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 .DJ - Djibouti
Registration · Transfer · Renewal
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Payable by
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Special Requirements:
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Anyone can register .DJ
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1 Year at 94.95
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Background: |
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. In 1999,
Djibouti's first multi-party presidential elections resulted in the
election of Ismail Omar GUELLEH; he was re-elected to a second and final
term in 2005. Djibouti occupies a 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 is also developing stronger ties with
the US. Djibouti hosts the only US military base in sub-Saharan Africa and
is a front-line state in the global war on terrorism. |
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Location: |
Eastern Africa, bordering the
Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Somalia |
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Geographic coordinates: |
11 30 N, 43 00 E |
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Map references: |
Africa |
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Area: |
total: 23,000 sq km
land: 22,980 sq km
water: 20 sq km |
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Area - comparative: |
slightly smaller than
Massachusetts |
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Land boundaries: |
total: 516 km
border countries: Eritrea 109 km, Ethiopia 349 km, Somalia 58
km |
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Coastline: |
314 km |
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Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200
nm |
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Climate: |
desert; torrid, dry |
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Terrain: |
coastal plain and plateau
separated by central mountains |
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Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: Lac Assal
-155 m
highest point: Moussa Ali 2,028 m |
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Natural resources: |
geothermal areas, gold, clay,
granite, limestone, marble, salt, diatomite, gypsum, pumice, petroleum
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Land use: |
arable land: 0.04%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 99.96% (2005) |
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Irrigated land: |
10 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards: |
earthquakes; droughts;
occasional cyclonic disturbances from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains
and flash floods |
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Environment - current issues: |
inadequate supplies of potable
water; limited arable land; desertification; endangered species |
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Environment - international agreements: |
party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
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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 |
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Population: |
486,530 (July 2006 est.) |
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Age structure: |
0-14 years: 43.3% (male
105,760/female 105,068)
15-64 years: 53.3% (male 135,119/female
124,367)
65 years and over: 3.3% (male 8,183/female 8,033)
(2006 est.) |
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Median age: |
total: 18.2 years
male: 18.7 years
female: 17.7 years (2006 est.)
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Population growth rate: |
2.02% (2006 est.) |
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Birth rate: |
39.53 births/1,000 population
(2006 est.) |
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Death rate: |
19.31 deaths/1,000 population
(2006 est.) |
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Net migration rate: |
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2006 est.) |
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Sex ratio: |
at birth: 1.03
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64
years: 1.09 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.02
male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006
est.) |
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Infant mortality rate: |
total: 102.44
deaths/1,000 live births
male: 110.07 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 94.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth: |
total population: 43.17
years
male: 41.86 years
female: 44.52 years (2006
est.) |
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Total fertility rate: |
5.31 children born/woman (2006
est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
2.9% (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
9,100 (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
690 (2003 est.) |
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Major infectious diseases: |
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease:
malaria (2005) |
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Nationality: |
noun: Djiboutian(s)
adjective: Djiboutian |
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Ethnic groups: |
Somali 60%, Afar 35%, French,
Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian 5% |
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Religions: |
Muslim 94%, Christian 6% |
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Languages: |
French (official), Arabic
(official), Somali, Afar |
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Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and
over can read and write
total population: 67.9%
male: 78%
female: 58.4% (2003 est.) |
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Country name: |
conventional long form:
Republic of Djibouti
conventional short form: Djibouti
former: French Territory of the Afars and Issas, French
Somaliland |
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Government type: |
republic |
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Capital: |
Djibouti |
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Administrative divisions: |
5 districts (cercles, singular
- cercle); 'Ali Sabih, Dikhil, Djibouti, Obock, Tadjoura |
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Independence: |
27 June 1977 (from France)
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National holiday: |
Independence Day, 27 June
(1977) |
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Constitution: |
multiparty constitution
approved by referendum 4 September 1992 |
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Legal system: |
based on French civil law
system, traditional practices, and Islamic law |
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Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal
adult |
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Executive branch: |
chief of state:
President Ismail Omar GUELLEH (since 8 May 1999)
head of
government: Prime Minister Mohamed Dileita 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 8 April 2005 (next to be held by April
2011); prime minister appointed by the president
election
results: Ismail Omar GUELLEH reelected president; percent of vote -
Ismail Omar GUELLEH 100% |
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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 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 |
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Judicial branch: |
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme
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Political parties and leaders: |
Democratic National Party or
PND [ADEN Robleh Awaleh]; Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Abdillahi
HAMARITEH]; Djibouti Development Party or PDD [Mohamed Daoud CHEHEM];
Front pour la Restauration de l'Unite Democratique or FRUD [Ali Mohamed
DAOUD]; People's Progress Assembly or RPP (governing party) [Ismail Omar
GUELLEH]; Peoples Social Democratic Party or PPSD [Moumin Bahdon FARAH];
Republican Alliance for Democracy or ARD [Ahmed Dini AHMED]; Union for
Democracy and Justice or UDJ [leader NA] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders: |
Union for Presidential Majority
UMP (coalition includes RPP, FRUD, PPSD and PND); Union for Democratic
Changeover or UAD (opposition coalition includes ARD, MRDD, UDJ, and PDD)
[Ahmed Dini AHMED] |
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International organization participation: |
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF,
AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC, OIF,
OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador ROBLE Olhaye
chancery: Suite 515, 1156 15th Street
NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone: [1] (202) 331-0270
FAX: [1] (202) 331-0302 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Marguerita RAGSDALE
embassy: Plateau du Serpent,
Boulevard Marechal Joffre, Djibouti
mailing address: B. P. 185,
Djibouti
telephone: [253] 35 39 95
FAX: [253] 35 39
40 |
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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
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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 are 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.
Djibouti 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 at least 50% continues to be a major problem. While inflation is
not a concern, due to the fixed tie of the Djiboutian franc to the US
dollar, the artificially high value of the Djiboutian franc adversely
affects Djibouti's balance of payments. 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. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity): |
$619 million (2002 est.) |
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GDP (official exchange rate): |
NA |
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GDP - real growth rate: |
3.5% (2002 est.) |
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GDP - per capita (PPP): |
$1,300 (2002 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 3.5%
industry: 15.8%
services: 80.7% (2001 est.) |
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Labor force: |
282,000 (2000) |
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Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture NA%, industry NA%,
services NA% |
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Unemployment rate: |
50% (2004 est.) |
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Population below poverty line: |
50% (2001 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage
share: |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
2% (2002 est.) |
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Budget: |
revenues: $135 million
expenditures: $182 million; including capital expenditures of
$NA (1999 est.) |
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Agriculture - products: |
fruits, vegetables; goats,
sheep, camels, animal hides |
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Industries: |
construction, agricultural
processing, salt |
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Industrial production growth rate: |
3% (1996 est.) |
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Electricity - production: |
240 million kWh (2003) |
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Electricity - production by source: |
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
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Electricity - consumption: |
223.2 million kWh (2003) |
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Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (2003) |
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Electricity - imports: |
0 kWh (2003) |
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Oil - production: |
0 bbl/day (2003) |
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Oil - consumption: |
12,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
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Oil - exports: |
NA bbl/day |
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Oil - imports: |
NA bbl/day |
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Natural gas - production: |
0 cu m (2003 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption: |
0 cu m (2003 est.) |
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Exports: |
$250 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
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Exports - commodities: |
reexports, hides and skins,
coffee (in transit) |
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Exports - partners: |
Somalia 63.8%, Yemen 22.6%,
Ethiopia 5% (2004) |
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Imports: |
$987 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
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Imports - commodities: |
foods, beverages, transport
equipment, chemicals, petroleum products |
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Imports - partners: |
Saudi Arabia 19.7%, India
12.4%, Ethiopia 11.8%, China 8.1%, France 5.6%, US 4.8% (2004) |
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Debt - external: |
$366 million (2002 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient: |
$36 million (2001) |
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Currency (code): |
Djiboutian franc (DJF) |
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Currency code: |
DJF |
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Exchange rates: |
Djiboutian francs per US dollar
- 177.72 (2005), 177.72 (2004), 177.72 (2003), 177.72 (2002), 177.72
(2001) |
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Fiscal year: |
calendar year |
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Telephones - main lines in use: |
11,100 (2004) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular: |
34,500 (2004) |
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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: country code - 253; submarine cable to Jiddah,
Suez, Sicily, Marseille, Colombo, and Singapore; satellite earth stations
- 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; Medarabtel regional microwave
radio relay telephone network |
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Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2001)
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Radios: |
52,000 (1997) |
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Television broadcast stations: |
1 (2002) |
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Televisions: |
28,000 (1997) |
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Internet country code: |
.dj |
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Internet hosts: |
506 (2005) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
1 (2000) |
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Internet users: |
9,000 (2005) |
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Airports: |
13 (2005) |
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Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 3
over
3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m:
1 (2005) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 10
1,524
to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 3
(2005) |
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Railways: |
total: 100 km (Djibouti
segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway)
narrow gauge: 100
km 1.000-m gauge
note: railway under joint control of Djibouti
and Ethiopia (2004) |
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Roadways: |
total: 2,890 km
paved: 364 km
unpaved: 2,526 km (1999) |
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Merchant marine: |
total: 1 ships (1000 GRT
or over) 1,369 GRT/3,030 DWT
by type: cargo 1 (2005) |
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Ports and terminals: |
Djibouti |
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Military branches: |
Djibouti National Army
(includes Navy and Air Force) |
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Military service age and obligation: |
18 years of age (est.); no
conscription (2001) |
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Manpower available for military service: |
males age 18-49: 95,328
(2005 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service: |
males age 18-49: 46,020
(2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure: |
$29.05 million (2005 est.)
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP: |
4.3% (2005 est.)
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| Transnational Issues |
Djibouti |
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Disputes - international: |
Djibouti maintains economic
ties and border accords with "Somaliland" leadership while maintaining
some political ties to various factions in Somalia; thousands of Somali
refugees await repatriation in UNHCR camps in Djibouti |
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Refugees and internally displaced persons: |
refugees (country of
origin): 17,331 (Somalia) (2005) |
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