Comoros

§1. Comoros 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.

§2. Comoros Geography

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

Map references:
  Africa

Area:
  total: 2,170 kmē
  land: 2,170 kmē
  water: 0 kmē

Area - 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 highest point: Le Kartala 2,360 m

Natural resources:
  NEGL

Land use:
  arable land: 35%
  permanent crops: 10%
  permanent pastures: 7%
  forests and woodland: 18%
  other: 30% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land:
  NA kmē

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

§3. Comoros People

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  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.)

§4. Comoros Government

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

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:
  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

§5. Comoros Economy

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)

Currency code:
  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

§6. Comoros Communications

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)

Radios:
  90,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
  0 (1998)

Televisions:
  1,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
  .km

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
  1 (2000)

Internet users:
  800 (2000)

§7. Comoros Transportation

Railways:
  0 km

Highways:
  total: 880 km
  paved: 673 km
  unpaved: 207 km (1996)

Waterways:
  none

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:
  4 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2000 est.)

§8. Comoros Military

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%

§9. Comoros Transnational Issues

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