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- Economy
-
- Overview: The economy is based on service activities connected
- with the country's strategic location and status as a free
- trade zone. Djibouti provides services as both a transit
- port for the region and an international transshipment and
- refueling center. It has few natural 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. An unemployment rate
- of over 50% continues to be a major problem.
-
- GNP: $333 million, $1,070 per capita; real growth rate -0.7%
- (1986).
-
- Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.0% (1987).
-
- Unemployment rate: over 50% (1987).
-
- Budget: revenues $117 million; expenditures $163 billion,
- including capital expenditures of $52 million (1987 est.).
-
- Exports: $128 million (f.o.b., 1986); commodities--hides
- and skins, coffee (in transit); partners--Middle East 50%,
- Africa 43%, Western Europe 7%.
-
- Imports: $198 million (f.o.b., 1986); commodities--foods,
- beverages, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum products;
- partners--EC 36%, Africa 21%, Bahrain 14%, Asia 12%, US 2%.
-
- External debt: $250 million (December 1988).
-
- Industrial production: growth rate - 1.6% (1986).
-
- Electricity: 110,000 kW capacity; 190 million kWh produced,
- 580 kWh per capita (1989).
-
- Industries: limited to a few small-scale enterprises, such
- as dairy products and mineral-water bottling.
-
- Agriculture: accounts for 30% of GDP; scanty rainfall limits
- crop production to mostly fruit and vegetables; half of
- population pastoral nomads herding goats, sheep, and camels;
- imports bulk of food needs.
-
- Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY78-88), $36 million;
- Western (non-US) countries, including ODA and OOF bilateral
- commitments (1970-87), $962 million; OPEC bilateral aid
- (1979-89), $149 million; Communist countries (1970-88),
- $35 million.
-
- Currency: Djiboutian franc (plural--francs); 1 Djiboutian
- franc (DF) = 100 centimes.
-
- Exchange rates: Djiboutian francs (DF) per US$1--177.721
- (fixed rate since 1973).
-
- Fiscal year: calendar year.
-