Visitor Focus: Djibouti (Feb 2007)

There were no visitors to Peculiar Press from new countries in February, so this month's profile is for a relatively unknown February visitor: Djibouti. a small African nation on the southern end of the Red Sea. This former French Territory of the Afars and the Issas gained its independence in 1977 and was ruled for the next twenty-two years by Hassan Gouled Aptidon. In 1999, the first multi-party elections resulted in the election of Ismail Omar Guelleh, who remains the country's president.

Consisting mostly of desert (less than one-half of one percent of the land is arable), Djibouti is one of the hottest nations in the world with an annual average annual temperature of ninety degrees. It is also one of the poorest nations in the world. It's per capita gross domestic product of $1,000 ranks 210th among the world's 222 independent countries, and its 50% unemployment rate poses a major challenge to stability. It's infnat morality rate of more than 10% is the eleventh highest in the world, and its average life expectancy of 43.17 years is 211th. Djibouti is primarily (94%) a Moslem country with a small Christian minority.

Slightly smaller than Massachusetts, Djibouti has a population of only about a half million, two-thirds of which lives in the capital, Djibouti City. The only other cities with populations over 25,000 are Ali-Sabieh, Tadjourah, and Dikhil. Much of the remaining population consists of desert nomads. Desert canavans, particularly those transporting salt, are not uncommon sites. If not camels, transportation outside Djibouti City requires four-wheel drive, although the city is linked to Addis Ababa by the 490-mile Djibouti-Ethiopian narrow gauge railway.

Djibouti maintains close ties with France, but is also developing stronger ties with the U.S. and is a front-line state in the global war on terrorism. Djibouti hosts a U.S. special forces base at Camp Lemonier, a former French Foreign Legion outpost. The camp employs nearly one thousand Djiboutians.

With few natural resources and little industry, Djibouti's import-export ratio is almost four-to-one, leaving the nation heavily dependent on foreign assistance. Considering that many roads may be mined, it is not surprising that Djibouti isn't a major tourist destination, although the Djibouti City Sheraton appears to be completely booked through the end of 2007. Other than Djibouti City, the principal tourist attractions are Lake Assal (470 feet below sea level), Lake Abbe with its naturally-occuring rock chimneys, and the islands in the Bay of Tadjoura, where divers flock.

One major political challenges currently facing Djibouti is the influx of refugees from neighboring Somalia. In addition, according to a CIA profile,, "Djibouti is a source, transit and destination country for women and children trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation and possibly forced labor." While stating that Djibouti does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, the CIA site also cites Djibouti as "making significant efforts."

In the area of technology, Djibouti has fewer than 50,000 cellular phones and just over 10,000 internet users. The country's internet code is .dj. There are three radio stations (1 AM, 2 FM) and one television station.

Welcome Djiboutian!
Explore tourism in Tonga (although it may not be the ideal time to be planning a trip)
Source: CIA World Factbook at www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/