French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar
Elevation:
highest point: Moussa Ali 2,028 m
lowest point: Lac Assal -155 m
Natural hazards:
earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic disturbances from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods
Climate:
desert; torrid, dry
Agricultural:
fruits, vegetables; goats, sheep, camels.
Economy:
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 being 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. It 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 40% to 50% continues to be a major problem. Inflation is not a concern, however, because of the fixed tie of the franc to the US dollar. 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. The year 2001 will see only small growth as port activity should decrease now that Ethiopia has more trade route options.
Industry:
limited to a few small-scale enterprises, such as dairy products and mineral-water bottling
Ethnicgroups:
Somali 60%, Afar 35%, French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian 5%
Yellow fever:
A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers over 1 year of age coming from infected areas.
Malaria:
Malaria risk—predominantly due to P. falciparum—exists throughout the year in the whole country. Chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum reported.
