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Comoros - General Country Information

Introduction
Geography
People
Government
Economy
Communications
Transportation
Military
Transnational Issues

Introduction

General Information: Comoros

The capital of Comoros is Moroni.

Major cities of Comoros are:
Moroni.

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
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
Land Boundaries:	0 km
Coastline:	340 km
Maritime Claims:	territorial sea: 12 nm 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 Extremes:	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Le Kartala 2,360 m
Natural Resources:	NEGL
Land Use:	arable land: 35.87% permanent crops: 23.32% other: 40.81% (2001)
Irrigated Land:	NA sq km
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
Note:	important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel

People

Population:	651,901 (July 2004 est.)
Age Structure:	total: 18.6 years male: 18.3 years female: 18.9 years (2004 est.)
Population Growth Rate:	2.94% (2004 est.)
Birth Rate:	38 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death Rate:	8.63 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Migration Rate:	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 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: 0.9 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate:	total: 77.22 deaths/1,000 live births male: 85.9 deaths/1,000 live births female: 68.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Expectancy Birth:	total population: 61.57 years male: 59.29 years female: 63.91 years (2004 est.)
Fertility Rate:	5.15 children born/woman (2004 est.)
HIV Adult Prevalence Rate:	0.12% (2001 est.)
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.)

Gouvernment

Country Name:	conventional long form: Union of the Comoros conventional short form: Comoros local long form: Union 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:	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
Legal System:	French and Sharia (Islamic) 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 - 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 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 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 election results: President AZALI Assoumani elected president with 75% of the vote
Legislative Branch:	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
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 Leaders:	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]
International Organization Participation:	ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AMF, AU, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (observer), ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic in US:	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
Diplomatic from 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

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 - 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.
GDP:	purchasing power parity - $441 million (2002 est.)
GDP Growth Rate:	2% (2002 est.)
GDP Capital:	purchasing power parity - $700 (2002 est.)
GDP Composition:	agriculture: 40% industry: 4% services: 56% (2001 est.)
Population Below Poverty Line:	60% (2002 est.)
Household Income:	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA
Inflation Rate:	3.5% (2001 est.)
Labor Force:	144,500 (1996 est.)
Labor Force Occupation:	agriculture 80%
Unemployment Rate:	20% (1996 est.)
Budget:	revenues: $27.6 million expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA (2001 est.)
Agriculture Products:	vanilla, cloves, perfume essences, copra, coconuts, bananas, cassava (tapioca)
Industries:	tourism, perfume distillation
Industry Production Growth Rate:	-2% (1999 est.)
Electricity Production:	21.27 million kWh (2001)
Electricity Consumption:	19.78 million kWh (2001)
Electricity Exports:	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity Imports:	0 kWh (2001)
Oil Production:	0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil Consumption:	700 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil Exports:	NA (2001)
Oil Imports:	NA (2001)
Exports:	$28 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports Commodities:	vanilla, ylang-ylang, cloves, perfume oil, copra
Exports Partners:	France 46.9%, Germany 18.8%, US 12.5% (2003)
Imports:	$88 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports Commodities:	rice and other foodstuffs, consumer goods; petroleum products, cement, transport equipment
Imports Partners:	France 31.6%, Japan 13.7%, South Africa 10.3%, Kenya 5.1%, UAE 5.1%, Thailand 4.3% (2003)
Debt External:	$232 million (2000 est.)
Currency:	Comoran franc (KMF)
Currency Code:	KMF
Exchange Rates:	Comoran francs (KMF) per US dollar - 435.9 (2003), 522.741 (2002), 549.779 (2001), 533.982 (2000), 461.775 (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
Fiscal Year:	calendar year

Communications

Telephones Lines Use:	13,200 (2003)
Mobile Cellular:	2,000 (2003)
Telephone System:	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
Radio Stations:	AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001)
Internet Code:	.km
Internet Hosts:	11 (2003)
Internet Users:	5,000 (2003)

Transportation

Highways:	total: 880 km paved: 673 km unpaved: 207 km (1999 est)
Waterways:	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
Ports Harbors:	Fomboni, Moroni, Moutsamoudou
Merchant Marine:	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 (2004 est.)
Airports:	4 (2003 est.)
Airports Paved Runways:	total: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2004 est.)

Military

Military Branches:	Comoran Security Force
Military Availability:	males age 15-49: 154,843 (2004 est.)
Fit Military Service:	males age 15-49: 91,825 (2004 est.)
Military Expenditures Dollar Figure:	$6 million (2003)
Military Expenditures Percent GDP:	3% (2003)