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Djibouti
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جمهورية جيبوتي
Jumhuriyaa Jibuti
République de Djibouti |
The Republic of Djibouti (Arabic: : جيبوتي, Ǧībūtī) is a
country in eastern Africa, located in the Horn of Africa.
Djibouti 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 mi) from the coast of
Djibouti, is Yemen.
History
Main article: History of Djibouti
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.
Economy
Main article: Economy of Djibouti
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.
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. 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 US 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). Also, renewed fighting between Ethiopia and
Eritrea has disturbed normal external channels of commerce.
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.
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Background:
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The
French Territory of the Afars and the Issas became
Djibouti in 1977. A peace accord in 1994 ended a
three-year uprising by Afars rebels. |
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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
water: 20 sq km
land: 22,980 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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contiguous zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 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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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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Currency:
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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 - 177.721 (fixed
rate since 1973) |
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