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

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Background: The archipelago of the Comoros in the Indian Ocean composed of the islands of Mayotte Anjouan Moheli and Grand Comore declared independence from France on 6 July 1975. France did not recognize the independence of Mayotte which remains under French administration. Since independence Comoros has endured political instability through realized and attempted coups. In 1997 the islands of Anjouan and Moheli declared independence from Comoros. In 1999 military chief Col. AZALI Assoumani seized power of the entire government in a bloodless coup; he initiated the 2000 Fomboni Accords a power-sharing agreement in which the federal presidency rotates among the three islands and each island maintains its local government. AZALI won the 2002 federal presidential election as president from Grand Comore Island and each island in the archipelago elected its president. AZALI stepped down in 2006 and President SAMBI was elected to office as president from Anjouan. In 2007 Mohamed BACAR effected Anjouan's de-facto secession from the Union of Comoros refusing to step down 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 to Anjouan but in March 2008 the AU and Comoran soldiers seized the island. The island's inhabitants generally welcomed the move. In May 2011 Ikililou DHOININE won the presidency in peaceful elections widely deemed to be free and fair. Former President SAMBI’s supporters recently have attempted to remove the stipulation that the presidency rotate among the islands so that he can run again in the national elections which are expected in early 2016.


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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
Land: 2,235 km²
Water: 0 km²
Rank: 180
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: fish

Land use
Agricultural land: 84.4%
Forest: 1.4%
Other: 14.2%

Irrigated land: 1.3 km² NA (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 1.2 km³ (2011)

Natural hazards: cyclones possible during rainy season (December to April); volcanic activity on Grand Comore
Volcanism: Karthala 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: 780,971 (July 2015 est.)
Rank: 164
Growth rate: 1.77% (2015 est.)
Growth rate rank: 67
Below poverty line: 60% (2002 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Comoran
Adjective: Comoran

Ethnic groups: Antalote Cafre Makoa Oimatsaha Sakalava

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

Religions: Sunni Muslim 98% Roman Catholic 2%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 40.77%
15-24 years: 18.98%
25-54 years: 32.25%
55-64 years: 4.17%
65 years and over: 3.84% (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 75.6%
Youth dependency ratio: 70.7%
Elderly dependency ratio: 4.9%
Potential support ratio: 20.4%

Median age
Total: 19.4 years
Male: 18.7 years
Female: 20 years

Population growth rate: 1.77% (2015 est.)
Rank: 67

Birth rate: 27.84 births/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 45

Death rate: 7.57 deaths/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 111

Net migration rate: -2.53 migrant(s)/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 175

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 28.3% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 2.67% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: MORONI (capital) 56,000 (2014)

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
0-14 years: 0.99 male/female
15-24 years: 0.94 male/female
25-54 years: 0.9 male/female
55-64 years: 0.8 male/female
65 years and over: 0.88 male/female
Total population: 0.94 male/female

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 63.55 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 74.18 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 52.6 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 19

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 63.85 years
Male: 61.57 years
Female: 66.19 years
Rank: 182

Total fertility rate: 3.6 children born/woman (2015 est.)
Rank: 43

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 19.4% (2012)

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

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

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 5.8% (2014)
Rank: 164

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 16.9% (2012)
Rank: 39

Education expenditures: 7.6% of GDP (2008)
Rank: 15

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 77.8%
Male: 81.8%
Female: 73.7%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 11 years
Male: NA
Female: NA

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 ; Union des Comores (French); Jumhuriyat al Qamar al Muttahidah (Arabic)
Local short form: Komori ; Comores (French); Juzur al Qamar (Arabic)
Etymology: name derives from the Arabic designation 'Juzur al Qamar' meaning 'Islands of the Moon'

Government type: republic

Capital
Name: Moroni
Geographic coordinates: 11 42 S 43 14 E
Time difference: UTC+3

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

Dependent areas

Independence: 6 July 1975 (from France)

National holiday: Independence Day 6 July (1975)

Constitution: previous 1996; latest ratified 23 December 2001; amended 2009 2014 (2015)

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
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of the Comoros
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Ikililou DHOININE ; note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Ikililou DHOININE
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Electionsappointments: presidency rotates every 4 years among the elected presidents of the Union's 3 main islands; Union president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed
Election results: Ikililou DHOININE elected president; percent of vote in second round - Ikililou DHOININE 61.1% Mohamed Said FAZUL 32.7% Abdou DJABIR 6.2%

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral Assembly of the Union
Elections: last held on 25 January and 22 February 2015
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UPDC 8 PJ 7 RDC 2 CRC 2 RADHI 1 PEC 1 independents 3; note - in addition 9 seats will be filled by nominations from the 3 island assemblies

Judicial branch
Highest court: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme ; Constitutional Court (consists of 8 members)
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges - 2 selected by the president of the Union 2 by the Assembly of the Union and 1 each by the 3 island councils; judges appointed for life; Constitutional Court members appointed - 1 by the president 1 each by the 3 vice presidents 1 by the Assembly and 1 each by the island executives; all members serve 6-year renewable terms
Subordinate courts: Court of Appeals ; Tribunal de premiere instance; island village (community) courts; religious courts

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AMF AOSIS AU CAEU (candidates) COMESA FAO FZ G-77 IBRD ICAO ICCt ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO IMSO InOC Interpol IOC IOM ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) LAS MIGA 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 SOILIH
In the us chancery: Mission to the US 866 United Nations Plaza Suite 418 New York NY 10,017
In the us telephone: [1] 750-1637
In the us FAX: [1] 750-1657
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 Ndzuwani and Mahore (Mayotte - department 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 colors: green white

National anthem
Name: 'Udzima wa ya Masiwa'
Lyrics and music: 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 are hampered by 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. Currently authorities are negotiating with the IMF for triennial program assistance. Agriculture including fishing hunting and forestry accounts for 50% of 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 and extreme weather. Despite agriculture’s importance to the economy the country imports roughly 70% of its food; rice the main staple accounts for the bulk of imports. The government - which is racked by internal political disputes - is struggling to provide basic services upgrade education and technical training privatize commercial and industrial enterprises improve health services diversify exports promote tourism and reduce the high population growth rate. Recurring political instability sometimes initiated from outside the country has inhibited growth. Remittances from about 200,000 Comoran diaspora contribute about 25% of the country’s GDP. In December 2012 IMF and the World Bank's International Development Association supported $176 million in debt relief for Comoros resulting in a 59% reduction of its future external debt service over a period of 40 years. In late 2013 a US-based investment company invested $200 million in a project to explore for hydrocarbons in Comoran territorial waters the largest financial investment in the country’s history.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 201

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 150

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 217

Gross national saving:
Rank: 139

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 104.1%
Government consumption: 29.1%
Investment in fixed capital: -1.7%
Investment in inventories: 7.4%
Exports of goods and services: 17.5%
Imports of goods and services: -56.4%: (2014 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 49.5%
Industry: 12.5%
Services: 38%

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

Industries: fishing tourism perfume distillation

Industrial production growth rate: 3% (2014 est.)
Rank: 85

Labor force: 245,200 (2013 est.)
Rank: 168
By occupation agriculture: 80%
By occupation industry and services: 20%

Unemployment rate: 20% (1996 est.)
Rank: 167

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%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $164.8 million
Expenditures: $169.1 million
Surplus or deficit: -0.6% of GDP (2014 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 60

Taxes and other revenues: 23.6% of GDP (2014 est.)
Rank: 137

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 77

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 121

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 80

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 185

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 188

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 177

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance:
Rank: 79

Exports:
Rank: 211
Commodities: vanilla ylang-ylang (perfume essence) cloves
Partners: India 28.4% Singapore 13.2% France 13% Germany 12.9% Saudi Arabia 5.9% US 4.9% Netherlands 4.6% (2014)

Imports:
Rank: 206
Commodities: rice and other foodstuffs consumer goods petroleum products cement and construction materials transport equipment
Partners: China 14.6% Pakistan 13.9% France 13.6% Algeria 11.8% UAE 9.5% India 5.9% (2014)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external:
Rank: 191

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 43 million kWh (2012 est.)
Production rank: 210
Consumption: 39.99 million kWh (2012 est.)
Consumption rank: 210
Exports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 124
Imports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 134
Installed generating capacity: 22,000 kW (2012 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 203
Generation sources fossil fuels: 95.5% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 67
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 70
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 4.5% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 127
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 170

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 119
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 111
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 174
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2015 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 118

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Products production rank: 168
Products consumption: 1000 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products consumption rank: 202
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Products exports rank: 166
Products imports: 1009 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Products imports rank: 197

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Production rank: 172
Consumption: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Consumption rank: 131
Exports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 80
Imports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 180
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 125

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 157,400 Mt (2012 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 202

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 23,500
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3
Fixed lines rank: 178
Mobile cellular total: 383,000
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 50
Mobile cellular rank: 173

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 30 per 100 persons
International: country code - 269; landing point for the EASSy fiber-optic submarine cable system connecting East Africa with Europe and North America; 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
Users total: 50,200
Users percent of population: 6.6%
Users rank: 182

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for 2-year voluntary male and female military service; no conscription (2015)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 4 (2013)
Rank: 186
With paved runways total: 4
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 880 km
Paved: 673 km
Unpaved: 207 km
Rank: 187

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 149
By type: bulk carrier 16 cargo 83 carrier 5 chemical tanker 5 container 2 passenger 2 passenger/cargo 1 petroleum tanker 17 refrigerated cargo 10 roll on/roll off 8
Foreign owned: 73 (2010)
Rank: 39

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Moroni 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 assisted the Comoros military recapture Anjouan Island from rebels who seized it in 2001

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs