Djibouti calling cards and Djibouti International phone cards

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. Daniel R. Sutton, an American salt miner, is also overseeing some $70 million operation to industrialize the collection of Djibouti�s plentiful salt in the Region Lake Asal. There are gold miners from India, geothermal experts from Iceland, Turkish hotel managers, Saudi oil engineers, French bankers and American military contractors. Investors from Dubai have leased the country's port, in an effort to develop the area as a gateway to the region. Saudi investors are reportedly exploring the possibility of linking the Horn of Africa with the Arabian Peninsula via an 18-mile long oversea bridge referred to as the Bridge of the Horns. Tarek bin Laden, half brother of Osama bin Laden, has been linked to the project. 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 U.S. 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). Renewed fighting between Ethiopia and Eritrea has been beneficial to Djibouti, the Port of Djibouti now serving as landlocked Ethiopia's primary link to the sea. Faced with a multitude of economic difficulties, the government has fallen into arrears on long-term external debt and has been struggling to meet the stipulations of foreign aid donors.[1] Demographics Afar man in nomad attire. Somali man in traditional koofiyad fez. Main article: Demographics of Djibouti The population consists of two major ethnic groups: the Somali and the Afar. The remainder is formed by Europeans (mostly French and Italians), Arabs and Ethiopians. Tensions between the Afar and Issa was the cause of the civil war in the early 1990s. The Somali ethnic component in Djibouti is mainly composed of the Issas, who form the majority and the Gadabuursi both of whom are subclans of the Dir. The Issas form part of the Madoobe Dir while the Gadabuursi are part of Madaluug Dir. Although French and Arabic are the official languages, Somali and Afar are widely spoken.[1] The bulk of Djibouti's people are urban residents; the remainder are pastoralists. Health The life expectancy at birth is about 60 for both females and males.[8] Fertility is at about 3 children per woman.[8] In the country there are about 18 doctors per 100,000 persons.[9] Religion Main article: Religion in Djibouti Mosque in Djibouti city Djibouti's population is predominantly Muslim. Islam is observed by 94% of Djibouti's population (about 444,440), while the remaining six percent, primarily consisting of foreign nationals, follow various Christian traditions.[10] Religion in Djibouti religion percent Islam ? 94% Christian ? 6% [11] Every town and village in Djibouti has a mosque where people go to worship.[citation needed] Tombs of their former religious leaders and those considered holy are known as sacred spaces. The most famous sacred space for Islam in Djibouti is the tomb of Sheikh Abu Yazid, which is found in the Goda Mountains.[citation needed] In addition to the Islamic calendar, Muslims in Djibouti also recognize New Year's Day (January 1) and Labor Day (May 1) as holidays.[citation needed] Estimates on the Christian minority vary from less than one percent to six percent of the population. There live between 7,000 and 8,000 Catholics, of which some 300 are local Djiboutians, the rest being foreigners. The Christian population largely consists of foreign-born or expatriate residents. Djibouti has a Catholic bishop, 4 Catholic priests all of whom are foreigners � as well as about 40 Catholic missionaries. While the Republic of Djibouti names the Islam as the sole state religion, the Constitution of 1992 provides for the equality of citizens of all faiths (Art. 1) as well as the freedom to practise any religion (Art. 11). Djibouti's Family Code (Code de la Famille) of 2002 prohibits muslim women from marrying non-muslim men, unless the men convert to Islam. Marriage, divorce and inheritance are handled by the Family Court which applies the Family Code and has jurisdiction over muslims, while non-muslims must instead turn to civil courts. According to the International Religious Freedom Report 2008, while muslim Djiboutians have the legal right to convert to another faith or marry outside of Islam, "converts may face negative societal, tribal, and familial attitudes towards their decision" and often face pressure to revert to Islam [12]. Culture Main article: Culture of Djibouti Beach in Djibouti City. Djiboutian attire reflects the region's hot and arid climate. When not dressed in Westernized clothing such as jeans and t-shirts, men typically wear the macawiis, which is a sarong-like garment worn around the waist. Among nomads, many wear a loosely wrapped white cotton robe called a tobe that goes down to about the knee, with the end thrown over the shoulder (much like a Roman toga). Women typically wear the dirac, which is a long, light, diaphanous voile dress made of cotton or polyester that is worn over a full-length half-slip and a brassiere. Married women tend to sport head-scarves referred to as shash, and also often cover their upper body with a shawl known as garbasaar. Unmarried or young women, however, do not always cover their heads. Traditional Arabian garb such as the male jellabiya (jellabiyaad in Somali) and the female niqab is also commonly worn. For some occasions such as festivals, women may adorn themselves with specialized jewelry and head-dresses similar to those worn by the Berber tribes of the Maghreb.[13] A lot of Djibouti's original art is passed on and preserved orally, mainly through song. Many examples of Islamic, Ottoman, and French influences can also be noted in the local buildings, which contain plasterwork, carefully constructed motifs and calligraphy. See also: Music of Djibouti and List of African writers (by country)#Djibouti Education Main article: Education in Djibouti Education in Djibouti is strongly influenced by France.[14](Hare 2007) Although the government effort resulted in an increase in enrollment during the 1990s, the education system is still below people�s expectations and the needs of a developing nation[15]. There are 81 public primary schools, 24 registered private primary schools, 12 secondary schools and two vocational schools in Djibouti.