THE GEOGRAPHY (Foreign Office UK)
Area: 23,200 sq km
Population: 740,000 (2001 estimate)
Capital city: Djibouti
People: Somalis 60%, Afar 35%, French,
Arab, Ethiopian and Italian 5%
Language(s): French, (official), Arabic
(official), Somali, Afar
Religion(s): Muslim 94%, Christian 6%
Currency: Djiboutian Franc
Major political parties: Rassemblement
Populaire pour le Progres (RPP), Front
pour la Restauration de la Democratie
(FRUD-National)
Government: RPP
GEOGRAPHY
Djibouti borders Eritrea, Ethiopia and
Somalia and is strategically located at
the strait that links the Red Sea with
the Gulf of Aden.
THE HISTORY (Foreign Office UK)
France secured a foothold in what is
now Djibouti in the late1850s. In 1888
the region became the colony of
French Somaliland. In 1946 it became an
overseas territory of France.
Following agitation by Somali
nationalists, a referendum held in 1967,
re-affirmed the desire of most of the
population to remain part of the
French Community. In the same year
the area was renamed the French
Territory of the Afars and Issas (the
two principal ethnic groups)
Independence movements continued and
the territory gained independence as
the Republic of Djibouti on 27 June
1977.
Hassan Gouled Aptidon (an Issa) was
chosen as the Republic's first President
and was confirmed in office in 1981
Presidential Elections. He was
re-elected in 1987 and 1993. Ismail
Omar Guelleh, candidate of the ruling
RPP (Rassemblement Populaire pour le
Progres) won the 9 April 1999
Presidential election, succeeding his
uncle Hasan Gouled Aptidon. The RPP
was declared the sole legal party in
1981.
In November 1991, Afar rebels began
assaults on government positions in the
northern part of the country - the
Afar areas. The rebel groups united in
the Front pour la Restauration de
l'Unite et de la Democratie (FRUD), and
gained control of two-thirds of
Djibouti. (But did not threaten the
south, including the capital) In 1993
government forces began a series of
offensives against rebel held areas and
regained much of the territory
previously lost. The civil war ended
with the signature of peace and
national reconciliation accords between
the moderate elements of the FRUD
and the government on 26 December
1996. On 12 May 2001 the Djiboutian
Minister of Interior signed a peace and
reform agreement (accord de
reforme at de concorde civile) with
Ahmed Dini, the leader of the (Afar)
FRUD Armed Wing. Ahmed Dini led the
Afar insurgency in northern Djibouti
from 1991 to 1994.
On 7 December 2000 General Yacin,
Chief of Staff of the National Police
Force was removed from his post by
Presidential Decree. In retaliation,
General Yacin and a Police faction
surrounded the Presidential Palace and
took over the telecommunications
centre and TV Station. By the evening
of 7 December calm was restored
when the Djiboutian Army, the
Gendarmarie and the remainder of the
National Police overpowered Yacin's
faction.
THE ECONOMY (Foreign Office UK)
Basic Economic Facts
GDP: US$575.8 million (World Bank
2001)
GDP per head: US$893.68 (World Bank
2001)
Annual Growth: 2.7% (EIU 2001)
Inflation: 2.5% (World Bank 2001)
Major Industries: The economy is based
on service activities connected with the
country's strategic location and status
as a free trade zone in north-east
Africa.
Major trading partners: Ethiopia,
Somalia, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, France
and Thailand
Aid & development: Djibouti is heavily
dependent on foreign assistance.
Exchange rate: 289.01 Djiboutian Francs
to the Pound (9/6/03)
Trade Partners UK Country Profile:
Djibouti
Since independence, the Government
has concentrated on developing Djibouti
as a commercial and service centre. 66
per cent of GDP in 1997 derived from
the servicing of the port and railway to
Ethiopia (over 75 per cent of the
containers dealt with at the port are
destined for Ethiopia) and the French
garrison. Djibouti lacks any significant
natural resources other than fishing
grounds, geothermal potential and
some mining activity. An unemployment
rate of 40-50% continues to be a major
problem as does the national fixation
with Khat (a mild narcotic leaf chewed
widely by the Somali community).
Flags Of The World: Republic of Djibouti
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