Dictionary:
Dji·bou·ti (jĭ-bū'tē) 
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A country of eastern Africa on the Gulf of Aden. Djibouti was a French colony from 1896 until 1946 and a territory from 1946 until its independence in 1977. It was called French Somaliland from 1896 to 1967 and the French Territory of Afars and Issas from 1967 to 1977. Population: 496,000.
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In currencies, this is the abbreviation for the Djibourti Franc.
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The currency market, also known as the Foreign Exchange market, is the largest financial market in the world, with a daily average volume of over US $1 trillion.
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Land and People
Strategically situated, Djibouti commands Bab el Mandeb, the strait between the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. Largely a stony desert with isolated plateaus and highlands, it has a generally dry and hot climate. Lake Assal, the lowest point in Africa (509 ft/155 m below sea level), is in the center of the country. The population is about 60% Somali (of which the Issa constitute some 40%) and 35% Afar (of Ethiopian origin); both groups are Muslim. In addition, large numbers of refugees from Ethiopian civil wars settled in Djibouti from 1975 to 1991. There are also French, Italian, and Arab minorities. Two thirds of the people live in the capital city, and the rest are nomadic herders. Official languages are French and Arabic; Somali and Afar are both widely used.
Economy
Djibouti's economy is based on a number of service activities associated with its strategic location and its position as a free-trade zone. It is a major port for NE Africa, as well as an international transshipment and refueling center. Otherwise, the nation is largely economically underdeveloped and there is high unemployment. Nomadic pastoralism is a chief occupation; goats, sheep, and camels are raised. Fruits, vegetables, and dates are grown. With few natural resources (there are significant salt deposits), Djibouti's industry is mainly limited to food processing, construction, and shipbuilding and repair. The city of Djibouti is the terminus of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti RR; it and the port were modernized beginning in the late 1990s. The main exports are hides and skins, cattle, and coffee (transshipped from Ethiopia). Djibouti imports foods and beverages, transportation equipment, chemicals, and petroleum products. Its economic development depends largely on foreign investment and aid. The main trading partners are Somalia, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, India, and China.
Government
Djibouti is governed under the constitution of 1992, which provides for a president as the head of state and a prime minister as the head of government. The president is popularly elected for a six-year term and is eligible for a second term; the prime minister is appointed by the president. The unicameral Chamber of Deputies consists of 65 members, who are popularly elected for five-year terms. Administratively, the country is divided into six districts.
History
France first obtained a foothold in the region in 1862. French interest centered around Djibouti, the French commercial rival to Aden. By 1896 it was organized as a colony and in 1946 it became a territory within the French Union. Membership in the French Community followed in 1958. The political status of the territory was determined by a referendum in 1967, in which the Afar population, until then the group that had the lesser voice in government, gained political ascendancy with French support. The Afars opted for a continuation of the connection with France, whereas the Somalis voted for independence and eventual union with Somalia.
France officially recognized Djibouti's independence in 1977. In the three years that followed, the Afar and Issa-Somali communities struggled to obtain control over the government. In 1979, efforts were made to unite the two ethnic groups through the formation of the People's Progress Assembly (RPP). In 1981, Hassan Gouled Aptidon, president since independence, established the RPP as the only legal political party in the country.
Despite its attempts at peacemaking, Djibouti has been adversely affected by warfare in and between neighboring Ethiopia and Somalia. Moreover, beginning in 1991, tensions between Afars and the Issa-dominated government resulted in an Afar rebellion. A reconciliation agreement was reached in 1994, but the last remaining rebel group signed a peace accord only in 2001. There also were border clashes with Eritrea during the mid-1990s. Djibouti was the base of operations for French forces during the Persian Gulf War, and the French remain a strong military and technical presence. The United States also established a military presence in the nation beginning in 2002.
In 1992 a constitution allowing for a limited multiparty state was approved by Djibouti's voters. In 1993, Gouled was reelected in the country's first multiparty elections, which were widely boycotted by the opposition. The 1999 presidential election was won by Ismail Omar Guelleh, the governing party candidate (and a nephew of Gouled). In 2003 the government sought to expel an estimated 100,000 illegal immigrants, largely Ethiopians and Somalis, from the country. The move was prompted by security and unemployment concerns. Guelleh was reelected in 2005, but the opposition refused to contest the election, believing that the government would rig the vote.
In June, 2008, fighting erupted briefly between Djibouti and Eritrea near the Bab el Mandeb; Djibouti had accused Eritrea of occupying Djiboutian territory there earlier in the year, and relations remained tense in subsequent months. In Jan., 2009, the UN Security Council demanded Eritrea to withdraw its forces from the disputed area, but Eritrea refused to comply; Djibouti had previously withdrawn.
Bibliography
I. M. Lewis, Peoples of the Horn of Africa (1969); H. G. Marcus, The Modern History of Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa (1972); R. Tholomier, Djibouti: Pawn of the Horn of Africa (1981).
| Dialing Code: Djibouti |
The international dialing code for Djibouti is: 253
| Local Time: Djibouti |
| Currency: Djibouti |
| Statistics: Djibouti |
| 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 also has strong 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. |
| 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 land: 22,980 sq km water: 20 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: | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 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, gold, clay, granite, limestone, marble, salt, diatomite, gypsum, pumice, petroleum |
| Land use: | arable land: 0.04% permanent crops: 0% other: 99.96% (2005) |
| Irrigated land: | 10 sq km (2003) |
| Total renewable water resources: | 0.3 cu km (1997) |
| Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): | total: 0.02 cu km/yr (84%/0%/16%) per capita: 25 cu m/yr (2000) |
| 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; limited arable land; desertification; endangered species |
| 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, Wetlands 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 |
| Population: | 516,055 (July 2009 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 43.3% (male 112,135/female 111,343) 15-64 years: 53% (male 141,298/female 132,360) 65 years and over: 3.7% (male 9,502/female 9,417) (2009 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 18.1 years male: 18.5 years female: 17.8 years (2009 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 1.903% (2009 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 38.13 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) |
| Death rate: | 19.16 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | NA (2009 est.) |
| Urbanization: | urban population: 87% of total population (2008) rate of urbanization: 2.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2009 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 97.51 deaths/1,000 live births male: 104.98 deaths/1,000 live births female: 89.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 43.37 years male: 41.89 years female: 44.89 years (2009 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 5.06 children born/woman (2009 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 3.1% (2007 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 16,000 (2007 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 1,100 (2007 est.) |
| 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 note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009) |
| Nationality: | noun: Djiboutian(s) adjective: Djiboutian |
| Ethnic groups: | Somali 60%, Afar 35%, other 5% (includes French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian) |
| Religions: | Muslim 94%, Christian 6% |
| Languages: | French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 67.9% male: 78% female: 58.4% (2003 est.) |
| School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): | total: 4 years male: 5 years female: 4 years (2006) |
| Education expenditures: | 8.4% of GDP (2006) |
| Country name: | conventional long form: Republic of Djibouti conventional short form: Djibouti local long form: Republique de Djibouti/Jumhuriyat Jibuti local short form: Djibouti/Jibuti former: French Territory of the Afars and Issas, French Somaliland |
| Government type: | republic |
| Capital: | name: Djibouti geographic coordinates: 11 35 N, 43 09 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Administrative divisions: | 6 districts (cercles, singular - cercle); Ali Sabieh, Arta, Dikhil, Djibouti, Obock, Tadjourah |
| Independence: | 27 June 1977 (from France) |
| National holiday: | Independence Day, 27 June (1977) |
| Constitution: | approved by referendum 4 September 1992; note - constitution allows for multiparties |
| Legal system: | based on French civil law system, traditional practices, and Islamic law; accepts ICJ jurisdiction with reservations |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal |
| 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 (eligible for a second 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% |
| Legislative branch: | unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes (65 seats; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms) elections: last held 8 February 2008 (next to be held 2013) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats - UMP (coalition of parties associated with President Ismail Omar GUELLAH) 65 |
