Population: 486,530 (est.2006).
Surface area: 23,000 sq km
Comparison with some European countries: 2/3 of Belgium or 1/10 of UK.
Capital: Djibouti.
Administrative Divisions: 5 districts (Cercle/Cercles).
Population Density: 20/km² (July 2005).
Young People under 15 years old: 43.3% (estimate 2006)
Population Growth: 2.02% (est.2006)
Ethnic Background: Somali 60%, Afars 35%, French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian 5%
Religions: Sunni Muslims 94%, Christians 6%.
Urban Population: 83% (estimate 2000).
Net Migration Rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population(estimate 2000).
Birth Rate: 39.53% births/1,000 population (est. 2006)
Death Rate: 19.31 deaths/1,000 population (est.2006)
Infant Mortality Rate: 102.44 deaths/1,000 live births (est.2006)
Life Expectancy at birth: 43.17 years old (est. 2006)
Life Expectancy per Sex: Male 41.86 years old, Female 44.52 years old (est. 2006)
Literacy Rate: Total Population 67.9%, Males 78%, Females 58.4%.
Currency: Djiboutian francs DJF (1 US $= 177,72 Djiboutian francs, 2005) 
Market Exchange Rate: Djiboutian francs (DF) per US $1 - 177.721 fixed rate since 1973 and 1 $ = 156 DJF (market exchange rate September 2000), 1$ = 177.72 DJF (2005)
Inflation Rate at Consumer Prices: 2% (estimate 2002)
Unemployment Rate: 50% (est.2004) 
Real Gross Domestic Product Growth Rate: 3.5% (est.2002)
Gross Domestic Product Per Capita: 1,300 US $ (2002) 
GDP (purchasing power parity): 619 million US $ (2002)
Structure of the Economy in Terms of % of GDP: Agriculture 3.5%, Industry 15.8.4%, Services 80.7%.
Industries: construction, agricultural processing, salt
Agriculture Products: fruits, vegetables, goats, sheep, camels, animal hides.  
Population below the Poverty Line: NA%.
HDI (Human Development Indicator, UNDP figures 2002): within the 173 countries selected in the Human Development Report 1999 of the UNDP Djibouti is ranked 157.
Total External Debt: $ 366 million (2002).
Major Export Products: reexports, hides and skins, coffee (transit)
Major Import Products: foods, beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products.
Balance of Payments: Exports 249 Million Dollars, Imports 344 Million Dollars (Source: World Bank 1998).
Year of Independence: 27 June 1977 from France.
Political System: Republic
Conventional Name: Republic of Djibouti.
Year of independence: 27 June 1977 from France
Admitted in the United Nations in: 1977.
Member i.a. of: League of Arab States, COMESA, W.T.O., FAO, G-77, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO.
Parties to i.a: Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Head of State (President): President Ismail Omar GUELLEH (since 8 May 1999)
Minister of Finance and Economic Planning in charge of Privatization: Ali Farah Adnan
Some features:

• One of the last countries admitted in the League of Arab States. With Somalia, the only Arab League member state of which the national language is not Arabic.
• Djibouti hosts the biggest French military base abroad (approx. 4000 people).
• The annual aid granted by France represents 40% (approx. 350 million FF) of the national budget.
• Djibouti is considered as a Free Trade Zone in North East Africa and a very important regional supply center for Petroleum.
• The logistic sector is one of the most important ones of the economy.
• Djibouti is, besides Assab in Eritrea and Aden in Yemen, the only active port in this section of the horn of Africa.
• Since the Ethiopian-Eritrean Conflict, started in May 1998, trade flows have been multiplied by two in Djibouti as the Red Sea port of Assab has been blocked to Ethiopian exports. Therefore the Djiboutian Governement had to increase considerably Public Expenditure for transport infrastructures falling that way under the treath of External Debt.
• External debt outstanding and disbursed amounted to US $ 339 Million (Source : World Bank 1998) and the total service of the debt doubled from 1997 to 1998 passing from 12 to 22 million Dollars.
• The considerable growth of public debt is also due to public servants wages and allowances.
• The Country is highly dependent on food imports and foreign aid.
• One of the main concerns is the high unemployment rate.
• The inflation rate is not an issue as the Djiboutian Franc has been plegged to the US $ and is freely convertible since 1973.

• African News on line.
• Integrated Regional Information Networks. 

(April 2006)