sertification, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

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: 451,442 (July 2000 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (male 96,482; female 96,025)
15-64 years: 55% (male 130,264; female 116,270)
65 years and over: 2% (male 6,426; female 5,975) (2000 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.45% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 40.98 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 14.87 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: -11.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 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: 1.08 male(s)/female
total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 103.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 50.82 years
male: 49.01 years
female: 52.68 years (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.8 children born/woman (2000 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

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 by referendum 4
September 1992

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

Suffrage: NA years of age; universal adult

Executive branch:
chief of state: President GUELLEH Ismail Omar (since NA 1999);
head of government: Prime Minister BARKAT Gourad Hamadou (since 30
September 1978)
cabinet: Council of Ministers responsi