Djibouti

The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas became Djibouti in 1977. 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 term in 2005. Djibouti occupies a strategic geographic location at the mouth of the Red Sea and serves as an important transshipment location for goods entering and leaving the east African highlands. The present leadership favors close ties to France, which maintains a significant military presence in the country but also has strong ties with the US. Djibouti hosts the only US military base in sub-Saharan Africa and is a front-line state in the global war on terrorism.

Economical characteristics

 * Currency: Franc (ISO code: DJF)
 * Central bank discount rate:
 * Commercial banks lending rate: 11.56% (31 December 2008)
 * Stock of money (M1): $462.7 million (31 December 2008)
 * Quasi money (with M1 makes M2): $338 million (31 December 2008)

Notable events:

 * Banking crisis: 1991-1993

Links

 * Djibouti on Wikipedia
 * Central bank of Djibouti
 * BBC country profile