The people of the republic are roughly divided into two groups: the Afars of the north, and the Issas of the south.
Both are Muslim, and by tradition both are pastoral nomads who roam with their flocks, taking no notice of political boundaries.
The Afars tend to ally themselves with Ethiopia while the Somali-speaking Issas lean toward Somalia.
The two groups have often engaged in fierce battles and wars. Djibouti has experienced economic hardship as a result of refugees from both groups.
Statistics
Population: 629,000 (1999)
Annual growth: 5.1 % (1975-97)
Urban population: 82.7 % (1997)
Children per woman: 5.3 (1998)