Djibouti

Information about Djibouti

This article is about the country. For the capital of Djibouti, see Djibouti (city). For the National Anthem, see Djibouti (song).
جمهورية جيبوتي
Jumhūriyyat Jībūtī
Jamhuuriyadda Jabuuti
République de Djibouti
Republic of Djibouti
FlagCoat of arms
Anthem
Djibouti
Enlarge picture
Location of Djibouti
Capital
(and largest city) 		Djibouti
Official languagesArabic and French
DemonymDjiboutian
GovernmentParliamentary republic
 - PresidentIsmail Omar Guelleh
 - Prime MinisterDileita Mohamed Dileita
Independencefrom France 
 - DateJune 27 1977 
 - Water (%)0.09 (20 km² / 7.7 mi²)
Population
 - July 2007 estimate496,374[1] (160th)
 - 2000 census460,700 
GDP (PPP)2005 estimate
 - Total$1.641 billion (164th)
 - Per capita$2,070 (141st)
HDI (2004)0.494 (low) (148th)
CurrencyFranc (DJF)
Time zoneEAT (UTC+3)
 - Summer (DST)not observed (UTC+3)
Internet TLD.dj
Calling code+253
2


Djibouti (Arabic: جيبوتي Jībūtī, Somali: Jabuuti), officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a small country in eastern Africa. Djibouti is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somaliland 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 kilometres (12 mi) from the coast of Djibouti, is Yemen. The capital of Djibouti is the city of Djibouti.

History

Main article: History of Djibouti
The Republic of Djibouti gained its independence from the French on June 27,1977. Djibouti 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 accept Islam. Djibouti is a Muslim country which regularly takes part in Islamic as well as Arab meetings.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Djibouti
Djibouti is a semi-presidential republic, with executive power in the central 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. Djibouti is a one party dominant state with the People's Rally for Progress in power. Opposition parties are allowed, but have no real chance of gaining power (see Elections in Djibouti).

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 (Scoitas Shilades), 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 Hassan Gouled Aptidon, who had ruled the country since its independence from France in 1977.[2]

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

In 2001, the Djiboutian government leased the former French Foreign Legion base Camp Le Monier to the United States. Camp Lemonier is being used by the United States Central Command in operations as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Religion

Djibouti's main religion is Islam. Just like Islam in other countries, every town and village in Djibouti has a mosque, to which people go to worship. Tombs of their former religious leaders and those considered "holy" are known as sacred spaces. The most famous sacred space for Islam in Djibouti is the tomb of Sheikh Abu Yazid, found in the Goda Mountains. In addition to the Islamic calendar, Muslims in Djibouti also recognize New Year's Eve (January 1), and Labor Day (May 1), as holidays.

The Muslim religion comprises 94 percent of Djibouti's population (about 444,440). This leaves six percent for other religions. Christianity is mainly the other prevalent religion. Djibouti's state religion is Islam.

Regions and districts

Enlarge picture
Map of the regions of Djibouti
Main articles: Regions of Djibouti and Districts of Djibouti
Djibouti is divided into 5 regions and one city. It is further subdivided into 11 districts.

The regions and city are:

Geography

Main article: Geography of Djibouti
Enlarge picture
Camels in the grasslands.
Djibouti is in Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, and between Eritrea and Somaliland. Its coordinates are 11°30′N 43°00′E.

Djibouti shares a 113-km border with Eritrea, 337 km with Ethiopia and 58 km with Somaliland (total 506 km). It also has 314 km of coastline.Djibouti lies in northeast Africa on the Gulf of Aden at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. It borders on Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somaliland. The country, the size of Massachusetts, is mainly a stony desert, with scattered plateaus and highlands.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Djibouti
Enlarge picture
Typical street in the city of Djibouti, Djibouti, Africa. Winter, 2005.


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. It is a free trade zone.

In April 2005, the United Nations World Food Programme warned that 30,000 people in Djibouti face serious food shortages following three years of poor rains.[3]

Djibouti provides services as both a transit port for the region and an international transshipment and refueling center. 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 U.S. 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). Renewed fighting between Ethiopia and Eritrea has been beneficial to Djibouti, the Port of Djibouti now serving as landlocked Ethiopia's primary link to the sea. 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.[4]
Enlarge picture
Flea Market in Djibouti City.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Djibouti
The population is divided into two main groups, the Issa of Somali people and the Afar.

