Country Summary: Djibouti (Republic of Djibouti)
Country Name: Djibouti (Republic of Djibouti)
Capital: Djibouti
Government Type: presidential republic
Background: The region of present-day Djibouti was the site of the medieval Ifat and Adal Sultanates. In the late 19th century, treaties signed by the Afar sultans with the French allowed the latter to establish the colony of French Somaliland in 1862. The French signed additional treaties with the ethnic Somali in 1885.
Tension between the ethnic Afar and Somali populations increased over time, as the ethnic Somalis perceived that the French unfairly favored the Afar and gave them disproportionate influence in local governance. In 1958, the French held a referendum that provided residents of French Somaliland the option to either continue their association with France or to join neighboring Somalia as it established its independence. The ethnic Somali protested the vote, because French colonial leaders did not recognize many Somali as residents, which gave the Afar outsized influence in the decision to uphold ties with France. After a second referendum in 1967, the French changed the territory’s name to the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas, in part to underscore their relationship with the ethnic Afar and downplay the significance of the ethnic Somalis. A final referendum in 1977 established Djibouti as an independent nation and granted ethnic Somalis Djiboutian nationality, formally resetting the balance of power between the majority ethnic Somalis and minority ethnic Afar residents. Upon independence, the country was named after its capital city of Djibouti. Hassan Gouled APTIDON, an ethnic Somali leader, installed an authoritarian one-party state and proceeded to serve as president until 1999. Unrest between the Afar minority and Somali majority culminated in a civil war during the 1990s that ended in 2001 with a peace accord between Afar rebels and the Somali Issa-dominated government. In 1999, Djibouti's first multiparty presidential election resulted in the election of Ismail Omar GUELLEH as president; he was reelected to a second term in 2005 and extended his tenure in office via a constitutional amendment, which allowed him to serve his third and fourth terms, and to begin a fifth term in 2021.
Djibouti occupies a strategic geographic location at the intersection of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Its ports handle 95% of Ethiopia’s trade. Djibouti’s ports also service transshipments between Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The government holds longstanding ties to France, which maintains a military presence in the country, as does the US, Japan, Italy, Germany, Spain, and China.
Continent: Africa
Population: 976,143 (2023 est.)
Ethnic Groups: Somali 60%, Afar 35%, other 5% (mostly Yemeni Arab, also French, Ethiopian, and Italian)
Languages: French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar
Religions: Sunni Muslim 94% (nearly all Djiboutians), other 6% (mainly foreign-born residents - Shia Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Baha'i, and atheist)
Economic Overview: food import-dependent Horn of Africa economy driven by various national military bases and port-based trade; fairly resilient from COVID-19 disruptions; major re-exporter; increasing Ethiopian and Chinese trade relations; investing in infrastructure
Currency: Djiboutian Franc (DJF)
Reserves of Foreign Exchange & Gold: $589.437 million (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $5.592 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2017 dollars
Real GDP Growth Rate: 3.12% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Real GDP per Capita: $5,000 (2022 est.) note: data in 2017 dollars
Exports:
$5.674 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Comparison Ranking: 132
Export Commodities: palm oil, chlorides, sheep and goats, kidney beans, industrial fatty acids/oils, coffee (2021)
Export Partners: Saudi Arabia 42%, India 15%, China 14%, Egypt 5%, South Korea 5% (2019)
Imports:
$5.096 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Comparison Ranking: 148
Import Commodities: refined petroleum, fertilizers, iron sheeting, cars, palm oil (2019)
Import Partners: China 43%, United Arab Emirates 15%, India 7%, Turkey 5% (2019)
Natural Resources: potential geothermal power, gold, clay, granite, limestone, marble, salt, diatomite, gypsum, pumice, petroleum
Agricultural Products: vegetables, milk, beef, camel milk, lemons, limes, goat meat, mutton, beans, tomatoes
Industries: construction, agricultural processing, shipping
Industrial Production Growth Rate:
-0.42% (2022 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
Comparison Ranking: 172
Labor Force: 250,000 (2022 est.)
Unemployment Rate: 26.67% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment
Natural Hazards: earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic disturbances from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods
Volcanism: experiences limited volcanic activity; Ardoukoba (298 m) last erupted in 1978; Manda-Inakir, located along the Ethiopian border, is also historically active
Geography:
Total: 23,200 sq km
Land: 23,180 sq km
Water: 20 sq km
(Country Summary, The World Factbook, CIA.gov)
LEGAL, FINANCIAL, & TAX ADVICE DISCLAIMER: The information on SportsLifeMoney’s™ (“SLM”) websites, podcast network, videos, social media accounts, and other platforms (collectively, “SLM Platforms”) is strictly and solely provided for educational and informational purposes only. All of the information and materials on the aforementioned SLM Platforms do not constitute and are not intended to provide legal, financial, accounting, or tax advice, and should not be relied on in that respect. SLM recommends that you consult with an attorney, certified financial advisor, or licensed accountant to answer any legal, financial, or tax questions you may have. SLM also recommends that you consult with an attorney, certified financial advisor, or licensed accountant before making any legal, financial, or tax-related decisions based on content and/or subject matter included and/or discussed on any of the SLM Platforms. Before you act or rely on any information you have heard, read, viewed, and/or listened to on any of the SLM Platforms or communication mediums, SLM recommends that you confirm any and all facts that are important to your decision and that you subsequently consult with an appropriate professional (e.g., attorney, certified financial advisor, certified accountant, etc.) and have them review these facts and also confirm their validity. CAUTION: IF YOU RELY ON ANY INFORMATION, CONTENT, PRODUCT, OR SERVICE FROM ANY OF THE SLM PLATFORMS, YOU DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK. YOU UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY AND ALL DAMAGES OR LOSS THAT YOU MAY INCUR THAT RESULTS FROM YOUR USE AND/OR RELIANCE OF ANY OF THE SLM PLATFORMS OR ANY OF THE CONTENT OR MATERIAL OTHERWISE PROVIDED ON ANY OF THESE SLM PLATFORMS. SLM AND ANY AND ALL OF ITS AFFILIATES MAKE NO IMPLIED OR EXPRESS REPRESENTATIONS OR IMPLIED OR EXPRESS WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND REGARDING ANY AND ALL INFORMATION ON ANY OF THE SLM PLATFORMS OR SLM’S AFFILIATE PLATFORMS. SLM AND ITS AFFILIATES WILL NOT BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES. By continuing to use any of the SLM Platforms, you acknowledge and agree to the aforementioned terms and conditions of this disclaimer and any and all other legally binding terms and conditions set forth in SLM’s Privacy Policy, Terms & Conditions, and other legally binding agreements.
