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Background:
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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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Location:
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Eastern
Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea,
between Eritrea and Somalia |
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Geographic coordinates:
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11 30 N,
43 00 E |
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Map references:
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Africa
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Area:
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total:
23,000 sq km
land: 22,980 sq km
water: 20 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly
smaller than Massachusetts |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
516 km
border countries: Eritrea 109 km, Ethiopia 349
km, Somalia 58 km |
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Coastline:
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314 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
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Climate:
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desert;
torrid, dry |
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Terrain:
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coastal
plain and plateau separated by central mountains |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Lac Assal -155 m
highest point: Moussa Ali 2,028 m |
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Natural resources:
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geothermal areas, gold, clay, granite, limestone,
marble, salt, diatomite, gypsum, pumice, petroleum |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 0.04%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 99.96% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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10 sq km
(1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic disturbances
from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods
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Environment - current issues:
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inadequate supplies of potable water; limited arable
land; desertification; endangered species |
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Environment - international agreements:
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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:
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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:
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476,703
(July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 43.3% (male 103,516/female 102,860)
15-64 years: 53.5% (male 133,168/female 121,823)
65 years and over: 3.2% (male 7,748/female 7,588)
(2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
18.23 years
male: 18.77 years
female: 17.69 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.06%
(2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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39.98
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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19.39
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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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 (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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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.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 43.1 years
male: 41.84 years
female: 44.39 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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5.4
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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2.9%
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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9,100
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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690 (2003
est.) |
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Major infectious diseases:
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degree
of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and
protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria (2004) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Djiboutian(s)
adjective: Djiboutian |
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Ethnic groups:
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Somali
60%, Afar 35%, French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian 5%
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Religions:
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Muslim
94%, Christian 6% |
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Languages:
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French
(official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar |
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Literacy:
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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:
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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:
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republic
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Capital:
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Djibouti
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Administrative divisions:
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5
districts (cercles, singular - cercle); 'Ali Sabih,
Dikhil, Djibouti, Obock, Tadjoura |
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Independence:
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27 June
1977 (from France) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 27 June (1977) |
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Constitution:
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multiparty constitution approved by referendum 4
September 1992 |
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Legal system:
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based on
French civil law system, traditional practices, and
Islamic law |
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Suffrage:
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18 years
of age; universal adult |
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Executive branch:
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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:
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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:
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Supreme
Court or Cour Supreme |
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Political parties and leaders:
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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:
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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:
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ACCT,
ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC, OPCW
(signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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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:
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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:
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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:
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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):
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$619
million (2002 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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3.5%
(2002 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $1,300 (2002 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 3.5%
industry: 15.8%
services: 80.7% (2001 est.) |
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Labor force:
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282,000
(2000) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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NA |
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Unemployment rate:
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50% (2004
est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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50% (2001
est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest
10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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2% (2002
est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $135 million
expenditures: $182 million, including capital
expenditures of NA (1999 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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fruits,
vegetables; goats, sheep, camels, animal hides |
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Industries:
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construction, agricultural processing, salt |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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3% (1996
est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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180
million kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil
fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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167.4
million kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh
(2002) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh
(2002) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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11,300
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA |
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Oil - imports:
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NA |
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Exports:
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$155
million f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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reexports, hides and skins, coffee (in transit) |
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Exports - partners:
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Somalia
63.8%, Yemen 22.6%, Ethiopia 5% (2004) |
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Imports:
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$665
million f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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foods,
beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum
products |
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Imports - partners:
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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:
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$366
million (2002 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$36
million (2001) |
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Currency (code):
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Djiboutian franc (DJF) |
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Currency code:
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DJF |
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Exchange rates:
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Djiboutian francs per US dollar - 177.72 (2004), 177.72
(2003), 177.72 (2002), 177.72 (2001), 177.72 (2000) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar
year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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9,500
(2003) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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23,000
(2003) |
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Telephone system:
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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, Marseilles, 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:
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AM 1, FM
2, shortwave 0 (2001) |
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Radios:
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52,000
(1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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1 (2002)
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Televisions:
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28,000
(1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.dj |
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Internet hosts:
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702
(2004) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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1 (2000)
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Internet users:
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6,500
(2003) |
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Railways:
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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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Highways:
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total:
2,890 km
paved: 364 km
unpaved: 2,526 km (1999 est.) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Djibouti
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Merchant marine:
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total:
1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,369 GRT/3,030 DWT
by type: cargo 1 (2005) |
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Airports:
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13 (2004
est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total:
3
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1524 to 2437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total:
10
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 3 (2004 est.) |
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Military branches:
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Djibouti
National Army (includes Navy and Air Force) |
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Military service age and obligation:
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18 years
of age (est.); no conscription (2001) |
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Manpower available for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 95,328 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 46,020 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$28.6
million (2004) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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4.4%
(2004) |
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Disputes - international:
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Djibouti
maintains economic ties and border accords with
"Somaliland" leadership while maintaining some political
ties to various factions in Somalia; although most of
the 26,000 Somali refugees in Djibouti who fled civil
unrest in the early 1990s have returned, several
thousand still await repatriation in UNHCR camps |
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Refugees and internally displaced persons:
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refugees (country of origin): 25,474 (Somalia)
(2004) |
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This page was last updated on
20 October, 2005 |
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