled 11,244 tons, of which beef accounted for 6,050 tons. An estimated 13,950 tons of milk were produced in 2004, along with 1,990 tons of cattle hides, sheepskins, and goatskins.

23 Fishing

There is no local tradition of commercial fishing, although the Golfe of Tadjoura, the Gulf of Aden, and the Red Sea are potentially rich sources of commercial and game fish. In 2003 the catch was a mere 350 tons.

24 Forestry

There are protected forests on the slopes of the mountains north of the Golfe of Tadjoura. Less than 1% of the country’s total land area is forested.

25 Mining

Djibouti has been known to produce occasional small quantities of clays, granite, limestone, marble, salt, sand and gravel, and crushed and dimension stone for domestic construction projects. Other mineral occurrences of potential economic interest included diatomite, geothermal fluids and mineral salts, gold, gypsum, perlite, petroleum, and pumice. Salt is extracted from evaporated pans by miners in the marshes of Tadjoura. Production of salt, which is exported to Ethiopia, totaled an estimated 30,000 metric tons in 2004. It was the only mineral produced that year.

Yearly Balance of Trade

The balance of trade is the difference between what a country sells to other countries (its exports) and what it buys (its imports). If a country imports more than it exports, it has a negative balance of trade (a trade deficit). If exports exceed imports there is a positive balance of trade (a trade surplus).

26 Foreign Trade

About 75% of imports are consumed or used in Djibouti, while the remainder is forwarded to Ethiopia or northern Somalia. Exports include hides and skins, and coffee. Imports include industrial supplies, consumer goods, food, fuels, machinery, and transportation equipment.

In 2004, Djibouti’s principal export partners were Somalia, Yemen, and Ethiopia. Primary import partners that year were Saudi Arabia,

Selected Social Indicators

The statistics below are the most recent estimates available as of 2006. For comparison purposes, data for the United States and averages for low-income countries and high-income countries are also given. About 15% of the world’s 6.5 billion people live in high-income countries, while 37% live in low-income countries.

Indicator	Djibouti	Low-income countries	High-income countries	United States
sources: World Bank. World Development Indicators. Washington, D.C.: The World Bank, 2006; Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 2006; World Resources Institute, Washington, D.C.
Per capita gross national income (GNI)*	$2,150	$2,258	$31,009	$39,820
Population growth rate	2.0%	2%	0.8%	1.2%
People per square kilometer of land	34	80	30	32
Life expectancy in years: male	42	58	76	75
female	45	60	82	80
Number of physicians per 1,000 people	0.2	0.4	3.7	2.3
Number of pupils per teacher (primary school)	n.a.	43	16	15
Literacy rate (15 years and older)	67.9%	65%	>95%	99%
Television sets per 1,000 people	78	84	735	938
Internet users per 1,000 people	13	28	538	630
Energy consumed per capita (kg of oil equivalent)	n.a.	501	5,410	7,843
CO² emissions per capita (metric tons)	0.48	0.85	12.97	19.92
* The GNI is the total of all goods and services produced by the residents of a country in a year. The per capita GNI is calculated by dividing a country’s GNI by its population and adjusting for relative purchasing power.
n.a.: data not available >: greater than <: less than

India, Ethiopia, China, France, and the United States.

27 Energy and Power

All of Djibouti’s electricity is generated from an oil-fired generating station in the capital. Production totaled 232 million kilowatt hours in 2002. A $115 million geothermal plant is planned for the Lake Assal region west of the capital, but as of 2004, construction had not yet begun. All petroleum products are imported.

28 Social Development

Although women can vote, and have full legal protection, they do not play a leadership role, although in the January 2003 parliamentary elections, seven women did win seats in the parliament, the first time in the nation’s history. As many as 98% of women have undergone female circumcision, also known as female genital mutilation, a painful and potentially life-threatening procedure. Discrimination against minority ethnic clans in Djibouti is widespread.

29 Health

There are 18 hospitals, medical centers, and dispensaries, with a total of 1,283 beds. In 2006, there were an estimated 20 physicians, 65 nurses, 2 dentists, and 2 pharmacists for every 100,000 people.

In 2006 life expectancy was estimated at 43.10 years, and the infant mortality rate that same year was 104.13 per 1,000 live births.

Malnutrition is severe, and the incidence of tuberculosis high. About 23% of children under five were underweight. As of 2004 the number of people living with human immunodeficiency virus or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) was estimated at 9,100 people. Deaths from AIDS in 2003 were estimated at 690.

30 Housing

Djiboutian nomads generally live in transportable huts (toukouls), which are covered with woven mats or boiled bark that is pulled into fine strands and braided. Good quality urban housing is in short supply.

In 2000 nearly 100% of the total population had access to improved water sources. About 99% of urban and 50% of rural dwellers had improved sanitation systems.

31 Education

Education is compulsory for six years at the primary level followed by seven years of secondary school. However, as late as 2001, only 32% of school-age children were enrolled in primary school. The pupil-teacher ratio at the primary level averaged 34 to 1 in 2003. In 2003, only about 1% of age-eligible students were engaged in post-secondary education.

As of 2006, the adult literacy rate was estimated at 67.9% (males, 78%; females, 58.4%).

32 Media

From the city of Djibouti, telephone connections are available by satellite to Europe and the West and by land line to the main cities and towns of the interior. In 2003, there were 9,500 mainline telephones and 23,000 cellular phones in use throughout the country.

All media are government controlled. As of 2001, there were 1 AM and 2 FM radio stations, and a single television station. Broadcast programs are in French, Afar, Somali, and Arabic. There were about 78 television sets per 1,000 population in 2006. As of the most recent estimates in 2006, there were about 13 Internet users for every 1,000 people.

Djibouti has one weekly newspaper, the government-owned La Nation de Djibouti, which had a circulation of 4,300 in 2000.

The constitution provides for freedom of speech and the press, and the government is said to generally uphold these rights. Although the government owns the electronic media and the principal newspaper, there are several opposition-run weeklies and monthlies that operate freely.

33 Tourism and Recreation

Tourist attractions include islands in the Golfe de Tadjoura and the Bab al-Mandab. The natural beauty of Goubbet al-Kharab, at the western end of the Golfe of Tadjoura, features steep cliffs and a bay turned dark green by black lava. There are a number of active volcanoes near the inland lake, Assal. The Forest of the Day is a national park for rare trees in the north. In the south, the alkaline Lake Abbé is visited by flocks of flamingos, ibis, and pelicans. The famous red mountains and a national park full of various gazelles can be found near Ali Sabieh. An estimated 21,000 tourists visited Djibouti yearly.

34 Famous Djiboutians

Hassan Gouled Aptidon (b.1916) was president from 1977, when independence was established, until 1999. His nephew, Ismael Omar Guelleh (b.1947) was elected to the office in April 1999.