Dialing code +253
ISO 2 code DJ
ISO 3 code DJI
Capital Djibouti
Main Language French
Currency Franc (DJF)
GDP $1.9 billion 175th
Population 740,528 164th

Geography

Continent Africa
Location Eastern Africa bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea between Eritrea and Somalia
Land 23,000 km2 151st
Terrain Coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains
Climate Desert; torrid dry
Natural Hazards Coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains
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

Neighbouring Countries

Eritrea Ethiopia Somalia

History

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. In 1999 Djibouti's first multi-party presidential elections resulted in the election of Ismail Omar GUELLEH; he was re-elected to a second and final term in 2005. Djibouti occupies a 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 also has strong ties with the US. Djibouti hosts the only US military base in sub-Saharan Africa and is a front-line state in the global war on terrorism.
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Demographics

Life Expectancy 43.37 years 199th
Median Age 18.1 years 182nd
Birth Rate 38.13 births/1,000 population 22nd
Death Rate 19.1 births/1,000 population 9th
Sex Ratio 1.01 male(s)/female 13th
Literacy 67.9% 165th
Population

740528

Transportation

Roadways 3065 km 163rd
Railways 100 km 124th
Airports 13 148th
Waterways None km
Heliports None
Airports paved 1 93rd

Economy

Currency Franc (DJF)
GDP $1.9 billion 175th
GDP per capita (PPP) $3700 144th