Djibouti
Type of Government: Republic
Independence: 1977 from France
Head of State: President Ismail Omar Guelleh (since May 8, 1999)
2007/2008 UN Development Index ranking (out of 177 countries): 149
2007 TI Corruption Perception Index (out of 179): 105
Political Development: Hassan Gouled Aptidon installed an authoritarian one-party state and proceeded to serve as president until 1999. Unrest among the Afars minority during the 1990s led to a civil war that ended in 2001 following the conclusion of a peace accord between Afar rebels and the Issa-dominated government. In 1999, Djibouti’s first multi-party presidential elections resulted in the election of Ismail Omar Guelleh; he was re-elected to a second and final term in 2005. The present leadership favors close ties to France, which maintains a significant military presence in the country, but is also developing stronger ties with the US. Djibouti hosts the only US military base in sub-Saharan Africa.
Adult HIV Rate: 2.9%
Life Expectancy: 43.25
GDP: $703 million
Inflation: 3%
Poverty: 50%
Petroleum: N/A
Leading Export Partner: Somalia (66.2%)
Economic Note: 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 are mostly nomadic herders. An unemployment rate of 50% continues to be a major problem. 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.
