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The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1998
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Epic Interactive Encyclopedia, The - 1998 Edition (1998)(Epic Marketing).iso
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Djibouti
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Country on the E coast of Africa, at the S
end of the Red Sea, bounded to the E by the
Gulf of Aden, to the SE by the Somali
Republic, and to the S, W, and N by Ethiopia.
government The 1981 constitution made
Djibouti a one-party state, the only legal
party being the People's Progress Assembly
(RPP). The constitution also provides for a
single-chamber legislature, the 65-member
chamber of deputies, elected by universal
suffrage for a five-year term, and a
president, nominated by the party, who is
elected for six years and may not serve more
than two terms. history First colonized by
France 1862, Djibouti was part of French
Somaliland 1896-1945, after which it was
declared an overseas territory. In 1967 it
was renamed the French Territory of the Afars
and the Issas. Calls for independence were
frequent, sometimes violent. It was achieved
1977, with Hassan Gouled as president. In
1979 all political parties combined to form
the RPP and the government embarked on the
task of uniting the two main ethnic groups,
the Issas, who traditionally had strong links
with Somalia, and the Afars, who had been
linked with Ethiopia. In 1981 a new
constitution was adopted, making RPP the only
party and providing for the election of a
president after nomination by RPP. President
Gouled was re-elected and in 1982 a chamber
of deputies was elected from a list of RPP
nominees. Under Gouled, Djibouti has pursued
a largely successful policy of amicable
neutralism with its neighbours, concluding
treaties of friendship with Ethiopia,
Somalia, Kenya, and Sudan, and has tried to
assist the peace process in E Africa.
Although affected by the 1984-85 droughts, it
managed to maintain stability with EEC aid.
In 1987 Gouled was re-elected for his final
term with 98.71% of the popular vote.