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

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Background: For centuries prior to colonization in the 19th century, the archipelago of the Comoros in the Indian Ocean, served as a key node in the maritime trade networks that connected the Middle East, India, and eastern African regions. Composed of the islands of Anjouan, Mayotte, Moheli, and Grande Comore, Comoros spent most of the 20th century as a colonial outpost until it declared independence from France on 6 July 1975. Residents of Mayotte, however, voted to remain in France, and the French Government now has classified it as a department of France. Since independence, Comoros has weathered approximately 20 realized and attempted coups resulting in prolonged political instability and stunted economic development. In 2002, President AZALI Assoumani became the first elected president following the completion of the Fomboni Accords, in which the islands of Grande Comore, Anjouan, and Moheli reached an agreement whereby the presidency would rotate among the islands every five years. This power-sharing agreement also included provisions allowing each island to maintain its local government. AZALI stepped down in 2006 and President Ahmed Abdallah Mohamed SAMBI was elected as president from Anjouan. In 2007, Mohamed BACAR effected Anjouan's de-facto secession from the Union of the 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. In closely contested elections in 2016, former President AZALI Assoumani won a second term, when the rotating presidency returned to Grande Comore. A referendum held in July 2018 - boycotted by the opposition parties - overwhelmingly approved a new constitution removing presidential term limits and the requirement for the presidency to rotate between the three main islands. In August 2018, President AZALI formed a new government and subsequently ran and was elected president in March 2019.


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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
Comparative: slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries
Total: 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
Highest point: Karthala 2,360 m
Lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m

Natural resources: fish

Land use
Agricultural land: 84.4% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 46.7% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 29.6% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 8.1% (2018 est.)
Forest: 1.4% (2018 est.)
Other: 14.2% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 1.3 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 4.8 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Industrial: 500,000 cubic meters (2017 est.)
Agricultural: 4.7 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 1.2 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Natural hazards: cyclones possible during rainy season (December to April); volcanic activity on Grand Comore

Geography
Note: important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel; the only Arab League country that lies entirely in the Southern Hemisphere


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Population
Distribution: the capital city of Maroni, located on the western side of the island of Grande Comore, is the country's largest city; however, of the three islands that comprise Comoros, it is Anjouan that is the most densely populated as shown in this [link]: 888,378 (2023 est.)
Growth rate: 1.34% (2023 est.)
Below poverty line: 42.4% (2013 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Comoran(s)
Adjective: Comoran

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

Languages: Arabic (official), French (official), Shikomoro (official; similar to Swahili) (Comorian)

Religions: Sunni Muslim 98%, other (including Shia Muslim, Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Protestant) 2%
Note: Sunni Islam is the state religion

Demographic profile: Comoros’ population is a melange of Arabs, Persians, Indonesians, Africans, and Indians, and the much smaller number of Europeans that settled on the islands between the 8th and 19th centuries, when they served as a regional trade hub. The Arab and Persian influence is most evident in the islands’ overwhelmingly Muslim majority - about 98% of Comorans are Sunni Muslims. The country is densely populated, averaging nearly 350 people per square mile, although this varies widely among the islands, with Anjouan being the most densely populated.

Age structure
0-14 years: 33.45% (male 148,485/female 148,651)
15-64 years: 62% (male 264,023/female 286,805)
65 years and over: 4.55% (2023 est.) (male 17,696/female 22,718)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 74.1
Youth dependency ratio: 66.6
Elderly dependency ratio: 7.5
Potential support ratio: 13.3 (2021 est.)

Median age
Total: 22.3 years (2023 est.)
Male: 21.6 years
Female: 22.9 years

Population growth rate: 1.34% (2023 est.)

Birth rate: 22.1 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate: 6.5 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution: the capital city of Maroni, located on the western side of the island of Grande Comore, is the country's largest city; however, of the three islands that comprise Comoros, it is Anjouan that is the most densely populated as shown in this [link]

Urbanization
Urban population: 30.1% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 2.97% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 62,000 MORONI (capital) (2018)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil degradation and erosion results from forest loss and from crop cultivation on slopes without proper terracing; marine biodiversity affected as soil erosion leads to the silting of coral reefs
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, 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
Particulate matter emissions: 14.37 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 0.2 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 0.19 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 23 years (2012 est.)
Note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

Maternal mortality ratio: 217 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 56 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
Male: 66 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 45.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 67.5 years (2023 est.)
Male: 65.2 years
Female: 69.9 years

Total fertility rate: 2.69 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 19.4% (2012)

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 97.4% of population
Improved rural: 88.5% of population
Improved total: 91% of population
Unimproved urban: 2.6% of population
Unimproved rural: 11.5% of population
Unimproved total: 8.9% of population (2017 est.)

