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 a confederal arrangement named the 2000 Fomboni Accord. In December 2001 voters approved a new constitution and presidential elections took place in the spring of 2002.

Geographic coordinates: 12 10 S 44 15 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 2,170 km²
Water: 0 km²
Land: 2,170 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: Le Kartala 2,360 m

Natural resources: NEGL

Land use
Arable land: 34.98%
Permanent crops: 17.94%
Other: 47.08% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: NA km²

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

Geography
Note: important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel

Population: 614,382 (July 2002 est.)
Growth rate: 2.99% (2002 est.)
Below poverty line: 60% (2001 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%

Age structure
0-14 years: 42.9% (male 132,013; female 131,282)
15-64 years: 54.2% (male 164,245; female 168,793)
65 years and over: 2.9% (male 8,588; female 9,461) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.99% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 39.01 births/1000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 9.1 deaths/1000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: NEGL migrant(s)/1000 population (2002 est.)

Environment
Current issues: soil degradation and erosion results from crop cultivation on slopes without proper terracing; deforestation
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, 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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male/female
Total population: 0.99 male/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 81.79 deaths/1000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 60.79 years
Female: 63.09 years (2002 est.)
Male: 58.56 years

Total fertility rate: 5.26 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.12% (1999 est.)
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

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

Country name
Conventional long form: Union of the Comoros
Conventional short form: Comoros
Local short form: Comores
Local long form: Union des 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
Note: a Transitional National Unity Government (GUNT) was formed on 20 January 2002 following the passing of the new constitution; the GUNT governed until the presidential elections on 14 April 2002

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 26 May 2002); note - AZALI Assoumani became president on 6 May 1999 after a bloodless coup on 30 April 1999; on 16 January 2002, President AZALI resigned his position to run in the 14 April 2002 presidential elections; during that time, Prime Minister Hamada Madi BOLERO served as interim president; AZALI Assoumani sworn in as president on 26 May 2002
Election results: President AZALI Assoumani elected president with 75% of the vote
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 14 April 2002 (next to be held NA April 2007); prime minister appointed by the president
Head of government: Prime Minister Hamada Madi BOLERO (since NA November 2000); note - on 16 January 2002, President AZALI resigned his position to run in the 14 April 2002 presidential elections; Prime Minister Hamada Madi BOLERO was appointed interim president and Djaffar SALIM interim deputy prime minister
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president

Legislative branch
Elections: Federal Assembly - last held 1 and 8 December 1996 (next to be held NA April 2003)
Note: the constitution stipulates that only parties that win six seats in the Federal Assembly (two from each island) are permitted to be in the opposition, but if no party accomplishes that, the second most successful party will be in the opposition; in the elections of December 1996 the FNJ appeared to qualify as opposition
Election results: Federal Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RND 39, FNJ 3, independent 1

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]

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 IMO InOC Interpol IOC ISO (subscriber) ITU NAM OAU OIC OPCW (signatory) UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WHO WMO WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador-designate Ahmed DJABIR (ambassador to the US and Canada and permanent representative to the UN)
In the us telephone: [1] (212) 972-8,010 and 223-2,711
In the us fax: [1] (212) 983-4,712 and 715-0699
In the us 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 10,022
From the us: the US does not have an embassy in Comoros; the ambassador to Mauritius 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 Njazidja Nzwani and Mayotte (a territorial collectivity of France but claimed by Comoros); the crescent stars and color green are traditional symbols of Islam

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. 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. Increased 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.

Real gdp growth rate: 1% (2001 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $710 (2001 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 40%
Industry: 4%
Services: 56% (2001 est.)

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

Industries: tourism perfume distillation

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

Labor force: 144,500 (1996 est.)
By occupation: agriculture 80%

Unemployment rate: 20% (1996 est.)

Population below poverty line: 60% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Budget
Revenues: $27.6 million
Expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3.5% (2001 est.)

Exports: $35.3 million f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Commodities: vanilla ylang-ylang cloves perfume oil copra
Partners: France 46% US 18% Singapore 18% Germany 9% (1999)

Imports: $44.9 million f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Commodities: rice and other foodstuffs consumer goods; petroleum products cement transport equipment
Partners: France 34% South Africa 14% Kenya 7% Pakistan 4% (1999)

Debt external: $225 million

Exchange rates
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

Electricity
Production: 19 million kWh (2000)
Production by source fossil fuel: 89%
Production by source hydro: 11%
Production by source other: 0% (2000)
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Consumption: 17.67 million kWh (2000)
Exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Imports: 0 kWh (2000)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 7,000 (2000)
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

Internet
Country code: .km
Service providers isps: 1 (2000)
Users: 2,500 (2002)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $6 million (FY01)
Percent of gdp: 3% (FY01)

Airports: 4 (2001)
With paved runways total: 4
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3 (2002)

Railways: 0 km

Waterways: none

Merchant marine
Total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 139,779 GRT/205,369 DWT
Ships by type: cargo 6
Note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Malta 1, Pakistan 1, Turkey 1 (2002 est.)

Disputes international: claims French-administered Mayotte; the island of Anjouan (Nzwani) has moved to secede from Comoros again after recent military coup