Legend:
Definition
Field Listing
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Background:
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The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas became Djibouti in 1977. A peace accord in 1994 ended a three-year uprising by Afars rebels.
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Location:
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Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Somalia
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Geographic coordinates:
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11 30 N, 43 00 E
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Map references:
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Africa
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Area:
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total: 23,000 sq km
water: 20 sq km
land: 22,980 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Massachusetts
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Land boundaries:
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total: 516 km
border countries: Eritrea 109 km, Ethiopia 349 km, Somalia 58 km
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Coastline:
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314 km
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Maritime claims:
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contiguous zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
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Climate:
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desert; torrid, dry
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Terrain:
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coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Lac Assal -155 m
highest point: Moussa Ali 2,028 m
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Natural resources:
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geothermal areas
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Land use:
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arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (1998 est.)
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Irrigated land:
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10 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic disturbances from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods
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Environment - current issues:
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inadequate supplies of potable water; desertification; endangered species
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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Geography - note:
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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
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Population:
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472,810 (July 2002 est.)
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 42.6% (male 100,903; female 100,420)
15-64 years: 54.5% (male 135,409; female 122,209)
65 years and over: 2.9% (male 7,220; female 6,649) (2002 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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2.59% (2002 est.)
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Birth rate:
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40.33 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
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Death rate:
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14.43 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
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Net migration rate:
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0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.09 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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99.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 51.6 years
female: 53.52 years (2002 est.)
male: 49.73 years
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Total fertility rate:
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5.64 children born/woman (2002 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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11.75% (1999 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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37,000 (1999 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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4,400 (2002 est.)
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Nationality:
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noun: Djiboutian(s)
adjective: Djiboutian
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Ethnic groups:
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Somali 60%, Afar 35%, French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian 5%
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Religions:
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Muslim 94%, Christian 6%
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Languages:
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French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 46.2%
male: 60.3%
female: 32.7% (1995 est.)
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Djibouti
conventional short form: Djibouti
former: French Territory of the Afars and Issas, French Somaliland
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Government type:
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republic
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Capital:
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Djibouti
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Administrative divisions:
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5 districts (cercles, singular - cercle); 'Ali Sabih, Dikhil, Djibouti, Obock, Tadjoura
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Independence:
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27 June 1977 (from France)
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 27 June (1977)
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Constitution:
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multiparty constitution approved by referendum 4 September 1992
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Legal system:
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based on French civil law system, traditional practices, and Islamic law
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal adult
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Executive branch:
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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 December 2002); 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%
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes (65 seats; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms)
elections: last held 19 December 1997 (next to be held NA December 2002)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - RPP 64, FRUD 11; note - RPP (the ruling party) dominated the election
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court or Cour Supreme
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Political parties and leaders:
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Democratic National Party or PND [ADEN Robleh Awaleh]; Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Abdillahi HAMARITEH]; Front pour la Restauration de l'Unite Democratique or FRUD [Ali Mohamed DAOUD]; People's Progress Assembly or RPP (governing party) [Ismail Omar GUELLEH]
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Movement for Unity and Democracy or MUD
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International organization participation:
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ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador ROBLE Olhaye Oudine
FAX: [1] (202) 331-0302
telephone: [1] (202) 331-0270
chancery: Suite 515, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Donald YAMAMOTO
embassy: Plateau du Serpent, Boulevard Marechal Joffre, Djibouti
mailing address: B. P. 185, Djibouti
telephone: [253] 35 39 95
FAX: [253] 35 39 40
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Flag description:
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two equal horizontal bands of light blue (top) and light green with a white isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bearing a red five-pointed star in the center
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Economy - overview:
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The economy 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. Scanty rainfall limits crop production to fruits and vegetables, and most food must be imported. 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 50% continues to be a major problem. Inflation is not a concern, however, because of the fixed tie of the franc to the US 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). Faced with a multitude of economic difficulties, the government has fallen in arrears on long-term external debt and has been struggling to meet the stipulations of foreign aid donors. Another factor limiting growth is the negative impact on port activity now that Ethiopia has more trade route options.
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $586 million (2001 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate:
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0% (2001 est.)
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $1,400 (2001 est.)
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 3%
industry: 10%
services: 87% (2001 est.)
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Population below poverty line:
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50% (2001 est.)
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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2% (2001 est.)
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Labor force:
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282,000
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Labor force - by occupation:
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NA%
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Unemployment rate:
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50% (2000 est.)
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Budget:
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revenues: $135 million
expenditures: $182 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)
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Industries:
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construction, agricultural processing
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Industrial production growth rate:
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3% (1996 est.)
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Electricity - production:
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180 million kWh (2000)
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
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Electricity - consumption:
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167.4 million kWh (2000)
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2000)
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2000)
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Agriculture - products:
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fruits, vegetables; goats, sheep, camels
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Exports:
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$260 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.)
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Exports - commodities:
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reexports, hides and skins, coffee (in transit)
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Exports - partners:
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Somalia 53%, Yemen 23%, Ethiopia 5% (1998)
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Imports:
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$440 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.)
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Imports - commodities:
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foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products
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Imports - partners:
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France 13%, Ethiopia 12%, Italy 9%, Saudi Arabia 6%, UK 6% (1998)
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Debt - external:
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$366 million (2002 est.)
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$36 million (2001)
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Currency:
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Djiboutian franc (DJF)
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Currency code:
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DJF
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Exchange rates:
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Djiboutian francs per US dollar - 177.721 (fixed rate since 1973)
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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10,000 (2002)
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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NA (2002)
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: telephone facilities in the city of Djibouti are adequate as are the microwave radio relay connections to outlying areas of the country
domestic: microwave radio relay network
international: submarine cable to Jiddah, Suez, Sicily, Marseilles, Colombo, and Singapore; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; Medarabtel regional microwave radio relay telephone network
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2001)
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Radios:
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52,000 (1997)
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Television broadcast stations:
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1 (2002)
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Televisions:
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28,000 (1997)
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Internet country code:
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.dj
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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1 (2000)
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Internet users:
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1,400 (2000)
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Disputes - international:
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Djibouti maintains economic ties and border accords with "Somaliland" leadership while politically supporting the Somali Transitional National Government in Mogadishu
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This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
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