The remainder is formed by Europeans (mostly French and Italians), Arabs and Ethiopians. Tensions between the Afar and Issa 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 the Gadabuursi and Isaaq, all of whom are closely related as Dir subclans. The Issas form part of the ciise Madoobe Dir, while the Gadabuursi and Isaaq are part of the Mahe Dir, Mohammed Hiniftire. The Issa Madoobe Dir are divided into two groups:the Abgaal and Dalool which are further divided into seven sub-clans:Howlgati and Walaaldoon (Makahir, Mahamuud, Iidleh)Uurweeyne (Fiqi and Abdalle), Wardiiq, Hooroone (Habar Walaala and Geelwalaal), Howleh, Fuurlabe (Mahdle, Saahib) and Ceeleeye (Mamaasan and Muuse)

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.

Culture

Enlarge picture
Beach in Djibouti City.
Main article: Culture of Djibouti
Djiboutian attire evinces the hot, arid climate. Men wear a loosely wrapped piece of cloth that goes down to about the knee, along with a cotton robe over the shoulder, much like a Roman toga. Women wear long skirts, typically dyed brown. Married women wear cloth to cover their heads, sometimes also covering their upper body. Unmarried or young women do not cover their heads. Traditional Arabian dress is worn strictly during religious festivals, especially in preparation for the hajj. For some occasions, women may adorn themselves with jewelery and headdresses. [1]

A lot of Djibouti's original art is passed on and preserved orally, mainly through song. Using their native language, these people can sing or dance a story, acting it out. Many examples of French and Islamic influences can be noted in their buildings, which contain plasterwork, carefully constructed motifs and calligraphy.
See also: Music of Djibouti

Miscellaneous topics

Enlarge picture
Map of Djibouti

Further reading

  • Djibouti: Pawn of the Horn of Africa Robert Saint-Veran
  • Historical Dictionary of Djibouti Daoud A. Alwan
  • Naval Strategy East of Suez: The Role of Djibouti Charles W.

External links

Government

Overviews

Directories

Tourism

References and notes

1. ^ [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/dj.html Djibouti] (HTML). World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency (2007-09-06). Retrieved on 2007-09-18.
2. ^ DJIBOUTI: Guelleh sworn in for second presidential term. Retrieved on December 4, 2005.
3. ^ Djibouti drought threatens 30,000 with grave food shortages, 29 April 2005, World Food Programme. Retrieved August 4, 2007.
4. ^ [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/dj.html CIA Fact Book]


Geographic locale
 •  • [ e]
Countries of East Africa
Djibouti Eritrea Ethiopia Kenya Somalia Tanzania Uganda
 •  • [ e]
Countries of Africa
 •  • [ e]
Countries bordering the Red Sea
 Djibouti    Egypt    Eritrea    Israel    Jordan    Saudi Arabia    Somalia  
The template is . Please use instead.
This usage is deprecated. Please replace it with {{tdeprecated|Djibouti|Country}}.
'''The template is deprecated. Please use instead.
    Yemen
 •  • [ e]
Countries and territories of the Middle East
 •  • [ e]
Countries and territories bordering the Indian Ocean
AfricaComoros Djibouti Eritrea Kenya Madagascar Mauritius Mayotte Mozambique Seychelles Somalia Somaliland South Africa Sudan Tanzania
Asia Bahrain Bangladesh Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands India Indonesia Iran Iraq Kuwait Malaysia Maldives Myanmar Oman Pakistan Qatar Saudi Arabia Sri Lanka Thailand United Arab Emirates Yemen
Oceania Australia Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Islands Bahrain British Indian Ocean Territory Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Madagascar Maldives Mauritius Mayotte Seychelles Sri Lanka


International membership
 •  • [ e]
African Union (AU)
Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Cte 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 Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic So Tom and Prncipe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa Sudan Swaziland Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe
 •  • [ e]
Arab League
MembersAlgeria Bahrain Comoros Djibouti Egypt Iraq Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Libya Mauritania Morocco Oman State of Palestine Qatar Saudi Arabia Sudan Somalia Syria Tunisia United Arab Emirates Yemen
ObserversEritrea India
City of Djibouti
Jibuti
European Quarter, Djibouti City
Location of Djibouti City in Djibouti
Coordinates:
Country Republic of Djibouti
Founded 1888
Population
..... Click the link for more information.
The national anthem of Djibouti was adopted upon independence from France in 1977. The words are by Aden Elmi and the melody is by Abdi Robleh.

Transliteration of Somali

Hinjinne u sara kaca
Calankaan harraad iyo

..... Click the link for more information.
For the Radiohead song, see "The National Anthem".
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a country's government as the official
..... Click the link for more information.
The national anthem of Djibouti was adopted upon independence from France in 1977. The words are by Aden Elmi and the melody is by Abdi Robleh.

