Map of Comoros | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: Comoros has endured more than 20 coups or attempted coups since gaining independence from France in 1975. In 1997 the islands of Anjouan and Moheli declared independence from Comoros. In 1999 military chief Col. AZALI seized power in a bloodless coup and helped negotiate the 2000 Fomboni Accords power-sharing agreement in which the federal presidency rotates among the three islands and each island maintains its own local government. AZALI won the 2002 presidential election and each island in the archipelago elected its own president. AZALI stepped down in 2006 and President SAMBI was elected to office. In 2007 Mohamed BACAR effected Anjouan's de-facto secession from the Union refusing to step down in favor of fresh Anjouanais elections when Comoros' other islands held legitimate elections in July. The African Union (AU) initially attempted to resolve the political crisis by applying sanctions and a naval blockade on Anjouan but in March 2008 AU and Comoran soldiers seized the island. The move was generally welcomed by the island's inhabitants.


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Location: Southern Africa group of islands at the northern mouth of 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: 2,235 km²
Rank: 180
Land: 2,235 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 340 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 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: Karthala 2,360 m

Natural resources: NEGL

Land use
Arable land: 35.87%
Permanent crops: 23.32%
Other: 40.81% (2005)

Irrigated land: NA

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 1.2 km³ (2003)

Natural hazards: cyclones possible during rainy season (December to April); volcanic activity on Grand Comore
Volcanism: Karthala (elev. 2,361 m) on Grand Comore Island last erupted in 2007; a 2005 eruption forced thousands of people to be evacuated and produced a large ash cloud

Geography
Note: important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel


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Population: 794,683 (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 162
Growth rate: 2.696% (2011 est.)
Growth rate rank: 19
Below poverty line: 60% (2002 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Comoran
Adjective: Comoran

Ethnic groups: Antalote Cafre Makoa Oimatsaha Sakalava

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

Religions: Sunni Muslim 98% Roman Catholic 2%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 41.6%
15-64 years: 55.3% (male 217,046/female 222,093)
65 years and over: 3.1% (male 11,053/female 13,562) (2011 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 19 years
Male: 18.7 years
Female: 19.3 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.696% (2011 est.)
Rank: 19

Birth rate: 34.19 births/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 33

Death rate: 7.23 deaths/1000 population (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 123

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 83

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 28% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 2.8% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: soil degradation and erosion results from crop cultivation on slopes without proper terracing; deforestation
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Endangered Species Hazardous Wastes Law of the Sea Ozone Layer Protection Ship Pollution Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 62.63 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 28
Male: 70.3 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 54.73 deaths/1000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 64.2 years
Rank: 171
Male: 61.76 years
Female: 66.72 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.72 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Rank: 28

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.15 physicians/1000 population (2004)
Rank: 157

Hospital bed density: 2.2 beds/1000 population (2006)
Rank: 93

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 118
People living with hivaids: fewer than 500 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 153
Deaths: fewer than 100 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 144

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 25% (2000)
Rank: 26

Education expenditures: 7.6% of GDP (2008)
Rank: 13

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 56.5%
Male: 63.6%
Female: 49.3% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 11 years
Male: 12 years
Female: 10 years (2005)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Union of the Comoros
Conventional short form: Comoros
Local long form: Udzima wa Komori (Comorian); Union des Comores (French); Jumhuriyat al Qamar al Muttahidah (Arabic)
Local short form: Komori (Comorian); Comores (French); Juzur al Qamar (Arabic)

Government type: republic

Capital
Name: Moroni
Geographic coordinates: 11 42 S 43 14 E
Time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 3 islands and 4 municipalities*; Grande Comore (N'gazidja) Anjouan (Ndzuwani) Domoni* Fomboni* Moheli (Mwali) Moroni* Moutsamoudou*

Dependent areas

Independence: 6 July 1975 (from France)

National holiday: Independence Day 6 July (1975)

Constitution: 23 December 2001

Legal system: mixed legal system of Islamic religious law the French civil code of 1975 and customary law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Ikililou DHOININE
Head of government: President Ikililou DHOININE (since 26 May 2011)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Elections: as defined by the 2001 constitution the presidency rotates every four years among the elected presidents from the three main islands in the Union; election last held on 7 November and 26 December 2010 (next to be held in 2014)
Election results: Ikililou DHOININE elected president; percent of vote - Ikililou DHOININE 61.1% Mohamed Said FAZUL 32.7% Abdou DJABIR 6.2%

Legislative branch: unicameral Assembly of the Union (33 seats; 15 deputies are selected by the individual islands' local assemblies and 18 by universal suffrage to serve for five years);
Elections: last held on 6 and 20 December 2009 (next to be held in 2014)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - pro-union coalition 19 autonomous coalition 4 independents 1; note - 9 additional seats are filled by deputies from local island assemblies

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: Camp of the Autonomous Islands or CdIA (a coalition of parties organized by the islands' presidents in opposition to the Union President); Convention for the Renewal of the Comoros or CRC [AZALI Assowmani]; Front National pour la Justice or FNJ [Ahmed RACHID] (Islamic party in opposition); Mouvement pour la Democratie et le Progress or MDP-NGDC [Abbas DJOUSSOUF]; Parti Comorien pour la Democratie et le Progress or PCDP [Ali MROUDJAE]; Rassemblement National pour le Development or RND [Omar TAMOU Abdoulhamid AFFRAITANE]

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AMF AOSIS AU COMESA FAO FZ G-77 IBRD ICAO ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO IMSO InOC Interpol IOC IPU ITSO ITU ITUC LAS NAM OIC OIF OPCW UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamed TOIHIRI; note - also serves Permanent Representative to the UN
In the us chancery: Mission to the US 866 United Nations Plaza Suite 418 New York NY 10,017
In the us telephone: [1] (212) 750-1637
From the us: the US does not have an embassy in Comoros; the ambassador to Madagascar is accredited to Comoros

Flag description: four equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) white red and blue with a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist; centered within the triangle is a white crescent with the convex side facing the hoist and four white five-pointed stars placed vertically in a line between the points of the crescent; the horizontal bands and the four stars represent the four main islands of the archipelago - Mwali N'gazidja Nzwani and Mahore (Mayotte - territorial collectivity of France but claimed by Comoros)
Note: the crescent stars and color green are traditional symbols of Islam

National symbols: four stars and crescent

National anthem
Name: 'Udzima wa ya Masiwa'
Lyricsmusic: Said Hachim SIDI ABDEREMANE/Said Hachim SIDI ABDEREMANE and Kamildine ABDALLAH
Note: adopted 1978

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 contributes 40% to GDP employs 80% of the labor force and provides most of the exports. Export income is heavily reliant on the three main crops of vanilla cloves and ylang-ylang and Comoros' export earnings are easily disrupted by disasters such as fires. The country is not self-sufficient in food production; rice the main staple accounts for the bulk of imports. The government - which is hampered by internal political disputes - lacks a comprehensive strategy to attract foreign investment and is struggling to upgrade education and technical training privatize commercial and industrial enterprises improve health services diversify exports promote tourism and reduce the high population growth rate. Political problems have inhibited growth which has averaged only about 1% in 2006-09. Remittances from 150,000 Comorans abroad help supplement GDP. In September 2009 the IMF approved Comoros for a three-year $21 million loan. The IMF gave generally positive reports of the country's program performance as of October 2010. The African Development Bank approved a $34.6 million debt-relief package loan for Comoros in September 2010 and Comoros will attempt to qualify for debt relief in 2012 under the IMF and World Bank's Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 205
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 144

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 210
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 41.8%
Industry: 8.6%
Services: 49.6% (2010 est.)

