The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas became Djibouti in 1977. Hassan Gouled Aptidon installed an authoritarian one-party state and proceeded to serve as president until 1999.

Unrest among the Afars minority during the 1990s led to a civil war that ended in 2001 following the conclusion of a peace accord between Afar rebels and the Issa-dominated government.

In 1999, Djibouti's first multi-party presidential elections resulted in the election of Ismail Omar Guelleh; he was re-elected to a second and final term in 2005.

Djibouti occupies a strategic geographic location at the mouth of the Red Sea and serves as an important transshipment location for goods entering and leaving the east African highlands.

The present leadership favors close ties to France, which maintains a significant military presence in the country, but is also developing stronger ties with the U.S.

Djibouti hosts the only U.S. military base in sub-Saharan Africa and is a front-line state in the global war on terrorism.

Source: CIA World Fact Book

Population: 496,374 (July 2007 est.)

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Age structure: 0-14 years: 43.4% (male 107,957/female 107,233) 15-64 years: 53.2% (male 137,111/female 126,952) 65 years and over: 3.4% (male 8,626/female 8,495) (2007 est.)

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Median age: total: 18.2 years male: 18.6 years female: 17.7 years (2007 est.)

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Population growth rate: 1.984% (2007 est.)

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Birth rate: 39.07 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Death rate: 19.23 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.007 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.015 male(s)/female total population: 1.045 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

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Infant mortality rate: total: 100.77 deaths/1,000 live births male: 108.35 deaths/1,000 live births female: 92.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

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Life expectancy at birth: total population: 43.25 years male: 41.88 years female: 44.65 years (2007 est.)

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Total fertility rate: 5.23 children born/woman (2007 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 2.9% (2003 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 9,100 (2003 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - deaths: 690 (2003 est.)

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Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified among birds in this country or surrounding region; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2007)

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Nationality: noun: Djiboutian(s) adjective: Djiboutian

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Ethnic groups: Somali 60%, Afar 35%, other 5% (includes French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian)

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Religions: Muslim 94%, Christian 6%

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Languages: French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar

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Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 67.9% male: 78% female: 58.4% (2003 est.)

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 are 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. Djibouti 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. While inflation is not a concern, due to the fixed tie of the Djiboutian franc to the US dollar, the artificially high value of the Djiboutian franc adversely affects Djibouti's balance of payments. 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.

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GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.878 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP (official exchange rate): $702 million (2005 est.)

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GDP - real growth rate: 3.2% (2005 est.)

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GDP - per capita (PPP): $1,000 (2005 est.)

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GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 17.9% industry: 22.5% services: 59.6% (2003 est.)

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Labor force: 282,000 (2000)

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Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

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Unemployment rate: 50% (2004 est.)

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Population below poverty line: 50% (2001 est.)

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Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (2005 est.)

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Budget: revenues: $135 million expenditures: $182 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)

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Agriculture - products: fruits, vegetables; goats, sheep, camels, animal hides

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Industries: construction, agricultural processing

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Industrial production growth rate: 3% (1996 est.)

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Electricity - production: 200 million kWh (2004)

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Electricity - consumption: 186 million kWh (2004)

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Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004)

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Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004)

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Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004)

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Oil - consumption: 11,900 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - exports: NA bbl/day

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Oil - imports: NA bbl/day

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Oil - proved reserves: 0 bbl

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Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Exports: $250 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

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Exports - commodities: reexports, hides and skins, coffee (in transit)

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Exports - partners: Somalia 66.3%, Ethiopia 21.5%, Yemen 3.4% (2006)

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Imports: $987 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

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Imports - commodities: foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products

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Imports - partners: Saudi Arabia 21.4%, India 17.9%, China 11%, Ethiopia 4.6% (2006)

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Debt - external: $394 million (2004 est.)

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Economic aid - recipient: $64.1 million (2004)

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Currency (code): Djiboutian franc (DJF)

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Exchange rates: Djiboutian francs per US dollar - 174.75 (2006), 177.72 (2005), 177.72 (2004), 177.72 (2003), 177.72 (2002)

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Fiscal year: calendar year