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| CIA Background Information |
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.
| U.S. State Department Description |
Country Description:
Djibouti is a developing African country located at the juncture of the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. It is a multi-party democracy with a legal system based on French civil law (Djibouti was a French colony until 1977), though modified by traditional practices and Islamic (Sharia) law. Although exact statistics are unavailable, unemployment is estimated in excess of 50% of the working-age population. Over two-thirds of the country’s 650,000 residents live in the capital, also called Djibouti. Modern tourist facilities and communications links are found in the city of Djibouti, but are limited outside ... Read this Article
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Djiboutian(s).
Population (est.): Between 466,900 and 650,000.
Annual growth rate (2005 est.): 2.6%.
Ethnic groups: Somali, Afar, Ethiopian, Arab, French, and Italian.
Religions: Muslim 94%, Christian 6%.
Languages: French and Arabic (official); Somali and Afar widely used.
Education: Literacy--46.2%.
Health: Infant mortality rate--100 to 150/1,000. Life expectancy (2005 est.)--43.1 years.
Work force: ... Read this Article
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Location: Djibouti is Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Somalia See Map
Capital: name: Djibouti
geographic coordinates: 11 35 N, 43 09 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Currency (Code): Djiboutian franc (DJF) ...More
Area: total: 23,000 sq km , land: 22,980 sq km , water: 20 sq km ( 1 sq km is approximately 0.4 sq miles or 250 acres)
Area Comparison: slightly smaller than Massachusetts
Elevation Extremes: lowest point: Lac Assal -155 m , highest point: Moussa Ali 2,028 m (1 meter = 3.28 feet)
Population: 506,221 (July 2008 est.)
Unemployment: 59% in urban areas, 83% in rural areas (2007 est.)
Ethnic Groups: Somali 60%, Afar 35%, other 5% (includes French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian)
Religion: Muslim 94%, Christian 6%
Languages: French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar
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| History
The Republic of Djibouti gained its independence on June 27, 1977. It is the successor to French Somaliland (later called the French Territory of the Afars and Issas), which was created in the first half of the 19th century as a result of French interest in the Horn of Africa. However, ... Read this Article
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| Geographic Info for Djibouti : |
Geography
Area: 21,883 sq. km. (8,450 sq. mi.); about the size of Massachusetts.
Cities: Capital--Djibouti. Other cities--Dikhil, Arta, Ali-Sabieh, Obock, Tadjoura.
Terrain: Coastal desert.
Climate: Torrid and dry.
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Djiboutian(s).
Population (est.): Between 466,900 and 650,000.
Annual growth rate (2005 est.): 2.6%.
Ethnic groups: Somali, Afar, Ethiopian, Arab, French, and Italian.
Religions: ... Read this Article
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