Transliteration of Somali

Hinjinne u sara kaca
Calankaan harraad iyo

..... Click the link for more information.
capital (also called capital city or political capital — although the latter phrase has a second meaning based on an alternative sense of "capital") is the center of government.
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Over half of the Republic of Djibouti's inhabitants (totalling well over 700,000) reside in the capital city. The population is divided between the Somalis (predominantly of the Issa tribe, with minority Issak and Gadaboursi representation) and the Afar.
..... Click the link for more information.
City of Djibouti
Jibuti
European Quarter, Djibouti City
Location of Djibouti City in Djibouti
Coordinates:
Country Republic of Djibouti
Founded 1888
Population
..... Click the link for more information.
An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in the countries, states, and other territories. It is typically the language used in a nation's legislative bodies, though the law in many nations requires that government documents be produced in other
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al-‘Arabiyyah in written Arabic (Kufic script):  
Pronunciation: /alˌʕa.raˈbij.ja/
Spoken in: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman,
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French (français, pronounced [fʁɑ̃ˈsɛ]) is a Romance language originally spoken in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Switzerland, and today by about 300 million people around the world as either
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A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a people or the inhabitants of a place. In English, the name of a people's language is often the same as this word, e.g., the "French" (language or people).
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government is a body that has the power to make and the authority to enforce rules and laws within a civil, corporate, religious, academic, or other organization or group.[1]
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Djibouti

This article is part of the series:
Politics of Djibouti

  • President
  • Ismail Omar Guelleh
  • Prime Minister
  • Dileita Mohamed Dileita
  • Ministers

..... Click the link for more information.
Ismaïl Omar Guelleh (Somali: Ismaaciil Cumar Geelle. Arabic: اسماعيل عُمر جليه) (born November 27, 1947 in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia[1]) is the second president of Djibouti.
..... Click the link for more information.
Djibouti

This article is part of the series:
Politics of Djibouti

  • President
  • Ismail Omar Guelleh
  • Prime Minister
  • Dileita Mohamed Dileita
  • Ministers

..... Click the link for more information.
Dileita Mohamed Dileita (Arabic: دليطة محمد دليطة) (born March 12, 1958) is the current Prime Minister of Djibouti since March 4, 2001.
..... Click the link for more information.
Independence is the self-government of a nation, country, or state by its residents and population, or some portion thereof, generally exercising sovereignty.

The term independence is used in contrast to subjugation,
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Motto
Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité
"Liberty, Equality, Fraternity"
Anthem
"La Marseillaise"


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June 27 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining.

Events

  • 678 - Saint Agatho begins his reign as a Catholic Pope.

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19th century - 20th century - 21st century
1940s  1950s  1960s  - 1970s -  1980s  1990s  2000s
1974 1975 1976 - 1977 - 1978 1979 1980

Also: 1977 (album) by Ash.

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Water is a common chemical substance that is essential to all known forms of life.[1] In typical usage, water refers only to its liquid form or state, but the substance also has a solid state, ice, and a gaseous state, water vapor.
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In mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a fraction of 100 (per cent meaning "per hundred"). It is often denoted using the percent sign, "%". For example, 45 % (read as "forty-five percent") is equal to 45 / 100, or 0.45.
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Square kilometre (U.S. spelling: square kilometer), symbol km², is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of surface area, the square metre, one of the SI derived units. 1 km² is equal to:
  • 1,000,000 m²
  • 100 ha (hectare)
Conversely:
  • 1 m² = 0.

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square mile is an imperial and US unit of area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. It should not be confused with the archaic miles square, which refers to the number of miles on each side squared.
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population is the collection of people or organisms of a particular species living in a given geographic area or mortality, and migration, though the field encompasses many dimensions of population change including the family (marriage and divorce), public health, work and the
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list of countries ordered according to population. The list includes and ranks sovereign states and self-governing dependent territories. Figures are based on the most recent estimate or projection by the national census authority where available and generally rounded off.
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gross domestic product, or GDP, is one of the ways for measuring the size of its economy. The GDP of a country is defined as the total market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period of time (usually a calendar year).
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The purchasing power parity (PPP) theory was developed by Gustav Cassel in 1920. It is the method of using the long-run equilibrium exchange rate of two currencies to equalize the currencies' purchasing power.
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There are three lists of countries of the world sorted by their gross domestic product (GDP) (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year). The GDP dollar estimates given on this page are derived from Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) calculations.
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Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head.

It is usually used in the field of statistics to indicate the average per person for any given concern, e.g. income, crime rate.
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