Map of Comoros | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: Comoros has had difficulty in achieving political stability, having endured 18 coups or attempted coups since receiving independence from France in 1975.


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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 reference: Africa

Area
Total: 2,170 km²
Land: 2,170 km²
Water: 0 km²
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
Extremes highest point: Mount Kartala 2,360 m

Natural resources: negligible

Land use
Arable land: 35%
Permanent crops: 10%
Permanent pastures: 7%
Forests and woodland: 18%
Other: 30% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: cyclones and tsunamis possible during rainy season (December to April; Mount Kartala on Grand Comore is an active volcano

Geography
Note: important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel


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Population: 528,893 (July 1997 est.)
Growth rate: 3.09% (1997 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Comoran(s)
Adjective: Comoran

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

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

Religions: Sunni Muslim 86%, Roman Catholic 14%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 42% (male 112,404; female 111,936)
15-64 years: 55% (male 142,604; female 146,382)
65 years and over: 3% (male 7,432; female 8,135) (July 1997 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 3.09% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 40.75 births/1000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 9.82 deaths/1000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1997 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

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

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1 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 (1997 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 87.4 deaths/1000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 59.88 years
Male: 57.52 years
Female: 62.32 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.54 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 57.3%
Male: 64.2%
Female: 50.4% (1995 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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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: three islands; Grand Comore (Njazidja), Anjouan (Nzwani), and Moheli (Mwali)
Note: there are also four municipalities named Domoni, Fomboni, Moroni, and Mutsamudu

Dependent areas

Independence: 6 July 1975 (from France)

National holiday: Independence Day, 6 July (1975)

Constitution: 7 June 1992

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Mohamed TAKI Abdulkarim (since 16 March 1996)
Head of government: Prime Minister Ahmed ABDOU (since 27 December 1996)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Elections: president elected by popular vote to a five-year term; election last held 16 March 1996 (next to be held NA March 2001); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Mohamed TAKI Abdulkarim elected president; share of vote - 64%

Legislative branch: bicameral legislature consists of the Senate (15 seats; 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 four-year terms)
Elections: last held 1 and 8 December 1996 (next to be held NA December 2000)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RND 39, RND candidate running as independent 1, FNJ 3

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

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AL, CCC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant) Charge d'Affaires ad interim Mahmoud M. ABOUD (ambassador to the US and Canada)
In the us chancery: (temporary) care of the Permanent Mission of the Federal and Islamic Republic of the Comoros to the United Nations, 336 East 45th Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10,017
In the us telephone: [1] (212) 972-8,010
In the us FAX: [1] (212) 983-4,712
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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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 nearly 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 reached in the late 1990s.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: -2.3% (1995 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $650 (1995 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 39%
Industry: 13%
Services: 48% (1995 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate: -6.5% (1989 est.)

Labor force
Total: 140,000 (1982)
By occupation agriculture: 80%
By occupation government: 3%

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $83 million
Expenditures: $92 million, including capital expenditures of $32 million (1992)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports
Total value: $11.2 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
Commodities: vanilla, ylang-ylang, cloves, perfume oil, copra
Partners: France 54%, Germany 18%, US 18%

Imports
Total value: $40.9 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
Commodities: rice and other foodstuffs, consumer goods; petroleum products, cement, transport equipment
Partners: France 60%, South Africa 10%, Kenya 5%, Singapore 4%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $189 million (1995 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Comoran francs (CF) per US$1 - 406.27 (January 1997), 383.66 (1996), 374.36 (1995), 416.40 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992)
Note: beginning 12 January 1994, the Comoran franc was devalued to 75 per French franc from 50 per French franc at which it had been fixed since 1948


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Electricity
Capacity: 16,000 kW (1991)
Production: 25 million kWh (1991)
Consumption per capita: 52 kWh (1991 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones: 3,770 (1991 est.)

Telephone system: 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

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $NA
Percent of gdp: NA%

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 4 (1996 est.)
With paved runways total: 4
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3 (1996 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways: 0 km

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: none

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: claims French-administered Mayotte

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs