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DJIBOUTI
Also known as:
Republic of Djibouti,
Jumhuriyah Jibuti,
République de Djibouti, 
Quick Facts
| Location |
Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Somalia |
| Size |
total: 23,000 sq km
land: 22,980 sq km
water: 20 sq km |
| Capitals |
Djibouti |
| Languages |
French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar |
| Ethnic groups |
Somali 60%, Afar 35%, French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian 5% |
| Population |
476,703 (July 2005 est.) |
| Religion |
Muslim 94%, Christian 6% |
| Chief of State |
President Ismail Omar GUELLEH (since 8 May 1999) |
| Government type |
republic |
| GDP |
$619 million (2002 est.) |
| Industries |
construction, agricultural processing, salt |
| Currency |
Djiboutian franc (DJF) |
| Internet country code |
.dj |
| Time zone |
UTC/GMT +3 hours |
On this page, you will find:
- Country- Map, Flag & Coat of Arms
- Introduction
- Journey Element 1: Nature & Wildlife (Natural Environment; Plants & Wildlife)
- Journey Element 2: Life & Society (History, Society & Culture, Government & Politics)
- Journey Element 3: Trade, Travel & Economy (Transportation, Communication, Economy, Tourism)
- Journey Element 4: Highlights, Current Events & Helpful Links (Highlights & amazing statistics, Current events, Other Helpful Links)
Country- Map, Flag & Coat of Arms
| Map |
Map in context (From Wikipedia) |
| Flag |
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 |
Coat of Arms |
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Introduction
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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Journey Element 1: Nature & Wildlife
Natural Environment
| Climate |
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| Geographic coordinates |
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| Land boundaries |
- total: 516 km
border countries: Eritrea 109 km, Ethiopia 349 km, Somalia 58 km
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| Location |
- Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Somalia
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| Natural resources |
- geothermal areas, gold, clay, granite, limestone, marble, salt, diatomite, gypsum, pumice, petroleum
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| Size |
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| Terrain |
- coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains
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| Additional information |
- 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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Plants & Wildlife
| Animals |
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| Flora |
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National parks & reserves |
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Journey Element 2: Life & Society
History Overview
The area of Djibouti has been occupied by several tribes, currently the Afar and the Somali Issa. These tribes had regular trade contacts with the Arabs, and adopted Islam as their religion.
In the 19th century, France established a protectorate in the area, named French Somaliland, governed by Léonce Lagarde. In 1967, the name was changed to the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas. On June 27, 1977, the country was granted independence as Djibouti.
A civil war led by Afar rebels in the early 1990s was stopped by a peace accord in 1994. From Wikipedia.
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Significant dates & events
| year |
event |
| Pre-825 |
The history of Djibouti, recorded in poetry and songs of its nomadic peoples, 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. |
| 825 |
Islam introduced. Through close contacts with the Arabian peninsula for more than 1,000 years, the Somali and Afar tribes in this region became the first on the African continent to adopt Islam. |
| 1800s |
Republic of Djibouti 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. |
| 1839-1842 |
It was Rochet d'Hericourt's exploration into Shoa that marked the beginning of French interest in the African shores of the Red Sea. |
| 1862 |
Further exploration by Henri Lambert, French Consular Agent at Aden, and Captain Fleuriot de Langle led to a treaty of friendship and assistance between France and the sultans of Raheita, Tadjoura, and Gobaad, from whom the French purchased the anchorage of Obock. |
| 1869 |
Growing French interest in the area took place against a backdrop of British activity in Egypt and the opening of the Suez Canal. |
| 1884-1885 |
France expanded its protectorate to include the shores of the Gulf of Tadjoura and the Somaliland. |
| 1892 |
The administrative capital was moved from Obock to Djibouti. |
| 1896 |
Djibouti was named French Somaliland. Djibouti, which has a good natural harbor and ready access to the Ethiopian highlands, attracted trade caravans crossing East Africa as well as Somali settlers from the south |
| 1897 |
The Franco-Ethiopian railway, linking Djibouti to the heart of Ethiopia, began. |
| 1917 |
The Franco-Ethiopian railway, reached Addis Ababa in June 1917, further facilitating the increase of trade. |
| 1930s |
During the Italian invasion and occupation of Ethiopia and during World War II, constant border skirmishes occurred between French and Italian forces. |
| 1942 |
The area was ruled by the Vichy (French) government from the fall of France until December, and fell under British blockade during that period. Free French and the Allied forces recaptured Djibouti at the end of 1942. |
| 1944 |
A local battalion from Djibouti participated in the liberation of France. |
| 1945-1954 |
Boundaries of the protectorate, marked out in 1897 by France and Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia, were affirmed further by agreements with Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I in 1945 and 1954. |
| 1957 |
On July 22, the colony was reorganized to give the people considerable self-government.
On the same day, a decree applying the Overseas Reform Act (Loi Cadre) of June 23, 1956, established a territorial assembly that elected eight of its members to an executive council. Members of the executive council were responsible for one or more of the territorial services and carried the title of minister. The council advised the French-appointed governor general. |
| 1958 |
In a September, constitutional referendum, French Somaliland opted to join the French community as an overseas territory. This act entitled the region to representation by one deputy and one senator in the French Parliament, and one counselor in the French Union Assembly.
The first elections to the territorial assembly were held on November 23, under a system of proportional representation. |
| 1963 |
In the next assembly elections, a new electoral law was enacted. Representation was abolished in exchange for a system of straight plurality vote based on lists submitted by political parties in seven designated districts. Ali Aref Bourhan, allegedly of Turkish origin, was selected to be the president of the executive council. |
| 1966 |
French President Charles de Gaulle's August visit to Djibouti was marked by 2 days of public demonstrations by Somalis demanding independence.
On September 21, Louis Saget, appointed governor general of the territory after the demonstrations, announced the French Government's decision to hold a referendum to determine whether the people would remain within the French Republic or become independent. |
| 1967 |
In March, 60% chose to continue the territory's association with France.
In July, a directive from Paris formally changed the name of the region to the French Territory of Afars and Issas. The directive also reorganized the governmental structure of the territory, making the senior French representative, formerly the governor general, a high commissioner. In addition, the executive council was redesignated as the council of government, with nine members. |
| 1975 |
The French Government began to accommodate increasingly insistent demands for independence. |
| 1976 |
In June, the territory's citizenship law, which favored the Afar minority, was revised to reflect more closely the weight of the Issa Somali. |
| 1977 |
The electorate voted for independence in a May referendum.
The Republic of Djibouti was established on June 27, and Hassan Gouled Aptidon became the country's first president. |
| 1981 |
Hassan Gouled Aptidon re-elected. |
| 1987 |
In April, Hassan Gouled Aptidon was re-elected, unopposed, to a second 6-year term. |
| 1991 |
In early November, civil war erupted in Djibouti between the government and a predominantly Afar rebel group, the Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD). |
| 1992 |
In early 1992, the constitution permitted the legalization of four political parties for a period of 10 years, after which a complete multiparty system would be installed.
By the time of the December national assembly elections, only three had qualified. They were the Rassemblement Populaire Pour le Progres (People's Rally for Progress--RPP) which was the only legal party from 1981 until 1992; the Parti du Renouveau Democratique (The Party for Democratic Renewal--PRD), and the Parti National Democratique (National Democratic Party--PND). Only the RPP and the PRD contested the national assembly elections, and the PND withdrew, claiming that there were too many unanswered questions on the conduct of the elections and too many opportunities for government fraud. The RPP won all 65 seats in the national assembly, with a turnout of less than 50% of the electorate. |
| 1993 |
Hassan Gouled Aptidon re-elected to a third 6-year term in May multiparty elections. |
| 1994 |
The FRUD signed a peace accord with the government in December, ending the conflict. Two FRUD members were made cabinet members. |
| 1999 |
In the presidential elections, the FRUD campaigned in support of the RPP.
Ismail Omar Guelleh -- President Hassan Gouled Aptidon's chief of staff, head of security, and key adviser for over 20 years -- was elected to the presidency as the RPP candidate. He received 74% of the vote, with the other 26% going to opposition candidate Moussa Ahmed Idriss, of the Unified Djiboutian Opposition (ODU).
