Geography

Area; 23,180 sq. km; slightly smaller than Massachusetts. Cities; Capital--Djibouti. Other cities--Dikhil, Arta, Ali-Sabieh, Obock, Tadjourah. Terrain; Coastal desert. Climate; Torrid and dry.

People

Nationality; Noun and adjective--Djiboutian(s). Population (2009 est.); 516,055. Annual growth rate (2009 est.); 1.903%. Ethnic groups; Somali, Afar, Ethiopian, Arab, French, and Italian. Religions; Muslim 94%, Christian 6%. Languages; French and Arabic (official); Somali and Afar widely used. Education; Literacy--67.9%. Health; Infant mortality rate--97.51/1,000. Life expectancy--43.37 years. Work force; Low employment rate. The largest employers are the Government of Djibouti, including telecommunications and electricity; Port of Djibouti; and airport. The U.S. Government, including the U.S. military base at Camp Lemonier, is also a large employer. Able-bodied unemployed population (est. 2007)--59%.

Government

Type; Republic. Constitution; Ratified September 1992 by referendum. Independence; June 27, 1977. Branches; Executive--president. Legislative--65-member parliament, cabinet, prime minister. Judicial--based on French civil law system, traditional practices, and Islamic law. Administrative subdivisions; 6 regions (districts)--Ali-Sabieh, Arta, Dikhil, Djibouti City, Obock, and Tadjourah. Political parties; People's Rally for Progress (RPP); National Democratic Party (PND); Front For The Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD); Djibouti Development Party (PDD); People’s Social Democratic Party (PPSD); Republican Alliance for Democracy (ARD); Union for Democracy and Justice (UDJ); Union of Reform Partisans (UPR). Suffrage; Universal at 18. National holiday; Independence Day, June 27 (1977).

Economy

GDP (2008 est.); $982 million. Adjusted per capita income; $3,700 (est. 2008; based on purchasing power parity). Natural resources; Minerals (salt, perlite, gold, gypsum, limestone) and energy resources (geothermal, wind, and solar). Agriculture (less than 3% of GDP); Products--livestock, fishing, and limited commercial crops, including fruits and vegetables. Industry; Types--banking and insurance (12.5% of GDP), public administration (22% of GDP), construction and public works, manufacturing, commerce, and agriculture. Trade (2006 est.); Imports--$1.555 billion; consists of basic commodities, including food and beverages, pharmaceutical drugs, transport equipment, chemicals, and petroleum products. Exports--$340 million; re-exports, hides and skins, and coffee (in-transit). Major markets (2004)--France, Ethiopia, Somalia, India, China, and Saudi Arabia and other Arabian peninsula countries.