Part 203

Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $3.2 billion, 1.8% of GDP (1995)

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@Djibouti --------

Map ---

Location: 11 30 N, 43 00 E -- Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Somalia

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

Geography ---------

Location: Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Somalia

Geographic coordinates: 11 30 N, 43 00 E

Map references: Africa

Area: total area: 22,000 sq km land area: 21,980 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Massachusetts

Land boundaries: total: 508 km border countries: Eritrea 113 km, Ethiopia 337 km, Somalia 58 km

Coastline: 314 km

Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: none

Climate: desert; torrid, dry

Terrain: coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains lowest point: Asal -155 m highest point: Mousa Alli 2,028 m

Natural resources: geothermal areas

Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 9% forest and woodland: 0% other: 91%

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Environment: current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water; desertification natural hazards: earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic disturbances from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Desertification

Geographic note: strategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia; a vast wasteland

People ------

Population: 427,642 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 43% (male 91,687; female 91,242) 15-64 years: 55% (male 123,699; female 110,530) 65 years and over: 2% (male 5,389; female 5,095) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.5% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 42.5 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)