For the first time since independence, no group boycotted the election. Moussa Ahmed Idriss and the ODU later challenged the results based on election "irregularities" and the assertion that "foreigners" had voted in various districts of the capital; however, international and locally based observers considered the election to be generally fair, and cited only minor technical difficulties.
Ismail Omar Guelleh took the oath of office as the second President of the Republic of Djibouti on May 8, with the support of an alliance between the RPP and the government-recognized section of the Afar-led FRUD. |
| 2000 |
In February, another branch of FRUD signed a peace accord with the government. |
| 2001 |
On May 12, President Ismail Omar Guelleh presided over the signing of what is termed the final peace accord officially ending the decade-long civil war between the government and the armed faction of the FRUD. The peace accord successfully completed the peace process begun on February 7, 2000 in Paris. Ahmed Dini Ahmed represented the FRUD. |
| 2005 |
In the presidential election held April 8, Ismail Omar Guelleh was re-elected to another 6-year term.
Political power is shared by a Somali president and an Afar prime minister, with cabinet posts roughly divided. However, the Issas presently dominate the government, civil service, and the ruling party, a situation that has bred resentment and political competition between the Somali Issas and the Afars. |
Society & Culture
About two-thirds of the Republic of Djibouti's 650,000 inhabitants live in the capital city. The indigenous population is divided between the majority Somalis (predominantly of the Issa tribe, with minority Issaq and Gadabursi representation) and the Afars (Danakils). All are Cushitic-speaking peoples, and nearly all are Muslim. Among the 15,000 foreigners residing in Djibouti, the French are the most numerous. Among the French are 3,000 troops.
| Arts and crafts |
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| Dance |
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| Dress |
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| Ethnic groups |
- Somali 60%, Afar 35%, French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian 5%
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| HIV/AIDS |
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| Infant mortality rate |
- total: 104.13 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 111.82 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 96.21 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
- (Compare to other countries)
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| Languages |
- French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar
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| Life expectancy at birth |
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| Literacy (age 15 and over can read & write) |
- total population: 67.9%
male: 78%
female: 58.4% (2003 est.)
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| Music |
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| Myths and legends |
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| Nationality |
- noun: Djiboutian(s)
adjective: Djiboutian
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| Population |
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| Population growth rate |
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| Religion |
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School enrollment
(% relevant age group) From UNESCO. |
- Net primary enrollment: 32.2% (2000)
- Net secondary enrollment: 16.3% (2000)
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| Sports |
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| Total fertility rate |
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| Typical dishes |
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Government & Politics
Djibouti is a republic whose electorate approved the current constitution in September 1992. Many laws and decrees from before independence remain in effect.
Djibouti has its own armed forces, including a small army, which grew significantly with the start of the civil war in 1991. In recent years the armed forces have downsized, and with the peace accord with the FRUD in 2001, the armed forces are expected to continue downsizing. The country's security also is supplemented by a special security arrangement with the Government of France. France maintains one of its largest military bases outside France in Djibouti. There are some 2,600 French troops, which includes a unit of the French Foreign Legion, stationed in Djibouti.
The right to own property is respected in Djibouti. The government has reorganized the labor unions. While there have been open elections of union leaders, the Government of Djibouti is working with the International Labor Organization (ILO) to hold new elections.
Although women in Djibouti enjoy a higher public status than in many other Islamic countries, women's rights and family planning face difficult challenges, many stemming from poverty. Few women hold senior positions. Education of girls still lags behind boys and, because of the high unemployment rate, employment opportunities are better for male applicants.
