from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Comoros
Introduction
Background: Comoros has endured 19 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. He 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. Each island in the archipelago
elected its own president and a new union president
took office in May 2002.
Geography
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 12 10 S, 44 15 E
coordinates:
Map Africa
references:
Area: total: 2,170 sq km
land: 2,170 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC
comparative:
Land 0 km
boundaries:
Coastline: 340 km
Maritime territorial sea: 12 nm
claims: 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 lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
extremes: highest point: Le Kartala 2,360 m
Natural NEGL
resources:
Land use: arable land: 35.87%
permanent crops: 23.32%
other: 40.81% (2005)
Irrigated NA
land:
Natural cyclones possible during rainy season (December to
hazards: April); Le Kartala on Grand Comore is an active volcano
Environment - soil degradation and erosion results from crop
current cultivation on slopes without proper terracing;
issues: deforestation
Environment - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change,
international Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
agreements: Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements
Geography - important location at northern end of Mozambique
note: Channel
People
Population: 690,948 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 42.7% (male 148,009/female 147,038)
15-64 years: 54.3% (male 185,107/female 190,139)
65 years and over: 3% (male 9,672/female 10,983) (2006
est.)
Median age: total: 18.6 years
male: 18.4 years
female: 18.9 years (2006 est.)
Population 2.87% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 36.93 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 8.2 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 72.85 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 81.27 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 64.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 62.33 years
expectancy at male: 60 years
birth: female: 64.72 years (2006 est.)
Total 5.03 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 0.12% (2001 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - NA
deaths:
Nationality: noun: Comoran(s)
adjective: Comoran
Ethnic groups: Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava
Religions: Sunni Muslim 98%, Roman Catholic 2%
Languages: Arabic (official), French (official), Shikomoro (a
blend of Swahili and Arabic)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 56.5%
male: 63.6%
female: 49.3% (2003 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Union of the Comoros
conventional short form: Comoros
local long form: Union des Comores
local short form: Comores
Government republic
type:
Capital: name: Moroni
geographic coordinates: 11 41 S, 43 16 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC
during Standard Time)
Administrative 3 islands and 4 municipalities*; Grande Comore
divisions: (Njazidja), Anjouan (Nzwani), Domoni*, Fomboni*, Moheli
(Mwali), Moroni*, Moutsamoudou*
Independence: 6 July 1975 (from France)
National Independence Day, 6 July (1975)
holiday:
Constitution: 23 December 2001
Legal system: French and Sharia (Islamic) law in a new consolidated
code
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive chief of state: President Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI (since
branch: 26 May 2006);
head of government: President Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI
(since 26 May 2006);
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 14 May 2006 (next to be held by May
2010); prime minister appointed by the president; note
- the post of Prime Minister has been vacant since May
2002
election results: Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI elected
president; percent of vote - Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI
58.0%, Ibrahim HALIDI 28.3%, Mohamed DJAANFAMI 13.7%
Legislative unicameral Assembly of the Union (33 seats; 15 deputies
branch: are selected by the individual islands' local
assemblies and the 18 by universal suffrage; deputies
serve for five years);
elections: last held 18 and 25 April 2004 (next to be
held in 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats
by party - CdIA 12, CRC 6; note - 15 additional seats
are filled by deputies from local island assemblies
Judicial Supreme Court or Cour Supremes (two members appointed
branch: 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 Convention for the Renewal of the Comoros [AZALI
parties and Assowmani]; Camp of the Autonomous Islands (a coalition
leaders: of parties organized by the island Presidents in
opposition to the Union President); 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]
Political NA
pressure
groups and
leaders:
International ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AMF, AU, COMESA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD,
organization ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
participation: IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW
(signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO,
WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic chief of mission: Representative to the US and
representation Ambassador to the UN Mahmoud M. ABOUD
in the US: chancery: Mission to the US, 336 East 45th Street (2nd
floor), New York, NY 10017
telephone: [1] (212) 750-1637
Diplomatic the US does not have an embassy in Comoros; the
representation ambassador to Madagascar is accredited to Comoros
from the US:
Flag four equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), white,
description: 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
Economy - One of the world's poorest countries, Comoros is made
overview: 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 - which is hampered by internal political
disputes - 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. 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.