| 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]; 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 [Ismail Omar GUELLEH] (governing party); Peoples Social Democratic Party or PPSD [Moumin Bahdon FARAH]; Republican Alliance for Democracy or ARD [Ahmed YOUSSOUF]; Union for a Presidential Majority or UMP (a coalition of parties including RPP, FRUD, PND, and PPSD) [Mohamed Dileita DILEITA]; Union for Democracy and Justice or UDJ |
| 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, and UDJ) |
| International organization participation: | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Roble OLHAYE Oudine chancery: Suite 515, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 331-0270 FAX: [1] (202) 331-0302 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador James C. SWAN 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 - overview: | The economy is based on service activities connected with the country's strategic location and status as a free trade zone in the Horn of Africa. Two-thirds of Djibouti's 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. Imports and exports from landlocked neighbor Ethiopia represent 85% of port activity at Djibouti's container terminal. 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 nearly 60% 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% between 1999 and 2006 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. |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | $1.889 billion (2008 est.) $1.782 billion (2007) $1.693 billion (2006) note: data are in 2008 US dollars |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | $973 million (2008 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | 6% (2008 est.) 5.3% (2007 est.) 4.8% (2006 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | $3,700 (2008 est.) $3,600 (2007 est.) $3,500 (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars |
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 3.2% industry: 14.9% services: 81.9% (2006 est.) |
| Labor force: | 282,000 (2000) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
| Unemployment rate: | 59% in urban areas, 83% in rural areas (2007 est.) |
| Population below poverty line: | 42% (2007 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% |
| Budget: | revenues: $135 million expenditures: $182 million (1999 est.) |
| Fiscal year: | calendar year |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 5% (2007 est.) |
| Commercial bank prime lending rate: | NA |
| Stock of money: | $380 million (31 December 2007) |
| Stock of quasi money: | $284.1 million (31 December 2007) |
| Stock of domestic credit: | $224.7 million (31 December 2007) |
| Agriculture - products: | fruits, vegetables; goats, sheep, camels, animal hides |
| Industries: | construction, agricultural processing |
| Electricity - production: | 250 million kWh (2006 est.) |
| Electricity - consumption: | 232.5 million kWh (2006 est.) |
| Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2007 est.) |
| Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2007 est.) |
| Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
| Oil - production: | 0 bbl/day (2007 est.) |
| Oil - consumption: | 12,170 bbl/day (2006 est.) |
| Oil - exports: | 19.18 bbl/day (2005) |
| Oil - imports: | 11,810 bbl/day (2005) |
| Oil - proved reserves: | 0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.) |
| Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2007 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2007 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2007 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2007 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves: | 0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.) |
| Current account balance: | -$212 million (2007 est.) |
| Exports: | $340 million f.o.b. (2006) |
| Exports - commodities: | reexports, hides and skins, coffee (in transit) |
| Exports - partners: | Somalia 66.4%, Ethiopia 21.5%, Yemen 3.4% (2007) |
| Imports: | $1.555 billion f.o.b. (2006) |
| Imports - commodities: | foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products |
| Imports - partners: | Saudi Arabia 21%, India 18.1%, China 9.4%, Ethiopia 4.7%, Malaysia 4.6%, Japan 4.2% (2007) |
| Debt - external: | $428 million (2006) |
| Currency (code): | Djiboutian franc (DJF) |
| Currency code: | DJF |
| Exchange rates: | Djiboutian francs (DJF) per US dollar - 177.71 (2007), 174.75 (2006), 177.72 (2005), 177.72 (2004), 177.72 (2003) |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 10,800 (2005) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 45,000 (2007) |
| 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; mobile cellular coverage is primarily limited to the area in and around Djibouti city international: country code - 253; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable with links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 (1 Intelsat - Indian Ocean and 1 Arabsat); Medarabtel regional microwave radio relay telephone network (2007) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2001) |
| Radios: | 52,000 (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 1 (2001) |
| Televisions: | 28,000 (1997) |
| Internet country code: | .dj |
| Internet hosts: | 161 (2008) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 1 (2000) |
| Internet users: | 11,000 (2006) |
| Airports: | 13 (2008) |
| 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 (2008) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 3 (2008) |
| Railways: | total: 100 km (Djibouti segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway) narrow gauge: 100 km 1.000-m gauge note: railway is under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia but is largely inoperable (2006) |
| Roadways: | total: 3,065 km paved: 1,226 km unpaved: 1,839 km (2000) |
| Ports and terminals: | Djibouti |
| Transportation - note: | the International Maritime Bureau reports offshore waters in the Gulf of Aden are high risk for piracy; numerous vessels, including commercial shipping and pleasure craft, have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; crew, passengers, and cargo are held for ransom |
| Military branches: | Djibouti National Army (includes Navy and Air Force) |
| Military service age and obligation: | 18 years of age for voluntary military service; 16-25 years of age for voluntary military training; no conscription (2008) |
| Manpower available for military service: | males age 16-49: 111,274 females age 16-49: 105,168 (2008 est.) |
| Manpower fit for military service: | males age 16-49: 55,173 females age 16-49: 52,825 (2009 est.) |
| Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually: | male: 5,778 female: 5,771 (2009 est.) |
| Military expenditures: | 3.8% of GDP (2006) |
| Disputes - international: | Djibouti maintains economic ties and border accords with "Somaliland" leadership while maintaining some political ties to various factions in Somalia; Kuwait is chief investor in the 2008 restoration and upgrade of the Ethiopian-Djibouti rail link |
| Refugees and internally displaced persons: | refugees (country of origin): 8,642 (Somalia) (2007) |
| Wikipedia: Djibouti |
| Republic of Djibouti
جمهورية جيبوتي
Jumhūriyyat Jībūtī Jamhuuriyadda Jabuuti République de Djibouti |
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| Motto: "Unité, Égalité, Paix" (translation) "Unity, Equality, Peace" |
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| Anthem: Djibouti |
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| Capital (and largest city) |
Djibouti 11°36′N 43°10′E / 11.6°N 43.167°E |
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| Official languages | Arabic and French[1] | |||||
| Recognised regional languages | Afar, Somali[1] | |||||
| Demonym | Djiboutian | |||||
| Government | Semi-presidential republic | |||||
| - | President | Ismail Omar Guelleh | ||||
| - | Prime Minister | Dileita Mohamed Dileita | ||||
| Independence | from France | |||||
| - | Date | June 27, 1977 | ||||
| Area | ||||||
| - | Total | 23,200 km2 (149th) 8,958 sq mi |
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| - | Water (%) | 0.09 (20 km² / 7.7 sq mi) | ||||
| Population | ||||||
| - | 2009 estimate | 864,000[2] (160th) | ||||
| - | 2000 census | 460,700 | ||||
| - | Density | 37.2/km2 (168th) 96.4/sq mi |
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| GDP (PPP) | 2008 estimate | |||||
| - | Total | $1.880 billion[3] | ||||
| - | Per capita | $2,396[3] | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | 2008 estimate | |||||
| - | Total | $982 million[3] | ||||
| - | Per capita | $1,252[3] | ||||
| HDI (2007) | ▲ 0.520[4] (medium) (155th) | |||||
| Currency | Franc (DJF) |
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| Time zone | EAT (UTC+3) | |||||
| - | Summer (DST) | not observed (UTC+3) | ||||
| Drives on the | right | |||||
| Internet TLD | .dj | |||||
| Calling code | 253 | |||||
Djibouti (Arabic: جيبوتي Jībūtī, Somali: Jabuuti), officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
On the other side of the Red Sea, on the Arabian Peninsula, 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) from the coast of Djibouti, is Yemen. Djibouti's size is just over 23,000 square kilometres (8,900 sq mi) with an estimated population of over 500,000. Its capital city is Djibouti. About a fifth of the population of the country live below the international poverty line of US$1.25 a day.[5]
Contents |
The history of Djibouti is recorded in poetry, songs, and folklore of its nomadic people and goes back thousands of years to a time when Djiboutians traded hides and skins for the perfumes and spices of ancient Egypt, India, and China. Through close contacts with the Arabian peninsula for more than 1,000 years, the Somali and Afar ethnic groups in this region became among the first on the African continent to adopt Islam.
French interest developed in the nineteenth century when the area was ruled by the sultan of Raheita, Tadjoura and Gobaad. The French bought the anchorage of Obock in 1862 and expanded it eventually to a colony called French Somaliland with essentially the current boundaries. In 1967, the area became the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas.
The Republic of Djibouti gained its independence from France on June 27, 1977. Djibouti is a Somali, Afar and Muslim country, which regularly takes part in Islamic affairs as well as Arab meetings.