[14] [16] Female gross enrollment rate was at only 21.9 % and male gross enrollment rate at 29.0 % in 2007. [17] See also Africa portal Main articles: Outline of Djibouti and Index of Djibouti-related articles Communications in Djibouti Foreign relations of Djibouti Military of Djibouti Transport in Djibouti Ethio-Djibouti Railways Scouting in Djibouti Somali people Afar people Afar triangle Arab League Nikos Kavadias, a Greek writer and poet who regularly mentions Djibouti in his works. References ^ a b c d "Djibouti". World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 2007-09-06. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/dj.html. Retrieved 2007-09-18. ^ Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Division (2009) (.PDF). World Population Prospects, Table A.1. 2008 revision. United Nations. http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/wpp2008/wpp2008_text_tables.pdf. Retrieved 2009-03-12. ^ a b c d "Djibouti". International Monetary Fund. http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2009/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2006&ey=2009&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=611&s=NGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLP&grp=0&a=&pr.x=68&pr.y=3. Retrieved 2009-10-01. ^ Human Development Report 2009. The United Nations. Retrieved 5 October 2009 ^ "DJIBOUTI: Guelleh sworn in for second presidential term". http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=47007. Retrieved December 4, 2005. ^ Djibouti: a new army behind the wire, Le Monde diplomatique, February 2003 (English) (+ (French)/(Portuguese)) ^ Djibouti drought threatens 30,000 with grave food shortages, 29 April 2005, World Food Programme. Retrieved August 4, 2007. ^ a b https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/dj.html ^ http://www.irinnews.org/country.aspx?CountryCode=DJ&RegionCode=HOA ^ CIA World Factbook - Djibouti ^ the World Factbook ^ [accessed 13 December 2009 Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, "Djibouti: Situation and treatment of Christians, including instances of discrimination or violence; effectiveness of recourse available in cases of mistreatment; problems that a Muslim can face if he or she converts to Christianity or marries a Christian (2000-2009)", 5 August 2009 ^ "Image of Djibouti women in head-dresses". http://www.discoverfrance.net/Colonies/Images/Places/Djibouti/Women_Costumes_Djibouti.jpg. Retrieved April 5, 2008. ^ a b "Hare, Harry (2007) ICT in Education in Djibouti, World Bank". http://www.infodev.org/en/Publication.398.html. ^ "Hare, Harry (2007) ICT in Education in Djibouti, World Bank". ^ "http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/scr/2009/cr09203.pdf". http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/scr/2004/cr04152.pdf. ^ http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/countries/data_sheets/cty_ds_DJI.html This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the CIA World Factbook. Further reading Djibouti: Pawn of the Horn of Africa Robert Saint-Veran Historical Dictionary of Djibouti Daoud A. Alwan Naval Strategy East of Suez: The Role of Djibouti Charles W External links Find more about Djibouti on Wikipedia's sister projects: Definitions from Wiktionary Textbooks from Wikibooks Quotations from Wikiquote Source texts from Wikisource Images and media from Commons News stories from Wikinews Learning resources from Wikiversity Government (French) Official Website Chief of State and Cabinet Members General information Djibouti from al-Bab Country Profile from BBC News Djibouti entry at The World Factbook Djibouti from UCB Libraries GovPubs Djibouti at the Open Directory Project DjibNet directory, mostly in French Wikimedia Atlas of Djibouti News media allAfrica news headline links DjibNet daily press review in French and English Travel Djibouti travel guide from Wikitravel Djibouti Photo's Geographic locale v � d � e Djibouti topics History Somali people � French Somaliland � Second Italo-Abyssinian War � Afars and the Issas � Civil War Politics Constitution � Elections � Flag � Foreign relations � Law enforcement � Military � Political parties � President � Prime Minister Geography Cities � Regions � Districts � Climate � Rivers � Volcanoes � Wildlife Economy and infrastructure Agriculture � Airports � Communications � Djiboutian franc � Energy � Mining � Tourism � Transport Culture and society Communications � Demographics � Education � Ethnic groups � Health � Holidays � Languages � Media � Music � Olympics � Religion List of Djibouti-related topics v � d � e Countries and territories of Africa West Africa Benin � Burkina Faso � Cape Verde � C�te d'Ivoire � The Gambia � Ghana � Guinea � Guinea-Bissau � Liberia � Mali � Mauritania � Niger � Nigeria � Senegal � Sierra Leone � Togo North Africa Algeria � Egypt � Libya � Mauritania � Morocco � Sudan � Tunisia Central Africa Angola � Burundi � Cameroon � Central African Republic � Chad � Democratic Republic of the Congo � Republic of the Congo � Equatorial Guinea � Gabon � Rwanda � S�o Tom� and Pr�ncipe East Africa Burundi � Comoros � Djibouti � Eritrea � Ethiopia � Kenya � Madagascar � Malawi � Mauritius � Mozambique � Seychelles � Somalia � Tanzania � Uganda � Zambia � Zimbabwe Southern Africa Botswana � Lesotho � Namibia � South Africa � Swaziland States with limited recognition Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic � Somaliland Partially in Africa France (R�union) � Italy (Pantelleria) � Portugal (Madeira) � Spain (Canary Islands / Ceuta / Melilla / Plazas de soberan�a) � Yemen (Socotra) Dependencies Iles Eparses (France) � Mayotte (France) � Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (United Kingdom) Disputed areas Western Sahara v � d � e Countries bordering the Red Sea Djibouti � Egypt � Eritrea � Israel Jordan � Saudi Arabia � Somalia � Sudan � Yemen v � d � e Middle East Countries and territories Middle East Bahrain � Cyprus � Egypt � Gaza Strip � Iraq � Iran � Israel � Jordan � Kuwait � Lebanon � Northern Cyprus1 � Oman � Qatar � Saudi Arabia � Syria � Turkey � United Arab Emirates � West Bank � Yemen Greater Middle East Afghanistan � Algeria � Armenia � Azerbaijan � Djibouti � Eritrea � Georgia � Libya � Morocco � Pakistan � Somalia � Sudan � Tunisia � Western Sahara (SADR) Other topics History (timeline) � List of conflicts � Etiquette 1 Only recognized by Turkey; 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