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Background:
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 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 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 was sworn in on 26 May 2002. |
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Location:
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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 |
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Map references:
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Africa |
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Area:
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total:
2,170 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 2,170 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly more
than 12 times the size of Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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340 km |
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Climate:
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tropical marine;
rainy season (November to May) |
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Terrain:
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volcanic islands,
interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Le Kartala 2,360 m |
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Natural resources:
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NEGL |
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Land use:
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arable land:
34.98%
permanent crops: 17.94%
other: 47.08% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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NA sq km |
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Natural hazards:
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cyclones possible
during rainy season (December to April); Le Kartala on Grand
Comore is an active volcano |
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Environment - current issues:
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soil degradation
and erosion results from crop cultivation on slopes without
proper terracing; deforestation |
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Environment - international agreements:
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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 |
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Geography - note:
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important
location at northern end of Mozambique Channel |
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Population:
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651,901 (July
2004 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years:
42.8% (male 140,083; female 139,245)
15-64 years: 54.2% (male 174,216; female 179,050)
65 years and over: 3% (male 9,136; female 10,171) (2004
est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
18.6 years
male: 18.3 years
female: 18.9 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.94% (2004 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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38 births/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
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8.63 deaths/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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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: 0.9 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
77.22 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 68.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 85.9 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 61.57 years
male: 59.29 years
female: 63.91 years (2004 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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5.15 children
born/woman (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.12% (2001 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Comoran(s)
adjective: Comoran |
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Ethnic groups:
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Antalote, Cafre,
Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava |
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Religions:
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Sunni Muslim
98%, Roman Catholic 2% |
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Languages:
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Arabic
(official), French (official), Shikomoro (a blend of Swahili
and Arabic) |
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Literacy:
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definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 56.5%
male: 63.6%
female: 49.3% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: Union of the Comoros
conventional short form: Comoros
local short form: Comores
local long form: Union des Comores |
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Government type:
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independent
republic |
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Capital:
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Moroni |
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Administrative divisions:
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3 islands; Grande
Comore (Njazidja), Anjouan (Nzwani), and Moheli (Mwali); note
- there are also four municipalities named Domoni, Fomboni,
Moroni, and Moutsamoudou |
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Independence:
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6 July 1975 (from
France) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day,
6 July (1975) |
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Constitution:
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23 December 2001
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 |
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Legal system:
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French and Sharia
(Islamic) law in a new consolidated code |
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Executive branch:
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chief of
state: President AZALI Assoumani (since 26 May 2002); note
- following a 1999 coup AZALI was appointed president; in
January 2002 he resigned his position to run in the 14 April
2002 presidential elections; Prime Minister Hamada Madi BOLERO
was appointed interim president until replaced again by AZALI
in May 2002 when BOLERO was appointed Minister of External
Defense and Territorial Security; the president is both the
chief of state and the head of government
election results: President AZALI Assoumani elected
president with 75% of the vote
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 April 2002 (next to be held NA April 2007); prime
minister appointed by the president; note - AZALI has not
appointed a Prime Minister since he was sworn into office in
May 2002
head of government: President AZALI Assoumani (since 26
May 2002); note - following a 1999 coup AZALI was appointed
president; in January 2002 he resigned his position to run in
the 14 April 2002 presidential elections; Prime Minister
Hamada Madi BOLERO was appointed interim president until
replaced again by AZALI in May 2002 when BOLERO was appointed
Minister of External Defense and Territorial Security; the
president is both the chief of state and the head of
government
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the
president |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral
Assembly of the Union (30 seats; half the deputies are
selected by the individual islands' local assemblies and the
other half by universal suffrage; deputies serve for five
years); note - elections for the former legislature, the
Federal Assembly (dissolved in 1999) were held on 1 and 8
December 1996; the next elections for the Assembly of the
Union were scheduled to be held on 18 and 25 April 2004 |
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Judicial branch:
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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) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Forces pour
l'Action Republicaine or FAR [Col. Abdourazak ABDULHAMID];
Forum pour la Redressement National or FRN (alliance of 12
parties); Front Democratique or FD [Moustoifa Said CHEIKH];
Front National pour la Justice or FNJ (Islamic party in
opposition) [Ahmed RACHID]; Movement des Citoyens pour la
Republique or MCR [Mahamoud MRADABI]; Mouvement Populaire
Anjouanais or MPA (Anjouan separatist movement) [leader NA];
Mouvement pour la Democratie et le Progress or MDP-NGDC [Abbas
DJOUSSOUF]; Movement pour le Socialisme et la Democratie or
MSD (splinter group of FD) [Abdou SOEFOU]; Parti Comorien pour
la Democratie et le Progress or PCDP [Ali MROUDJAE];
Rassemblement National pour le Development or RND (party of
the government) [Omar TAMOU, Abdoulhamid AFFRAITANE] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Mahmoud M. ABOUD (ambassador to the US
and Canada and permanent representative to the UN)
chancery: (temporary) care of the Permanent Mission of
the Union of the Comoros to the United Nations, 420 East 50th
Street, New York, NY 10022
telephone: [1] (212) 972-8010 and 223-2711
FAX: [1] (212) 983-4712 and 715-0699 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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the US does not
have an embassy in Comoros; the ambassador to Mauritius is
accredited to Comoros |
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Economy - overview:
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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 - which is
hampered by internal political disputes - 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. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power
parity - $441 million (2002 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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2% (2002 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power
parity - $700 (2002 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
40%
industry: 4%
services: 56% (2001 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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60% (2002 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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3.5% (2001 est.) |
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Labor force:
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144,500 (1996
est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 80% |
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Unemployment rate:
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20% (1996 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$27.6 million
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of
$NA (2001 est.) |
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Industries:
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tourism, perfume
distillation |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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-2% (1999 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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21.27 million kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel:
90.6%
hydro: 9.4%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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19.78 million kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2001) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day (2001
est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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700 bbl/day (2001
est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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vanilla, cloves,
perfume essences, copra, coconuts, bananas, cassava (tapioca) |
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Exports:
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$28 million
f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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vanilla,
ylang-ylang, cloves, perfume oil, copra |
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Exports - partners:
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France 31%,
Germany 17.2%, US 17.2%, Singapore 10.3%, Netherlands 6.9%
(2002) |
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Imports:
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$88 million
f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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rice and other
foodstuffs, consumer goods; petroleum products, cement,
transport equipment |
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Imports - partners:
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France 34.1%,
South Africa 11.4%, Japan 5.7%, Kenya 5.7%, UAE 5.7%,
Mauritius 4.5%, Thailand 4.5% (2002) |
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Debt - external:
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$232 million
(2000 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$10 million (2001
est.) |
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Currency:
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Comoran franc (KMF) |
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Currency code:
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KMF |
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Exchange rates:
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Comoran francs (KMF)
per US dollar - 435.9 (2003), 522.74 (2002), 549.78 (2001),
533.98 (2000), 461.78 (1999)
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 |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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10,300 (2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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NA |
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Telephone system:
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general
assessment: sparse system of microwave radio 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 |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 1, FM 4,
shortwave 1 (2001) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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NA |
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Internet country code:
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.km |
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Internet hosts:
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12 (2002) |
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Internet users:
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3,200 (2002) |
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Railways:
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0 km |
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Highways:
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total: 880
km
paved: 673 km
unpaved: 207 km (1999 est) |
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Waterways:
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none |
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Ports and harbors:
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Fomboni, Moroni,
Moutsamoudou |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 62
ships (1,000 GRT or over) 452,801 GRT/681,343 DWT
by type: bulk 9, cargo 31, chemical tanker 1,
combination bulk 1, livestock carrier 1, passenger 4,
petroleum tanker 5, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 1,
short-sea/passenger 2, specialized tanker 4
foreign-owned: Bahamas 1, Bulgaria 1, Cyprus 1, Greece
7, Honduras 1, India 1, Kenya 1, Lebanon 7, Liberia 1,
Marshall Islands 3, Pakistan 4, Panama 2, Russia 1, Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Saudi Arabia 2, Syria 4, Turkey
21, United Kingdom 1, United States 1, Yemen 2 (2003 est.) |
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Airports:
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4 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2003 est.) |
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Military branches:
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Comoran Security
Force |
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Military manpower - availability:
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males age
15-49: 154,843 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males age
15-49: 91,825 (2004 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$6 million (2003) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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3% (2003) |
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Disputes - international:
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claims
French-administered Mayotte |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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