Djibouti is a semi-presidential republic, with executive power in the central government, and legislative power in both the government and parliament. The parliamentary party system is dominated by the People's Rally for Progress and the President who currently is Ismail Omar Guelleh. The country's current constitution was approved in September 1992. Djibouti is a one party dominant state with the People's Rally for Progress in power. Other parties are allowed, but the main opposition, Union for a Presidential Majority, boycotted the 2005 and 2008 elections leaving all of the legislative seats to the PRP. (See Elections in Djibouti.)
The government is seen as being controlled by the Somali Issa Dir clan. The country has recently come out of a decade long civil war, with the government and the Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD) signing a peace treaty in 2000. Two FRUD members are part of the current cabinet.
Djibouti's second president, Guelleh was first elected to office in 1999, taking over from Hassan Gouled Aptidon, who had ruled the country since its independence from France in 1977.[6] Despite elections of the 1990s being described as "generally fair", Guelleh was sworn in for his second and final six-year term as president after a one-man election on 8 April 2005. He took 100% of the votes in a 78.9% turnout.
The prime minister, who follows the council of ministers ('cabinet'), is appointed by the President. The parliament - the Chambre des Députés - consists of 52 members who are selected every five to nine years.
In 2001, the Djiboutian government leased the former French Foreign Legion base Camp Lemonnier to the United States. It transitioned from United States Central Command to United States Africa Command in 2008 as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.
France's 13th Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade shares Camp Lemonier with the Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) of the United States Central Command, which arrived in 2002. It is from Djibouti that Abu Ali al-Harithi, suspected mastermind of the 2000 USS Cole bombing, and the American citizen Ahmed Hijazi, along with four others persons, lost their lives in 2002 while riding a car in Yemen, by a Hellfire missile launched by an RQ-1 Predator drone provided by the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).[7] It is also from there that the American Army launched a few attacks in 2007 against enemy forces in Somalia.
The country of Djibouti is a member of the Arab League, as well as the African Union, and also the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
Djibouti lies in Northeast Africa on the Gulf of Aden at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. It has 314 km (195 mi) of coastline and shares a 113 km (70 mi) border with Eritrea, 337 km (209 mi) with Ethiopia and 58 km (36 mi) with Somalia (total 506 km/314 mi). The country is mainly a stony semidesert, with scattered plateaus and highlands. It is 8,900 square miles (23,051 km2) large.
Djibouti is sectioned into 5 regions and one city. It is further subdivided into 11 districts.
The regions and city are:
The economy of Djibouti 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. Scant rainfall limits crop production to fruits and vegetables, and most food must be imported.
In April 2005, the United Nations World Food Programme warned that 30,000 people in Djibouti face serious food shortages following three years of poor rains.[8]
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. Daniel R. Sutton, an American salt miner, is also overseeing some $70 million operation to industrialize the collection of Djibouti’s plentiful salt in the Region Lake Asal.
There are gold miners from India, geothermal experts from Iceland, Turkish hotel managers, Saudi oil engineers, French bankers and American military contractors. Investors from Dubai have leased the country's port, in an effort to develop the area as a gateway to the region. Saudi investors are reportedly exploring the possibility of linking the Horn of Africa with the Arabian Peninsula via an 18-mile long oversea bridge referred to as the Bridge of the Horns. Tarik bin Laden, half brother of Osama bin Laden, has been linked to the project.
An unemployment rate of 40% to 50% continues to be a major problem. Inflation is not a concern, however, because of the fixed tie of the franc to the U.S. 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). Renewed fighting between Ethiopia and Eritrea has been beneficial to Djibouti, the Port of Djibouti now serving as landlocked Ethiopia's primary link to the sea. Faced with a multitude of economic difficulties, the government has fallen into arrears on long-term external debt and has been struggling to meet the stipulations of foreign aid donors.[1]
The population consists of two major ethnic groups: the Somali and the Afar.
The remainder is formed by Europeans (mostly French and Italians), Arabs and Ethiopians. Tensions between the Afar and Issa was the cause of the civil war in the early 1990s.
The Somali ethnic component in Djibouti is mainly composed of the Issas, who form the majority and the Gadabuursi and Isaaq, all of whom are closely related as Dir subclans. The Issas form part of the Madoobe Dir, while the Gadabuursi and Isaaq are part of the Mahe Dir, Mohammed Hiniftire.
Although French and Arabic are the official languages, Somali and Afar are widely spoken.[1]
The bulk of Djibouti's people are urban residents; the remainder are pastoralists.
The life expectancy at birth is few above 40 for both females and males.[9] Fertility is at about 5 children per woman.[9] In the country there are about 18 doctors per 100,000 persons.[10]
Djibouti's population is predominantly Muslim. Islam is observed by 94% of Djibouti's population (about 444,440), while the remaining six percent, primarily consisting of foreign nationals, follow various Christian traditions.[11]
Every town and village in Djibouti has a mosque where people go to worship.[citation needed] Tombs of their former religious leaders and those considered holy are known as sacred spaces. The most famous sacred space for Islam in Djibouti is the tomb of Sheikh Abu Yazid, which is found in the Goda Mountains.[citation needed]
In addition to the Islamic calendar, Muslims in Djibouti also recognize New Year's Day (January 1) and Labor Day (May 1) as holidays.[citation needed]
Estimates on the Christian minority vary from less than one percent to six percent of the population. There live between 7,000 and 8,000 Catholics, of which some 300 are local Djiboutians, the rest being foreigners. The Christian population largely consists of foreign-born or expatriate residents. Djibouti has a Catholic bishop, 4 Catholic priests all of whom are foreigners – as well as about 40 Catholic missionaries.
While the Republic of Djibouti names the Islam as the sole state religion, the Constitution of 1992 provides for the equality of citizens of all faiths (Art. 1) as well as the freedom to practise any religion (Art. 11). Djibouti's Family Code (Code de la Famille) of 2002 prohibits muslim women from marrying non-muslim men, unless the men convert to Islam. Marriage, divorce and inheritance are handled by the Family Court which applies the Family Code and has jurisdiction over muslims, while non-muslims must instead turn to civil courts. According to the International Religious Freedom Report 2008, while muslim Djiboutians have the legal right to convert to another faith or marry outside of Islam, "converts may face negative societal, tribal, and familial attitudes towards their decision" and often face pressure to revert to Islam [13].
Djiboutian attire reflects the region's hot and arid climate. When not dressed in Westernized clothing such as jeans and t-shirts, men typically wear the macawiis, which is a sarong-like garment worn around the waist. Among nomads, many wear a loosely wrapped white cotton robe called a tobe that goes down to about the knee, with the end thrown over the shoulder (much like a Roman toga).
Women typically wear the dirac, which is a long, light, diaphanous voile dress made of cotton or polyester that is worn over a full-length half-slip and a brassiere. Married women tend to sport head-scarves referred to as shash, and also often cover their upper body with a shawl known as garbasaar. Unmarried or young women, however, do not always cover their heads. Traditional Arabian garb such as the male jellabiya (jellabiyaad in Somali) and the female niqab is also commonly worn. For some occasions such as festivals, women may adorn themselves with specialized jewelry and head-dresses similar to those worn by the Berber tribes of the Maghreb.[14]
A lot of Djibouti's original art is passed on and preserved orally, mainly through song. Many examples of Islamic, Ottoman, and French influences can also be noted in the local buildings, which contain plasterwork, carefully constructed motifs and calligraphy.
Education in Djibouti is strongly influenced by France.[15](Hare 2007) Although the government effort resulted in an increase in enrollment during the 1990s, the education system is still below people’s expectations and the needs of a developing nation[16]. There are 81 public primary schools, 24 registered private primary schools, 12 secondary schools and two vocational schools in Djibouti.[15] [17] Female gross enrollment rate was at only 21.9 % and male gross enrollment rate at 29.0 % in 2007. [18]
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the CIA World Factbook.
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| Translations: Djibouti |
Français (French)
n. - Djibouti
Deutsch (German)
n. - Dschibuti
Português (Portuguese)
n. - Jibouti
Español (Spanish)
n. - Djibuti
中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
吉布提
中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 吉布地
한국어 (Korean)
지부티 (동아프리카의 공화국; 수도 Djibouti)
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/. Read more |
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| Statistics. The World Factbook 2009 is prepared by the Central Intelligence Agency. Read more |
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