Republic of Djibouti National name:
Jumhouriyya Djibouti Government:
Republic with a unicameral legislature. Geography:
Djibouti lies in northeast Africa on the Gulf of Aden at the southern
entrance to the Red Sea. It borders on Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia.
The country is mainly a stony desert, with scattered plateaus and highlands. Area:
8,880 sq mi (23,000 sq km) Population:
(2003 est.): 457,130 (growth rate: 2.1%); birth rate: 40.8/1000; infant
mortality rate: 107.0/1000; density per sq mi: 51 Capital: (2003 est.): Djibouti, 547,100 Monetary unit:
Djibouti franc
Languages: Arabic and French (both official), Afar, Somali Ethnicity/race:
Somali 60%, Afar 35%, French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian 5% Religions:
Islam 94%, Christian 6% Agriculture:
fruits, vegetables; goats, sheep, camels. Industries:
construction, agricultural processing. Natural resources:
geothermal areas.