| Administrative Divisions |
- 5 districts; Ali Sabih, Dikhil, Djibouti, Obock, Tadjoura
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| Capitals |
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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
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| Government type |
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| Holidays and special events |
- Jan 1 New Year’s Day
- Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) (changes)
- El-am-Hejir (Islamic New Year) (changes)
- Mouloud (Birth of the Prophet) (changes)
- May 1 Labour Day
- Jun 27 Independence Day
- Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan) (changes)
- Dec 25 Christmas Day
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| Independence |
- 27 June 1977 (from France)
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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)
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| Major cities |
- Ali-Sabieh; Arta;
Dikhil;
Djibouti;
Obock
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| National anthem |
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Journey Element 3: Trade, Travel & Economy
Djibouti's fledgling economy depends on a large foreign expatriate community, the maritime and commercial activities of the Port of Djibouti, its airport, and the operation of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad. During the civil war (1991-94), there was a significant diversion of government budgetary resources from developmental and social services to military needs. France is insisting that future aid be conditional on an overhaul of Djibouti's dilapidated state finances in conjunction with the International Monetary Fund. Agriculture and industry are little developed, in part due to the harsh climate, high production costs, unskilled labor, and limited natural resources. Only a few mineral deposits exist in the country, and the arid soil is unproductive--89% is desert wasteland, 10% is pasture, and 1% is forested. Services and commerce provide most of the gross domestic product.
Djibouti's most important economic asset is its strategic location on the shipping routes between the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean--the republic lies on the west side of the Bab-el-Mandeb, which connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Business increased at the Port of Djibouti when hostilities between Eritrea and Ethiopia denied Ethiopia access to the Eritrean Port of Assab. Djibouti became the only significant port for landlocked Ethiopia, handling all its imports and exports, including huge shipments food aid in 2000 during the drought and famine.
The Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad is the only line serving central and southeastern Ethiopia. The single-track railway--a prime source of employment--occupies a prominent place in Ethiopia's internal distribution system for domestic commodities such as cement, cotton textiles, sugar, cereals, and charcoal. The governments of Ethiopia and Djibouti are jointly pursuing privatization of the railroad.
Principal exports from the region transiting Djibouti are coffee, salt, hides, dried beans, cereals, other agricultural products, wax, and salt. Djibouti itself has few exports, and the majority of its imports come from France. Most imports are consumed in Djibouti, and the remainder goes to Ethiopia and northwestern Somalia. Djibouti's unfavorable balance of trade is offset partially by invisible earnings such as transit taxes and harbor dues.
The city of Djibouti has the only paved airport in the republic. Djibouti has one of the most liberal economic regimes in Africa, with almost unrestricted banking and commerce sectors.
Transportation
| Airports |
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| Highways |
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| Ports and Harbors |
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Communication
Fixed lines
& mobile telephones
(per 1,000 people)
(From ITU) |
- 15.7 m (2000)
- 49.7 m (2003)
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| International dialing code |
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| Internet country code |
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| Internet users |
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| Media |
Press
TV
Radio
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Personal computers
(per 1,000 people)
(From ITU) |
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Telephone avg cost-
local call
(US$ per 3 min)
(From ITU) |
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Telephones -
main lines in use |
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Telephones -
mobile cellular |
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Time zone |
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Economy
| Agriculture products |
- fruits, vegetables; goats, sheep, camels, animal hides
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| Currency (code) |
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| Exchange rates |
- Djiboutian francs per US dollar - 177.72 (2004), 177.72 (2003), 177.72 (2002), 177.72 (2001), 177.72 (2000)
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| Exports commodities |
- reexports, hides and skins, coffee (in transit)
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| Exports partners |
- Somalia 63.9%, Yemen 22.6%, Ethiopia 5% (2004)
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| Fiscal year |
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| GDP |
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| GDP- real growth rate |
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| Imports commodities |
- foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products
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| Imports partners |
- Saudi Arabia 21%, Ethiopia 9.9%, India 8.2%, China 7.8%, US 6.1%, France 6% (2004)
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| Industries |
- construction, agricultural processing, salt
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| Inflation rate |
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| Population below poverty line |
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| Unemployment rate |
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Tourism
| Popular destinations |
- Djibouti
- capital
- Lac Abbé
- The Lakes
- Marché Central (markets)
- Tadjoura (diving)
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| Tourist arrivals (From WTO) |
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| Visas |
- All travelers need a visa.
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| World Heritage sites |
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Journey Element 4: Highlights, Current Events & Helpful Links
Highlights & amazing statistics
| Animals |
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| Cities |
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| Economy |
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| Environment |
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| History |
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| Famous people |
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Current events
Other Helpful Links
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