Djibouti

Djibouti is a developing country located at the juncture of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden that gained independence from France in 1977.  It is a republic with a multi-party political system dominated by the ruling Union for Presidential Majority (UMP) party and a legal system based on French civil law, though modified by traditional practices and Islamic (Sharia) law. Although exact numbers are unavailable, unemployment is estimated to be in excess of 60 percent of the working-age population. Over two-thirds of the country’s estimated 850,000 residents live in the capital, also called Djibouti.  Modern tourist facilities and communications infrastructure exist in the city of Djibouti but are limited outside the capital.