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Djibouti

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: African Countries;
Countries

            جمهورية جيبوتي
   Ǧumhūriyyah Ǧībūtī
   République de Djibouti
   Republic of Djibouti

   Flag of Djibouti Coat of arms of Djibouti
   Flag             Coat of arms
   Anthem: Djibouti
   Location of Djibouti
          Capital        Djibouti
                         11°36′N 43°10′E
       Largest city      Djibouti
    Official languages   Arabic and French
   Government            Democracy
    - President          Ismail Omar Guelleh
    - Prime Minister     Dileita Mohamed Dileita
       Independence      from France
    - Date               June 27, 1977
                       Area
    - Total              23,200 km² ( 149th)
                         8,958 sq mi
    - Water (%)          0.09% (20 km² / 7.7 mi²)
                    Population
    - July 2005 estimate 793,000 ( 160th)
    - 2000 census        460,700
    - Density            34/km² ( 168th)
                         88/sq mi
        GDP ( PPP)       2005 estimate
    - Total              $1.641 billion ( 164th)
    - Per capita         $2,070 ( 141st)
        HDI  (2003)      0.495 (low) ( 150th)
         Currency        Franc ( DJF)
         Time zone       EAT ( UTC+3)
    - Summer ( DST)      not observed ( UTC+3)
       Internet TLD      .dj
       Calling code      +253

   Djibouti (Arabic: : جيبوتي‎, Ǧībūtī, pronounced jo-BOO-tee), officially
   the Republic of Djibouti, is a small 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
   kilometers (12  mi) from the coast of Djibouti, is Yemen.

History

   The Republic of Djibouti gained its independence on 27 June 1977. It is
   the successor to French Somaliland (later called the French Territory
   of the Afars and Issas), which was created in the first half of the
   nineteenth century as a result of French interest in the Horn of
   Africa. However, the history of Djibouti, recorded in poetry and songs
   of its nomadic peoples, goes back thousands of years to a time when
   Djiboutians traded hides and skins for the perfumes and spices of
   ancient Egypt, India, and China. Through close contacts with the
   Arabian peninsula for more than 1,000 years, the Somali and Afar tribes
   in this region became among the first on the African continent to adopt
   Islam. Djibouti is a Muslim country which regularly takes part in
   Islamic as well as Arab meetings.

Politics

   Djibouti is a semi-presidential republic, with executive power in the
   government, and legislative power in both the government and
   parliament. The parliamentary party system is dominated by the People's
   Rally for Progress and the current President is Ismail Omar Guelleh.
   The country's current constitution was approved in September 1992.

   The government is seen as being controlled by the Somali Issas, though
   at its head power is shared between a Somali President and an Afar
   Prime Minister ( Dileita Mohamed Dileita), with cabinet posts similarly
   divided. The country has recently come out of a decade long civil war,
   with the government and the Front for the Restoration of Unity and
   Democracy (FRUD) signing a peace treaty in 2001. Two FRUD members are
   part of the current cabinet.

   Despite elections of the 1990s being described as "generally fair",
   Guelleh was sworn in for his second and final six year term as
   president in a one-man race on 8 April 2005. He took 100% of the votes
   in a 78.9% turnout. Opposition parties boycotted the election,
   describing the poll as "ridiculous, rigged and rubbish".

   Djibouti's second president, Guelleh was first elected to office in
   1999, taking over from his uncle, Hassan Gouled Aptidon, who had ruled
   the country since its independence from France in 1977.

   The prime minister, who leads the council of ministers ('cabinet') is
   appointed by the President. The parliament - the Chambre des Deputes -
   consists of 65 members who are elected every five years.

   In 2001 the Djiboution government leased the former French Foreign
   Legion base Camp Le Monier to the United States. Cemp Le Monier has
   been used by the United States Cental Command in operations as part of
   Operation Enduring Freedom.

Administrative divisions

   Map of the Regions of Djibouti.

   Djibouti is divided into 5 regions and one city. It is further
   subdivided into 15 districts.

   The regions include:
     * Ali Sabieh Region (Region d'Ali Sabieh)
     * Arta Region (Region d'Arta)
     * Dikhil Region (Region de Dikhil)
     * Djibouti (city) (Ville de Djibouti)
     * Obock Region (Region d'Obock)
     * Tadjourah Region (Region de Tadjourah)

   Districts: see Districts of Djibouti

Geography

   Satellite image of Djibouti, generated from raster graphics data
   supplied by The Map Library
   Enlarge
   Satellite image of Djibouti, generated from raster graphics data
   supplied by The Map Library

   Djibouti is in Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red
   Sea, between Eritrea and Somalia. Its coordinates are 11°30′N 43°00′E.

   Djibouti shares 113 km of border with Eritrea, 337 with Ethiopia and 58
   with Somalia (total 506 km). It also has 314 km of coastline.

Economy

   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 centre. 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.
   Typical street in the city of Djibouti, Djibouti, Africa. Winter, 2005.
   Enlarge
   Typical street in the city of Djibouti, Djibouti, Africa. Winter, 2005.

Demographics

   The population is divided into two main groups, the Issa, or Somali
   people, who make up about 60%, and the Afar, about 35%. The remainder
   is formed by Europeans (mostly French and Italians), Arabs and
   Ethiopians. The presence of two different population groups was the
   cause of the civil war in the early 1990s.

   The Somali ethnic component in Djibouti is mainly composed of the
   Issas, who form the majority and rule the nation, and the Gadabuursi
   and Isaaq, all of whom are closely related as Dir subclans. The Issas
   form part of the ciise waraabe, while the Gadabuursi and Isaaq are part
   of the Mahe Dir, Mohammed Hiniftire. Other Somalis in Djibouti include
   Issas from the Ethiopian Somali Region and from northern Somalia.

   Almost all of the people of Djibouti are Muslim, only a small
   percentage (6 %) are Christian (mostly Catholic), notably the
   Europeans.

   Although French and Arabic are the official languages, Somali and Afar
   are widely spoken.

   The bulk of Djibouti's people are urban residents; the remainder are
   herders. Health, sanitary, and education services are relatively poor
   in both urban and rural areas.

Geographic locale

   Flag of Eritrea  Eritrea Flag of Yemen  Yemen
   Image:Template CanadianCityGeoLocation North.png
   Bab-el-Mandeb
   North Gulf of Aden
   West    Flag of Djibouti  Djibouti     East
   South
   Flag of Ethiopia  Ethiopia Flag of Somalia  Somalia

   Countries of East Africa

   Djibouti • Eritrea • Ethiopia • Kenya • Somalia • Tanzania • Uganda
   Countries of Africa

   Sovereign states: Algeria • Angola • Benin • Botswana • Burkina Faso •
   Burundi • Cameroon • Cape Verde • Central African Republic • Chad •
   Democratic Republic of the Congo • Republic of the Congo • Comoros •
   Côte d'Ivoire • Djibouti • Egypt ^1 • Equatorial Guinea • Eritrea •
   Ethiopia • France ^2 • Gabon • The Gambia • Ghana • Guinea-Bissau •
   Guinea • Kenya • Lesotho • Liberia • Libya • Madagascar • Malawi • Mali
   • Mauritania • Mauritius • Morocco • Mozambique • Namibia • Niger •
   Nigeria • Portugal ^2 • Rwanda • Senegal • Seychelles • Sierra Leone •
   Somalia • South Africa • Spain ^2 • Sudan • Swaziland • São Tomé and
   Príncipe • Tanzania • Togo • Tunisia • Uganda • Yemen ^3 • Zambia •
   Zimbabwe

   Dependencies: British Indian Ocean Territory (UK) • French Southern
   Territories (France) • Mayotte (France) • Réunion (France) • Saint
   Helena ^4 (UK)

   ^1  Partly in Asia. ^2  Mostly in Europe. ^3  Mostly in Asia.
   ^4 Includes the dependencies of Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha.
   Countries on the Red Sea

   Flag of Djibouti  Djibouti • Flag of Egypt  Egypt • Flag of Eritrea
   Eritrea • Flag of Israel  Israel • Flag of Jordan  Jordan • Flag of
   Saudi Arabia  Saudi Arabia • Flag of Somalia  Somalia •
   Flag of Sudan  Sudan • Flag of Yemen  Yemen
   Countries and territories on the Indian Ocean

   Eurasia: Bahrain • Bangladesh • Christmas Island • Cocos (Keeling)
   Islands • India • Indonesia • Iran • Iraq • Israel • Kuwait • Malaysia
   • Maldives • Myanmar • Oman • Pakistan • Qatar • Saudi Arabia • Sri
   Lanka • Thailand • United Arab Emirates • Yemen

   Africa: Comoros • Djibouti • Eritrea • Kenya • Madagascar • Mauritius •
   Mayotte • Mozambique • Seychelles • Somalia • Somaliland • South Africa
   • Sudan • Tanzania

   Oceania: Australia • Christmas Island • Cocos (Keeling) Islands

   Islands: Bahrain • Christmas Island • Cocos (Keeling) Islands •
   Madagascar • Maldives • Mauritius • Mayotte • Seychelles • Sri Lanka
   Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC)
   Flag of the OIC

   Afghanistan • Albania • Algeria • Azerbaijan • Bahrain • Bangladesh •
   Benin • Burkina Faso • Brunei • Cameroon • Chad • Comoros •
   Côte d'Ivoire • Djibouti • Egypt • Gabon • Gambia • Guinea •
   Guinea-Bissau • Guyana • Indonesia • Iran • Iraq • Jordan • Kuwait •
   Kazakhstan • Kyrgyzstan • Lebanon • Libya • Maldives • Malaysia •
   Mali • Mauritania • Morocco • Mozambique • Niger • Nigeria • Oman •
   Pakistan • State of Palestine • Qatar • Saudi Arabia • Senegal •
   Sierra Leone • Somalia • Sudan • Surinam • Syria • Tajikistan •
   Turkey • Tunisia • Togo • Turkmenistan • Uganda • Uzbekistan •
   United Arab Emirates • Yemen

   Observer countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina • Central African Republic •
   Russia • Thailand • Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

   Observer Muslim organizations and communities:
   Moro National Liberation Front

   Observer international organizations:
   Economic Cooperation Organization • Organisation of African Unity •
   League of Arab States • Non-Aligned Movement • United Nations
   Member states of the African Union

   Algeria • Angola • Benin • Botswana • Burkina Faso • Burundi •
   Cameroon • Cape Verde • Central African Republic • Chad • Comoros •
   Democratic Republic of the Congo • Republic of the Congo •
   Côte d'Ivoire • Djibouti • Egypt • Eritrea • Ethiopia •
   Equatorial Guinea • Gabon • The Gambia • Ghana • Guinea •
   Guinea-Bissau • Kenya • Lesotho • Liberia • Libya • Madagascar •
   Malawi • Mali • Mauritania • Mauritius • Mozambique • Namibia • Niger •
   Nigeria • Rwanda • São Tomé and Príncipe • Senegal • Seychelles •
   Sierra Leone • Somalia • South Africa • Sudan • Swaziland • Tanzania •
   Togo • Tunisia • Uganda • Western Sahara  (SADR) • Zambia • Zimbabwe
   Arab League
   Flag of the League of Arab States

   Algeria • Bahrain • Comoros • Djibouti • Egypt • Iraq • Jordan • Kuwait
   • Lebanon • Libya • Mauritania • Morocco • Oman • State of Palestine •
   Qatar • Saudi Arabia • Somalia • Sudan • Syria • Tunisia • United Arab
   Emirates • Yemen
   Francophonie
   Members: Belgium • Benin • Bulgaria • Burkina Faso • Burundi • Cambodia
   • Cameroon • Canada • New Brunswick • Quebec • Ontario • Cape Verde •
   Central African Republic • Chad • Comoros • Côte d'Ivoire • Cyprus •
   Democratic Republic of the Congo • Djibouti • Dominica • Egypt •
   Equatorial Guinea • France • French Guiana • Gabon • Ghana • Guadeloupe
   • Guinea • Guinea-Bissau • Haiti • Laos • Lebanon • Madagascar • Mali •
   Martinique • Mauritania • Mauritius • Morocco • Niger • Republic of the
   Congo • Romania • Rwanda • Saint Lucia • São Tomé and Príncipe •
   Senegal • Seychelles • Saint-Pierre and Miquelon • Switzerland • Togo •
   Tunisia • Ukraine • Vanuatu • Vietnam

   Observers: Armenia • Austria • Croatia • Czech Republic • Georgia •
   Hungary • Lithuania • Mozambique • Poland • Serbia • Slovakia •
   Slovenia • Ukraine
   Cushitic-speaking nations

   Cushitic
   Flag of Djibouti  Djibouti • Flag of Eritrea  Eritrea • Flag of
   Ethiopia  Ethiopia • Flag of Kenya  Kenya • Flag of Somalia  Somalia
   Beja
   Flag of Egypt  Egypt • Flag of Eritrea  Eritrea • Flag of Sudan  Sudan
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djibouti"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
