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Guide
Introduction
| |
| 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 the
2000 Fomboni Accord, a confederal arrangement that the Organization of
African Unity has yet to recognize. |
| Location: |
Southern Africa, group of
islands in the Mozambique Channel, about two-thirds of the way between
northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
12 10 S, 44 15 E |
| Area: |
total: 2,170 sq
km
land: 2,170 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly more than 12 times
the size of Washington, DC |
| 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
highest point: Le Kartala 2,360 m |
| Land
use: |
arable land: 35%
permanent crops: 10%
permanent pastures: 7%
forests and woodland: 18%
other: 30% (1993 est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
cyclones possible during
rainy season (December to April); Le Kartala on Grand Comore is an
active volcano |
| Environment
- current issues: |
soil degradation and erosion
results from crop cultivation on slopes without proper terracing;
deforestation |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography
- note: |
important location at
northern end of Mozambique Channel |
| Population: |
596,202 (July 2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
42.81% (male 127,955; female 127,267)
15-64 years: 54.26% (male 159,560; female 163,949)
65 years and over: 2.93% (male 8,326; female 9,145) (2001
est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
3.02% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
39.52 births/1,000 population
(2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
9.35 deaths/1,000 population
(2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
NEGL migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| 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: 0.91 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
84.07 deaths/1,000 live
births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population:
60.41 years
male: 58.2 years
female: 62.68 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
5.32 children born/woman
(2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.12% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
| 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), Comoran (a blend of Swahili and Arabic) |
| 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:
Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros
conventional short form: Comoros
local long form: Republique Federale Islamique des Comores
local short form: Comores |
| Government
type: |
independent republic |
| 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: |
20 October 1996 |
| 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 6 May 1999); note - the interim
government of President Tajiddine Ben Said MASSOUNDE, which had assumed
power on 6 November 1998 upon the death of President Mohamed TAKI
Abdulkarim, was overthrown in a bloodless coup on 30 April 1999
head of government: Prime Minister Hamada MADI (since late
November 2000)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a
five-year term; election last held 6 and 16 March 1996 (next to be held
NA); prime minister appointed by the president
note: President AZALI claimed a one-year term at the time
of the coup; but elections, promised for spring 2000, were not held
election results: results of the last presidential election
before the coup were: Mohamed TAKI Abdulkarim elected president; percent
of vote - 64.3% |
| Legislative
branch: |
bicameral legislature
consists of the Senate (15 seats: five from each island); members
selected by regional councils for six-year terms) and a Federal Assembly
or Assemblee Federale (43 seats; members elected by popular vote to
serve five-year terms); note - the Federal Assembly was dissolved
following the coup of 30 April 1999
elections: Federal Assembly - last held 1 and 8 December
1996 (next to be held NA)
election results: Federal Assembly - percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - RND 39, FNJ 3, independent 1
note: the constitution stipulates that only parties that
win six seats in the Federal Assembly (two from each island) are
permitted to be in opposition, but if no party accomplishes that, the
second most successful party will be in opposition; in the elections of
December 1996 the FNJ appeared to qualify as opposition |
| 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] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| 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, InOC, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber),
ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTrO
(applicant) |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Deputy Permanent Representative Mahmoud Mohamed ABOUD (acting)
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 10022
telephone: [1] (212) 972-8010
FAX: [1] (212) 983-4712 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
the US does not have an
embassy in Comoros; the ambassador to Mauritius is accredited to Comoros |
| Flag
description: |
green with a white crescent
in the center of the field, its points facing downward; there are four
white five-pointed stars placed in a line between the points of the
crescent; the crescent, stars, and color green are traditional symbols
of Islam; 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 design, the most
recent of several, is described in the constitution approved by
referendum on 7 June 1992 |
| 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, is
the leading sector of the economy. It 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.
Continued 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: |
purchasing power parity -
$419 million (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
0.5% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power parity -
$720 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture: 40%
industry: 4%
services: 56% (2000 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
3.5% (1999) |
| Labor
force: |
144,500 (1996 est.) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture 80% |
| Unemployment
rate: |
20% (1996 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues: $48
million
expenditures: $53 million, including capital expenditures
of $NA (1997) |
| Industries: |
tourism, perfume
distillation, textiles, furniture, jewelry, construction materials, soft
drinks |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
-2% (1999 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
17 million kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
88.24%
hydro: 11.76%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
15.8 million kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
vanilla, cloves, perfume
essences, copra, coconuts, bananas, cassava (tapioca) |
| Exports: |
$7.9 million (f.o.b., 1999
est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
vanilla, ylang-ylang, cloves,
perfume oil, copra |
| Exports
- partners: |
France 50%, Germany 25%
(1998) |
| Imports: |
$55.1 million (f.o.b., 1999
est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
rice and other foodstuffs,
consumer goods; petroleum products, cement, transport equipment |
| Imports
- partners: |
France 38%, Pakistan 13%,
South Africa 8%, Kenya 8% (1998) |
| Debt
- external: |
$197 million (1997 est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$28.1 million (1997) |
| Currency: |
Comoran franc (KMF) |
| Exchange
rates: |
Comoran francs per US dollar
- 524.41 (January 2001), 533.98 (2000), 461.77 (1999), 442.46 (1998),
437.75 (1997), 383.66 (1996)
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 |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
6,000 (1997) |
| Telephones
- 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 |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1
(1998) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
0 (1998) |
| Televisions: |
1,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.km |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
1 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
800 (2000) |
| Highways: |
total: 880 km
paved: 673 km
unpaved: 207 km (1996) |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Fomboni, Moroni, Moutsamoudou |
| Merchant
marine: |
total: 2 ships
(1,000 GRT or over) totaling 19,122 GRT/29,817 DWT
ships by type: cargo 2 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Comoran Security Force |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age 15-49:
141,120 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age 15-49:
83,920 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$NA |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
NA% |
| Disputes
- international: |
claims French-administered
Mayotte; the island of Anjouan (Nzwani) has moved to secede from Comoros |
|
