General
Information
|
Total Land Area: |
23,200 km2 |
|
Land boundaries: |
508 km |
|
Coastline: |
314 km |
|
Capital: |
Djibouti |
|
Other Large
Cities: |
Ali Sabih,
Tadjoura, Dikhil |
|
Official
Language: |
Arabic and
French |
|
National
Currency Unit: |
Djiboutian Franc
(DJF) |
|
National Day: |
June 27 |
Location and
Geography
Djibouti is located
on the North-eastern
coast of the Horn of
Africa. It has
borders with Eritrea
in the North,
Ethiopia in the West
and South, and
Somalia in the
South-east. Djibouti
shares a direct
access to the
strategic strait of
Bab el Mandab (Gate
of Tears) which
controls the
Southern approach to
the Red Sea with
Ethiopia and Yemen.
The mountains in the
central region
separate the coastal
plains and the
plateau. Due to its
peculiar
geographical
location between the
Ethiopian and Yemeni
escarpments, the
country gets little
precipitation.
Although it rains
occasionally on the
hills, some years
see no rainfall at
all. Summers are hot
with sandy winds of
the North-eastern
Kham Sin (Khamasin).
Due to limited
rainfall the
vegetation is
minimal. Humidity is
high throughout the
year.
Demography
|
Population:
|
0.64 million
(2001) |
|
Crude Birth
Rate:
|
39 per thousand
people (1998) |
|
Crude Death
Rate:
|
16 per thousand
people (1998) |
|
Infant Mortality
Rate:
|
100 per thousand
(2001) |
|
Life Expectancy:
|
Male: 43 years,
Female: 45 years
(1999) |
|
Urban
Population:
|
83.0 percent
(1999) |
|
Adult Literacy:
|
65.50 percent
(2001) |
Economy
The economy of
Djibouti is based on
the services sector
due to the country’s
strategic location
and status as a free
trade zone in
Africa. There is
limited cultivated
land, and the
agricultural
activities comprise
mainly plantations
of coffee, fruit and
vegetable
cultivation and
animal husbandry.
The fishing industry
is still in the
early stages of
development.
Industrial activity
includes mineral
water bottling and
dairy products. Gas
reserves are
expected to make the
country
self-sufficient in
gas and provide a
surplus for export.
Geothermal areas are
the main natural
resources in
Djibouti and there
is potential for
using geothermal
energy in the
future.
|
GDP at Current
Market Prices:
|
469 million US$
(1994) |
|
Per Capita GDP:
|
794 US$ (1994) |
|
Share of Sectors
in GDP:
|
3.0%
Agriculture,
20.0% Industry,
77.0% Services,
(1994) |
|
Total Exports:
|
155 million US$
(2002) |
|
Total Imports:
|
669 million US$
(2002) |
|
Major Exports
Items: |
Hides, skins and
coffee |
|
Major Imports
Items: |
Foods,
beverages,
transportation
equipment and
chemicals |
|
Major Trading
Partners: |
Somalia, Yemen,
Saudi Arabia and
Ethiopia |
|
