DJIBOUTI. Republic of Djibouti
A country in the northeastern part of Africa, located on the coast of the Gulf of Aden and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. Area - 23.4 thousand km². Capital - Djibouti (350 thousand), other major cities: Tajura, Obock. Administrative division - Djibouti region and 4 districts. Population - 600 thousand (2005); the indigenous population consists of almost 90% from 2 ethnic groups: Issa (and other Somali tribes) and Afars. The rest are Europeans, Arabs, and others. Official languages - Arabic and French. The predominant religion is Islam (most of the Issa and Afars), with some Afars adhering to local traditional beliefs. The currency is the Djiboutian franc (currently 177 Djiboutian francs = 1 US dollar).
It has diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation (established with the USSR on April 3, 1978).
National holiday - June 27 - Independence Day (1977).
Djibouti is a republic. The constitution of 1992 is in effect. The head of state is the president (Ismail Omar Guelleh), who is also the head of government and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The legislative body is a unicameral National Assembly (65 deputies), elected by universal suffrage in January 2003 for a term of 5 years. The executive power belongs to the Council of Ministers, accountable to the president. The Prime Minister is Dileita Mohamed Dileita.
The ruling party is the People's Rally for Progress (which holds the majority of seats in parliament) - established in 1979. The 1992 constitution introduced multi-partyism, limited to 4 political parties. In 1992, the Democratic Renewal Party and the National Democratic Party were registered. Since March 1996, the pro-government Afar Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy has been legalized as a party.
The trade union center is the General Labor Union of Djibouti.
France seized most of the territory of the country in the 1880s. In 1946, the colony of French Somaliland received the status of an "overseas territory" of France. In March 1967, a referendum on the status of the territory was held, during which the majority of the population expressed support for granting it autonomy within the French Republic. Since June 1967, French Somaliland has officially been called the French Territory of the Afars and Issa. In the referendum on May 8, 1977, 98.7% of those who voted supported the country's independence, proclaimed on June 27, 1977, as the Republic of Djibouti.
Djibouti is a member of the UN (since 1977), the African Union (since 1977), and the League of Arab States (since 1977).
According to the UN classification, Djibouti is among the least economically developed countries. However, the annual income per capita (UN estimate) is $750 (including the Arabs and Europeans living here). GDP is estimated at about $100 million, with 75% coming from the service sector. External financial and economic aid plays an important role, mainly in the form of concessional loans and grants. The government is trying to rectify the slowdown in economic activity caused by the unstable regional situation and internal political tension by attracting additional external aid, foreign capital, introducing new taxes, etc.
Industry (12% of GDP) is represented by small artisanal enterprises producing food products, leather goods, building materials, as well as mechanical and sewing workshops. The public sector includes power plants, an oil company, transportation (partially), and communications, a mineral water factory, a dairy plant, and a feed mill.
The main direction of agriculture is nomadic and semi-nomadic animal husbandry. There is practically no agriculture. The area suitable for growing agricultural crops is about 6 thousand hectares. Djibouti imports over 90% of the food it consumes annually. Fishing, pearl diving, coral and sponge harvesting, and salt evaporation from seawater are well developed.
The most developed sector of the country's economy is transportation. Equipped with well-equipped dry docks, the port of Djibouti is one of the most important in the eastern part of the Indian Ocean basin. It handles 2.5 million tons of cargo annually. Djibouti Airport serves 200 thousand passengers annually. The Djibouti-Addis Ababa railway, managed by the Ethiopian-Djiboutian joint company (the Djiboutian section is 106 km), is also of significant importance. The length of the road network is over 3 thousand km, of which 281 km are paved.
Trade plays a significant role in the country's economic life. The foreign trade balance is passive. Food, industrial products, equipment, and others are imported. Mainly, hides and skins are exported. Main trading partners: France, Germany, Italy, Ethiopia, Japan, Kenya. Up to 12% of the revenue comes from foreign financial assistance from France, as well as from several Arab countries and the USA. The country's external debt reaches $180 million.
A massive influx of refugees from neighboring countries has exacerbated the employment problem, especially among the youth. Unemployment is up to 60% of the adult population.
In Djibouti, there is a unified paid education system (free until 1990), including primary and incomplete secondary schools, and 3 lyceums.
There are no higher educational institutions. Weekly newspapers "Revue de Djibouti" (circulation 3.5 thousand copies), "Nassyon", the monthly "Djibouti Aujourd'hui", and the Catholic magazine "Carrefour Africain" are published. Radio and television stations operate, as well as the Djibouti Information Agency (ADI).