AFRICA NEWS

Djibouti Country name : conventional long form : Republic of Djibouti conventional short form : Djibouti former : French Territory of the Afars and Issas, French Somaliland Area : total : 23,000 sq km water : 20 sq km land : 22,980 sq km Population : 457,130 (July 2003 est.) Currency : Djiboutian franc (DJF) Exchange rates : Djiboutian francs per US dollar - 177.721 (2002), 177.721 (2001), 177.721 (2000), 177.721 (1999), 177.721 (1998) Languages : French (official), Arabic (Official), Somali, Afar

Introduction

Background : The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas became Djibouti in 1977. A peace accord in 2001 ended the final phases of a ten-year uprising by Afar rebels.

Geography

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 - 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 : contiguous zone : 24 NM
exclusive economic zone : 200 NM
territorial sea : 12 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

Land use : arable land : 0%
permanent crops : 0%
other : 100% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land : 10 sq km (1998 est.)

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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution 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

People

Age structure :
0-14 years : 43.1% (male 98,796; female 98,202)
15-64 years : 53.9% (male 129,492; female 116,953)
65 years and over : 3% (male 6,933; female 6,754) (2003 est.)

Median age : total : 18.3 years
male : 18.9 years
female : 17.7 years (2002)

Population growth rate : 2.13% (2003 est.)

Birth rate : 40.78 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate : 19.45 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate : -0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio :
at birth : 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years : 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years : 1.11 male(s)/female
65 years and over : 1.03male(s)/female

Infant mortality rate :
total : 106.96 deaths/1,000 live births
female : 98.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male : 114.8 deaths/ 1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth :
total population : 43.13 years
male : 41.82 years
female : 44.48 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate : 5.56 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Nationality :
noun : Djiboutian(s)
adjective : Djiboutian

Ethnic groups : Somali 60%, Afar 35%, French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian 5%

Religions : Muslim 94%, Christian 6%

Literacy : definition : age 15 and over can read and write
total population : 67.9%
male : 78%
female : 58.4% (2003 est.)