Agriculture products: vanilla cloves ylang-ylang (perfume essence) copra coconuts bananas cassava (tapioca)

Industries: fishing tourism perfume distillation

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 268,500 (2007 est.)
Rank: 165
By occupation agriculture: 80%
By occupation industry and services: 20% (1996 est.)

Unemployment rate: 20% (1996 est.)
Rank: 163

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 60% (2002 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 0.9%
Highest 10: 55.2% (2004)

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $118.2 million
Expenditures: $NA (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -1.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 66

Taxes and other revenues: 22.1% of GDP (2010 est.)
Rank: 137

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 4.8% (2009 est.)
Rank: 90

Central bank discount rate: 2.21% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 105

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 10.5% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 102

Stock of narrow money: $104.7 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 181

Stock of broad money: $168.6 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 185

Stock of domestic credit: $108.8 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 183

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance: -$46.54 million (2009 est.)
Rank: 70

Exports: $11.94 million (2009 est.)
Rank: 211
Commodities: vanilla ylang-ylang (perfume essence) cloves copra
Partners: France 25.2% Singapore 21.5% Turkey 11.5% Saudi Arabia 7.4% US 7.2% Netherlands 7% Germany 4.6% (2010)

Imports: $169.6 million (2009 est.)
Rank: 203
Commodities: rice and other foodstuffs consumer goods petroleum products cement transport equipment
Partners: France 15.6% Pakistan 15.5% UAE 9.5% China 6.9% India 5.7% Kenya 5.3% Spain 4.5% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $150.9 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 170

Debt external: $279.3 million (2000 est.)
Rank: 174

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 52 million kWh (2008 est.)
Production rank: 202
Consumption: 48.36 million kWh (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 202
Exports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Production rank: 168
Consumption: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 164
Exports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Exports rank: 79
Imports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Imports rank: 103
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2011 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 123

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 21,000 (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 190
Mobile cellular: 165,300 (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 182

Telephone system
General assessment: sparse system of microwave radio relay and HF radiotelephone communication stations
Domestic: fixed-line connections only about 3 per 100 persons; mobile cellular usage about 15 per 100 persons
International: country code - 269; HF radiotelephone communications to Madagascar and Reunion

Broadcast media: national state-owned TV station and a TV station run by Anjouan regional government; national state-owned radio; regional governments on the islands of Grande Comore and Anjouan each operate a radio station; a few independent and small community radio stations operate on the islands of Grande Comore and Moheli and these two islands have access to Mayotte Radio and French TV (2007)

Internet
Country code: .km
Hosts: 14 (2010)
Hosts rank: 219
Users: 24,300 (2009)
Users rank: 186

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 2.8% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 51

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for 2-year voluntary military service; no conscription; women first inducted into the Army in 2004 (2011)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 4 (2010)
Rank: 185
With paved runways total: 4
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3 (2010)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 880 km
Rank: 184
Paved: 673 km
Unpaved: 207 km (2002)

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 177
Rank: 37
By type: bulk carrier 19 cargo 102 carrier 5 chemical tanker 6 container 2 passenger 3 passenger/cargo 1 petroleum tanker 15 refrigerated cargo 12 roll on/roll off 12
Foreign owned: 98 (Bangladesh 1 Bulgaria 8 China 1 Cyprus 2 Greece 3 Kenya 1 Kuwait 1 Latvia 1 Lebanon 3 Lithuania 3 Monaco 1 Nigeria 1 Norway 2 Pakistan 3 Russia 21 Syria 6 Turkey 16 UAE 11 UK 1 Ukraine 10 US 2) (2010)

Ports and terminals: Mayotte Mutsamudu


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Disputes international: claims French-administered Mayotte and challenges France's and Madagascar's claims to Banc du Geyser a drying reef in the Mozambique Channel; in May 2008 African Union forces are called in to assist the Comoros military recapture Anjouan Island from rebels who seized it in 2001

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs