The 2004 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

(2001)

      Irrigated land:

       10 sq km (1998 est.)

      Natural hazards:

       earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic disturbances from the

       Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods

      Environment - current issues:

       inadequate supplies of potable water; limited arable land;

       desertification; endangered species

      Environment - international agreements:

       party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto

       Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law

       of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution

       signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

      Geography - 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

      People Djibouti

      Population:

       466,900 (July 2004 est.)

      Age structure:

       0–14 years: 43.2% (male 101,168; female 100,545)

       15–64 years: 53.7% (male 131,320; female 119,387)

       65 years and over: 3.1% (male 7,327; female 7,153) (2004 est.)

      Median age:

       total: 18.3 years

       male: 18.8 years

       female: 17.7 years (2004 est.)

      Population growth rate:

       2.1% (2004 est.)

      Birth rate:

       40.39 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

      Death rate:

       19.42 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

      Net migration rate:

       0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

      Sex ratio:

       at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

       under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

       15–64 years: 1.1 male(s)/female

       65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female

       total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

      Infant mortality rate:

       total: 105.54 deaths/1,000 live births

       female: 97.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)

       male: 113.3 deaths/1,000 live births

      Life expectancy at birth:

       total population: 43.12 years

       male: 41.83 years

       female: 44.44 years (2004 est.)

      Total fertility rate:

       5.48 children born/woman (2004 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

       2.9% (2003 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

       9,100 (2003 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - deaths:

       690 (2003 est.)

      Major infectious diseases:

       typhoid fever, malaria

       overall degree of risk: high (2004)

      Nationality:

       noun: Djiboutian(s)

       adjective: Djiboutian

      Ethnic groups:

       Somali 60%, Afar 35%, French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian 5%

      Religions:

       Muslim 94%, Christian 6%

      Languages:

       French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar

      Literacy:

       definition: age 15 and over can read and write

       total population: 67.9%

       male: 78%

       female: 58.4% (2003 est.)

      Government Djibouti

      Country name:

       conventional long form: Republic of Djibouti

       conventional short form: Djibouti

       former: French Territory of the Afars and Issas, French Somaliland

      Government type:

       republic

      Capital:

       Djibouti

      Administrative divisions:

       5 districts (cercles, singular - cercle); 'Ali Sabih, Dikhil,

       Djibouti, Obock, Tadjoura

      Independence:

       27 June 1977 (from France)

      National holiday:

       Independence Day, 27 June (1977)

      Constitution:

       multiparty constitution approved by referendum 4 September 1992

      Legal system:

       based on French civil law system, traditional practices, and

       Islamic law

      Suffrage:

       18 years of age; universal adult

      Executive branch:

       chief of state: President Ismail Omar GUELLEH (since 8 May 1999)

       head of government: Prime Minister DILEITA Mohamed Dileita (since 4

       March 2001)

       cabinet: Council of Ministers responsible to the president

       elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term;

       election last held 9 April 1999 (next to be held NA 2005); prime

       minister appointed by the president

       election results: Ismail Omar GUELLEH elected president; percent of

       vote - Ismail Omar GUELLEH 74.4%, IDRIS Moussa Ahmed 25.6%

      Legislative branch:

       unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes (65 seats;

       members elected by popular vote for five-year terms)

       elections: last held 10 January 2003 (next to be held NA January

       2008)

       election results: percent of vote - RPP 62.2%, FRUD 36.9%; seats -

       RPP 65, FRUD 0; note - RPP (the ruling party) dominated the election

      Judicial branch:

       Supreme Court or Cour Supreme

      Political parties and leaders:

       Democratic National Party or PND [ADEN Robleh Awaleh]; Democratic

       Renewal Party or PRD [Abdillahi HAMARITEH]; Djibouti Development

       Party or PDD [Mohamed Daoud CHEHEM]; Front pour la Restauration de

       l'Unite Democratique or FRUD [Ali Mohamed DAOUD]; People's Progress

       Assembly or RPP (governing party) [Ismail Omar GUELLEH]; Peoples

       Social Democratic Party or PPSD [Moumin Bahdon FARAH]; Republican

       Alliance for Democracy or ARD [Ahmed Dini AHMED]; Union for