Part 238

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

@Djibouti:People

Population: 434,116 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 43% (male 92,920; female 92,584) 15-64 years: 55% (male 125,547; female 112,140) 65 years and over: 2% (male 5,624; female 5,301) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.51% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 42.16 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 14.98 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -12.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.12 male(s)/female 65 years and over : 1.06 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 104.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 50.61 years male: 48.65 years female: 52.63 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.01 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality: noun: Djiboutian(s) adjective: Djiboutian

Ethnic groups: Somali 60%, Afar 35%, French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian 5%

Religions: Muslim 94%, Christian 6%

Languages: French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 46.2% male : 60.3% female: 32.7% (1995 est.)

@Djibouti:Government

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Djibouti conventional short form: Djibouti former: French Territory of the Afars and Issas, French Somaliland

Data code: DJ

Government type: republic

National capital: Djibouti

Administrative divisions: 5 districts (cercles, singular - cercle); 'Ali Sabih, Dikhil, Djibouti, Obock, Tadjoura

Independence: 27 June 1977 (from France)

National holiday: Independence Day, 27 June (1977)

Constitution: multiparty constitution approved in referendum 4 September 1992

Legal system: based on French civil law system, traditional practices, and Islamic law

Suffrage: NA years of age; universal adult