Current health expenditure: 5.4% of GDP (2020)

Physicians density: 0.26 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban:
Unimproved urban:

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 7.8% (2016)

Alcohol consumption
Per capita total: 0.18 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 0.07 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 0.07 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use
Total: 20.3% (2020 est.)
Male: 29.5% (2020 est.)
Female: 11.1% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 2.6% of GDP (2015 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 62%
Male: 67%
Female: 56.9% (2021)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 11 years
Male: 11 years
Female: 11 years (2014)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 21.7% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 21.8%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 21.5%


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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)/Al Ittihad al Qumuri (Arabic)
Local short form: Komori (Comorian)/Les Comores (French)/Juzur al Qamar (Arabic)
Former: Comorian State, Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros
Etymology: name derives from the Arabic designation "Juzur al Qamar" meaning "Islands of the Moon"

Government type: federal presidential 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)
Etymology: Moroni derives from "mroni," which means "at the river" in Shingazidja, the Comorian language spoken on Grande Comore (N'gazidja)

Administrative divisions: 3 islands; Anjouan (Ndzuwani), Grande Comore (N'gazidja), Moheli (Mwali)

Dependent areas

Independence: 6 July 1975 (from France)

National holiday: Independence Day, 6 July (1975)

Constitution
History: previous 1996, 2001; newest adopted 30 July 2018
Amendments: proposed by the president of the union or supported by at least one third of the Assembly of the Union membership; adoption requires approval by at least three-quarters majority of the total Assembly membership or approval in a referendum
Note: a referendum held on 30 July 2018 - boycotted by the opposition - overwhelmingly approved a new constitution that allows for 2 consecutive 5-year presidential terms and revises the rotating presidency within the islands

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 AZALI Assoumani (since 26 May 2016); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President AZALI Assoumani (since 26 May 2016)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 24 March 2019 (next to be held in 2024)
Election results:

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral Assembly of the Union (33 seats; 24 members directly elected by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed and 9 members indirectly elected by the 3 island assemblies; members serve 5-year terms)
Elections: last held on 19 January 2020 with a runoff on 23 February 2020 (next to be held in 2025)
Election results:

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of 7 judges)
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges - selection and term of office NA
Subordinate courts:

Political parties and leaders:
Note: only parties with seats in the Assembly of the Union included (2020)

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 Issimail CHANFI (since 23 December 2020)
In the us chancery: Permanent Mission to the UN, 866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 495, New York, NY 10,017
In the us telephone: [1] (212) 750-1637
In the us FAX: [1] (212) 750-1657
In the us email address and website:
From the us embassy: the US does not have an embassy in Comoros; the US 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 vertical white crescent moon 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 five-pointed stars and crescent moon; national colors: green, white

National anthem
Name: "Udzima wa ya Masiwa" (The Union of the Great Islands)
Lyrics/music: Said Hachim SIDI ABDEREMANE/Said Hachim SIDI ABDEREMANE and Kamildine ABDALLAH
Note: adopted 1978

National heritage


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Economy overview: small trade-based island economy; declining remittances; new structural and fiscal reforms; adverse cyclone and COVID-19 impacts; manageable debts; fragile liquidity environment; large foreign direct investment; state-owned enterprises suffering

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 92.6% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 20.4% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 20% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: -3.1% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 17.2% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -47.1% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 47.7% (2017 est.)
Industry: 11.8% (2017 est.)
Services: 40.5% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: coconuts, cassava, rice, bananas, pulses nes, milk, taro, sweet potatoes, maize, cloves

Industries: fishing, tourism, perfume distillation

Industrial production growth rate: -0.25% (2021 est.)

Labor force: 219,900 (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate:

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 21.7% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 21.8%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 21.5%

Population below poverty line: 42.4% (2013 est.)

Gini index
Coefficient distribution of family income: 45.3 (2014 est.)

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

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $223 million (2018 est.)
Expenditures: $228 million (2018 est.)
Surplus  or deficit: -6.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 25.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Public debt:

Revenue
From forest resources: 1.39% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

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:
Note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.
Partners: France 32%, India 23%, Germany 10%, Turkey 9%, Madagascar 7% (2019)
Commodities: cloves, tug boats, essential oils, scrap vessels, vanilla (2021)

Imports:
Partners: China 22%, United Arab Emirates 16%, France 11%, Pakistan 9%, India 6% (2019)
Commodities: rice, chicken products, refined petroleum, cement, cars (2019)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

Debt external:

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access population without electricity: (2020) less than 1 million
Access electrification-total population: 87.9% (2021)
Access electrification-urban areas: 100% (2021)
Access electrification-rural areas: 82.8% (2021)
Installed generating capacity: 35,000 kW (2020 est.)
Consumption: 96.248 million kWh (2019 est.)
Exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 6.048 million kWh (2019 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources solar: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Coal
Production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 2,200 bbl/day (2019 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports: 1,241 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 326,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 326,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 5.346 million Btu/person (2019 est.)


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 7,370 (2022 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 853,449 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 104 (2021 est.)

Telephone system

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

Internet
Country code: .km
Users total: 221,400 (2021 est.)
Users percent of population: 27% (2021 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 1,066 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.1 (2020 est.)


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces: National Army for Development (l'Armee Nationale de Developpement, AND): Comoran Defense Force (Force Comorienne de Defense, FCD), includes Gendarmerie); Ministry of Interior: Coast Guard, Federal Police, National Directorate of Territorial Safety (2023)
Note 1: when the Gendarmerie serves as the judicial police, it reports to the Minister of Justice; the Gendarmerie also has an intervention platoon that may act under the authority of the interior minister
Note 2: the National Directorate of Territorial Safety oversees customs and immigration
Note 3: the FCD is also known as the Comoran Security Force

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for 2-year voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2021)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 2 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 9

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: D6

Airports: 4 (2021)
With paved runways: 4
With paved runways note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

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

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 248 (2022)
By type: bulk carrier 10, container ship 6, general cargo 108, oil tanker 38, other 86

Ports and terminals
Major seaports: Moroni, Moutsamoudou


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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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs