FAX: [253] 35 39 40
Flag description:
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
Economy Djibouti
Economy - overview:
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 at least 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.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$619 million (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3.5% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,300 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.5% industry: 15.8% services: 80.7% (2001 est.)
Labor force:
282,000 (2000)
Labor force - by occupation:
NA
Unemployment rate:
50% (2004 est.)
Population below poverty line:
50% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2% (2002 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $135 million
expenditures: $182 million, including capital expenditures of NA
(1999 est.)
Agriculture - products:
fruits, vegetables; goats, sheep, camels, animal hides
Industries:
construction, agricultural processing, salt
Industrial production growth rate:
3% (1996 est.)
Electricity - production:
180 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
167.4 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2002)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
11,300 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA
Oil - imports:
NA
Exports:
$155 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities:
reexports, hides and skins, coffee (in transit)
Exports - partners:
Somalia 63.8%, Yemen 22.6%, Ethiopia 5% (2004)
Imports:
$665 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities:
foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products
Imports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 19.7%, India 12.4%, Ethiopia 11.8%, China 8.1%, France
5.6%, US 4.8% (2004)
Debt - external:
$366 million (2002 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
$36 million (2001)
Currency (code):
Djiboutian franc (DJF)
Currency code:
DJF
Exchange rates:
Djiboutian francs per US dollar - 177.72 (2004), 177.72 (2003),
177.72 (2002), 177.72 (2001), 177.72 (2000)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Djibouti
Telephones - main lines in use:
9,500 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
23,000 (2003)
Telephone system:
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: country code - 253; 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
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2001)
Radios:
52,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (2002)
Televisions:
28,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.dj
Internet hosts:
702 (2004)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):