21 February 2013 Last updated at 07:44 ET

Djibouti profile

• Overview
• Facts
• Leaders
• Media
• Timeline

There are no privately-owned broadcasting outlets in Djibouti. The government owns the main newspaper, La Nation, and Radiodiffusion-Television de Djibouti (RTD), which operates the national radio and TV.

Reporters Without Borders describes Djibouti as a "media black hole". The state media do what they are told, it says. Legislation provides for prison sentences for media offences.

Djibouti hosts a powerful mediumwave (AM) transmitter which broadcasts US-sponsored Arabic-language Radio Sawa programmes to East Africa and Arabia. Local FM relays carry the BBC (99.2) and services from American, French and German external broadcasters.

There were more than 61,000 internet users by June 2012 (Internetworldstats.com). The government places few restrictions on access, says US-based Freedom House, although a local human rights group says its website is regularly blocked.

Press

• La Nation - government-owned daily
• La Republique - opposition Parti National Democratique periodical
• Le Renouveau - run by opposition Party for Democratic Renewal

Radio

• Radio Djibouti - operated by RTD; national network broadcasts in Afar, Arabic and Somali, international network in French

Television

• Djibouti Television - operated by RTD

News agency/internet

• Agence Djiboutienne d'Information - state news agency
• La Voix de Djibouti - exile news website