GDP $441 million (2002 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $402 million (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 3% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $600 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 40%
composition by industry: 4%
sector: services: 56% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 144,500 (1996 est.)
Labor force - agriculture: 80%
by occupation: industry and services: 20%
Unemployment 20% (1996 est.)
rate:
Population 60% (2002 est.)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: NA%
income or highest 10%: NA%
consumption by
percentage
share:
Inflation rate 3% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Budget: revenues: $27.6 million
expenditures: $NA (2001 est.)
Agriculture - vanilla, cloves, perfume essences, copra, coconuts,
products: bananas, cassava (tapioca)
Industries: tourism, perfume distillation
Industrial -2% (1999 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 18 million kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 90.6%
production by hydro: 9.4%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 16.74 million kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 0 bbl/day (2003)
production:
Oil - 700 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Current $-17 million (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $34 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - vanilla, ylang-ylang (perfume essence), cloves, copra
commodities:
Exports - France 27.7%, Singapore 16.8%, Japan 15.1%, Germany
partners: 13.7%, US 5.8%, Netherlands 5.1% (2005)
Imports: $115 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - rice and other foodstuffs, consumer goods, petroleum
commodities: products, cement, transport equipment
Imports - France 20.5%, South Africa 11.7%, UAE 9.1%, Kenya 8%,
partners: Pakistan 5%, Mauritius 4.4%, Belgium 4.3%, India 4.1%
(2005)
Debt - $232 million (2000 est.)
external:
Economic aid - $24 million (2003 est.)
recipient:
Currency Comoran franc (KMF)
(code):
Currency code: KMF
Exchange Comoran francs (KMF) per US dollar - 395.6 (2005),
rates: 396.21 (2004), 435.9 (2003), 522.74 (2002), 549.78
(2001)
note: the Comoran franc is pegged to the euro at a rate
of 491.9677 Comoran francs per euro
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 16,900 (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 16,100 (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: sparse system of microwave radio
system: relay and HF radiotelephone communication stations
domestic: HF radiotelephone communications and
microwave radio relay
international: country code - 269; HF radiotelephone
communications to Madagascar and Reunion
Radio AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 90,000 (1997)
Television NA
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 1,000 (1997)
Internet .km
country code:
Internet 5 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 1 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 20,000 (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 4 (2006)
Airports - total: 4
with paved 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
runways: 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006)
Roadways: total: 880 km
paved: 673 km
unpaved: 207 km (1999)
Merchant total: 121 ships (1000 GRT or over) 564,882 GRT/801,238
marine: DWT
by type: bulk carrier 10, cargo 85, chemical tanker 1,
container 1, livestock carrier 1, passenger 2,
passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 9, refrigerated
cargo 5, roll on/roll off 5, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: 72 (Bangladesh 1, Bulgaria 1, Greece 10,
India 1, Kenya 1, Kuwait 1, Lebanon 6, Nigeria 2,
Norway 1, Pakistan 2, Philippines 1, Russia 4, Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Saudi Arabia 3, Syria 4,
Turkey 11, UAE 6, Ukraine 14, US 2) (2006)
Ports and Mayotte, Moutsamoudou
terminals:
Military
Military Comoran Defense Force: Comoran Security Force (includes
branches: Gendarmerie and Army), Comoran Federal Police (2006)
Manpower males age 18-49: 138,940
available for females age 18-49: 139,491 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 98,792
for military females age 18-49: 106,415 (2005 est.)
service:
Military $12.87 million (2005 est.)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 3% (2005 est.)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - claims French-administered Mayotte
international: