| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Africa |
| Geographical Location |
11° 30' North Latitude
43° 00' East Longitude |
| Surface Area |
23,000 sq km |
| Climate |
Desert; torrid, dry |
| Natural Resources |
Geothermal areas, gold, clay, granite, limestone, marble, salt, diatomite, gypsum, pumice, petroleum |
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| Political Information |
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| Country Name |
Republic of Djibouti |
| Capital City |
Djibouti |
| Government Type |
Republic |
| Administrative Divisions |
5 districts (cercles, singular - cercle); 'Ali Sabih, Dikhil, Djibouti, Obock, Tadjoura |
| Independence Day |
27 June 1977 (from France) |
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| Demographical Information |
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| Population |
476,703 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
Djiboutian |
| Ethnic Groups |
Somali 60%, Afar 35%, French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian 5% |
| Religion |
Muslim 94%, Christian 6% |
| Languages |
French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar |
| Population Growth Rate |
2.06% (2005 est.) |
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| Economical Information |
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| Currency |
Djiboutian franc (DJF) |
| Industries |
Construction, agricultural processing, salt |
| Labor Force |
282,000 (2000) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
NA |
| Agriculture Products |
Fruits, vegetables; goats, sheep, camels, animal hides |
| Export Commodities |
Reexports, hides and skins, coffee (in transit) |
| Export Partners |
Somalia 63.9%, Yemen 22.6%, Ethiopia 5% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products |
| Import Partners |
Saudi Arabia 21%, Ethiopia 9.9%, India 8.2%, China 7.8%, US 6.1%, France 6% (2004) |
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| Transportation |
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| Railways |
100 km |
| Highways |
2,890 km |
| Pipelines |
- |
| Airports |
13 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Djibouti |
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| Communication |
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| Phone Code |
+253 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.dj |
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| Other |
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| Short History |
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.
Djibouti's first multi-party presidential elections in 1999 resulted in the election of Ismail Omar GUELLEH. Djibouti occupies a very 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 has also developed increasingly stronger ties with the United States in recent years. Djibouti currently hosts the only United States military base in sub-Saharan Africa
and is a front-line state in the global war on terrorism. |
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