| Comoros |
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Comoros | Introduction | Top of Page

Background: | Unstable Comoros has endured 19 coups or attempted coups since gaining independence from France in 1975. In 1997, the islands of Anjouan and Moheli declared their independence from Comoros. In 1999, military chief Col. AZALI seized power. He has pledged to resolve the secessionist crisis through the 2000 Fomboni Accord, a confederal arrangement that the Organization of African Unity has yet to recognize.

Comoros | Geography | Top of Page

Location: | Southern Africa, group of islands in the Mozambique Channel, about two-thirds of the way between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique

Geographic coordinates: | 12 10 S, 44 15 E

Map references: | Africa

Area: | total: 2,170 sq km land: 2,170 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative: | slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: | 0 km

Coastline: | 340 km

Maritime claims: | exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate: | tropical marine; rainy season (November to May)

Terrain: | volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills

Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Le Kartala 2,360 m

Natural resources: | NEGL

Land use: | arable land: 35% permanent crops: 10% permanent pastures: 7% forests and woodland: 18% other: 30% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: | NA sq km

Natural hazards: | cyclones possible during rainy season (December to April); Le Kartala on Grand Comore is an active volcano

Environment - current issues: | soil degradation and erosion results from crop cultivation on slopes without proper terracing; deforestation

Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: | important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel

Comoros | People | Top of Page

Population: | 596,202 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: | 0-14 years: 42.81% (male 127,955; female 127,267) 15-64 years: 54.26% (male 159,560; female 163,949) 65 years and over: 2.93% (male 8,326; female 9,145) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: | 3.02% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: | 39.52 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: | 9.35 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: | NEGL migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: | 84.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 60.41 years male: 58.2 years female: 62.68 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: | 5.32 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 0.12% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA

Nationality: | noun: Comoran(s) adjective: Comoran

Ethnic groups: | Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava

Religions: | Sunni Muslim 98%, Roman Catholic 2%

Languages: | Arabic (official), French (official), Comoran (a blend of Swahili and Arabic)

Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 57.3% male: 64.2% female: 50.4% (1995 est.)

Comoros | Government | Top of Page

Country name: | conventional long form: Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros conventional short form: Comoros local long form: Republique Federale Islamique des Comores local short form: Comores

Government type: | independent republic

Capital: | Moroni

Administrative divisions: | 3 islands; Grande Comore (Njazidja), Anjouan (Nzwani), and Moheli (Mwali); note - there are also four municipalities named Domoni, Fomboni, Moroni, and Moutsamoudou

Independence: | 6 July 1975 (from France)

National holiday: | Independence Day, 6 July (1975)

Constitution: | 20 October 1996

Legal system: | French and Muslim law in a new consolidated code

Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: | chief of state: President AZALI Assoumani (since 6 May 1999); note - the interim government of President Tajiddine Ben Said MASSOUNDE, which had assumed power on 6 November 1998 upon the death of President Mohamed TAKI Abdulkarim, was overthrown in a bloodless coup on 30 April 1999 head of government: Prime Minister Hamada MADI (since late November 2000) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 6 and 16 March 1996 (next to be held NA); prime minister appointed by the president note: President AZALI claimed a one-year term at the time of the coup; but elections, promised for spring 2000, were not held election results: results of the last presidential election before the coup were: Mohamed TAKI Abdulkarim elected president; percent of vote - 64.3%

Legislative branch: | bicameral legislature consists of the Senate (15 seats: five from each island); members selected by regional councils for six-year terms) and a Federal Assembly or Assemblee Federale (43 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms); note - the Federal Assembly was dissolved following the coup of 30 April 1999 elections: Federal Assembly - last held 1 and 8 December 1996 (next to be held NA) election results: Federal Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RND 39, FNJ 3, independent 1 note: the constitution stipulates that only parties that win six seats in the Federal Assembly (two from each island) are permitted to be in opposition, but if no party accomplishes that, the second most successful party will be in opposition; in the elections of December 1996 the FNJ appeared to qualify as opposition

Judicial branch: | Supreme Court or Cour Supremes (two members appointed by the president, two members elected by the Federal Assembly, one elected by the Council of each island, and others are former presidents of the republic)

Political parties and leaders: | Front National pour la Justice or FNJ (Islamic party in opposition) [Ahmed Abdallah MOHAMED, Ahmed ABOUBACAR, Soidiki M'BAPANOZA]; Rassemblement National pour le Development or RND (party of the government) [Ali Bazi SELIM]

Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA

International organization participation: | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, CCC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (associate), ILO, IMF, InOC, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Deputy Permanent Representative Mahmoud Mohamed ABOUD (acting) chancery: (temporary) care of the Permanent Mission of the Federal and Islamic Republic of the Comoros to the United Nations, 420 East 50th Street, New York, NY 10022 telephone: [1] (212) 972-8010 FAX: [1] (212) 983-4712

Diplomatic representation from the US: | the US does not have an embassy in Comoros; the ambassador to Mauritius is accredited to Comoros

Flag description: | green with a white crescent in the center of the field, its points facing downward; there are four white five-pointed stars placed in a line between the points of the crescent; the crescent, stars, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam; the four stars represent the four main islands of the archipelago - Mwali, Njazidja, Nzwani, and Mayotte (a territorial collectivity of France, but claimed by Comoros); the design, the most recent of several, is described in the constitution approved by referendum on 7 June 1992

Comoros | Economy | Top of Page

Economy - overview: | One of the world's poorest countries, Comoros is made up of three islands that have inadequate transportation links, a young and rapidly increasing population, and few natural resources. The low educational level of the labor force contributes to a subsistence level of economic activity, high unemployment, and a heavy dependence on foreign grants and technical assistance. Agriculture, including fishing, hunting, and forestry, is the leading sector of the economy. It contributes 40% to GDP, employs 80% of the labor force, and provides most of the exports. The country is not self-sufficient in food production; rice, the main staple, accounts for the bulk of imports. The government is struggling to upgrade education and technical training, to privatize commercial and industrial enterprises, to improve health services, to diversify exports, to promote tourism, and to reduce the high population growth rate. Continued foreign support is essential if the goal of 4% annual GDP growth is to be met. Remittances from 150,000 Comorans abroad help supplement GDP.

GDP: | purchasing power parity - $419 million (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: | 0.5% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $720 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 40% industry: 4% services: 56% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line: | NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 3.5% (1999)

Labor force: | 144,500 (1996 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture 80%

Unemployment rate: | 20% (1996 est.)

Budget: | revenues: $48 million expenditures: $53 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997)

Industries: | tourism, perfume distillation, textiles, furniture, jewelry, construction materials, soft drinks

Industrial production growth rate: | -2% (1999 est.)

Electricity - production: | 17 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 88.24% hydro: 11.76% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: | 15.8 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: | vanilla, cloves, perfume essences, copra, coconuts, bananas, cassava (tapioca)

Exports: | $7.9 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Exports - commodities: | vanilla, ylang-ylang, cloves, perfume oil, copra

Exports - partners: | France 50%, Germany 25% (1998)

Imports: | $55.1 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Imports - commodities: | rice and other foodstuffs, consumer goods; petroleum products, cement, transport equipment

Imports - partners: | France 38%, Pakistan 13%, South Africa 8%, Kenya 8% (1998)

Debt - external: | $197 million (1997 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: | $28.1 million (1997)

Currency: | Comoran franc (KMF)

Currency code: | KMF

Exchange rates: | Comoran francs per US dollar - 524.41 (January 2001), 533.98 (2000), 461.77 (1999), 442.46 (1998), 437.75 (1997), 383.66 (1996) note: prior to January 1999, the official rate was pegged to the French franc at 75 Comoran francs per French franc; since 1 January 1999, the Comoran franc is pegged to the euro at a rate of 491.9677 Comoran francs per euro

Fiscal year: | calendar year

Comoros | Communications | Top of Page

Telephones - main lines in use: | 6,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular: | NA

Telephone system: | general assessment: sparse system of microwave radio relay and HF radiotelephone communication stations domestic: HF radiotelephone communications and microwave radio relay international: HF radiotelephone communications to Madagascar and Reunion

Radio broadcast stations: | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios: | 90,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: | 0 (1998)

Televisions: | 1,000 (1997)

Internet country code: | .km

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 1 (2000)

Internet users: | 800 (2000)

Comoros | Transportation | Top of Page

Railways: | 0 km

Highways: | total: 880 km paved: 673 km unpaved: 207 km (1996)

Waterways: | none

Ports and harbors: | Fomboni, Moroni, Moutsamoudou

Merchant marine: | total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 19,122 GRT/29,817 DWT ships by type: cargo 2 (2000 est.)

Airports: | 4 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: | total: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2000 est.)

Comoros | Military | Top of Page

Military branches: | Comoran Security Force

Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 141,120 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 83,920 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | NA%

Comoros | Transnational Issues | Top of Page

Disputes - international: | claims French-administered Mayotte; the island of Anjouan (Nzwani) has moved to secede from Comoros