Comoros

Airports

4 total, 4 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air

1 major transport aircraft

Highways

750 km total; about 210 km bituminous, remainder crushed stone or gravel

Ports

Mutsamudu, Moroni

Telecommunications

sparse system of radio relay and high-frequency radio communication stations for interisland and external communications to Madagascar and Reunion; over 1,800 telephones; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 1 FM, no TV

Branches

Comoran Security Forces (FCS), Federal Gendarmerie (GFC)

Defense expenditures

$NA, NA of GDP

Manpower availability

males 15-49, 105,022; 62,808 fit for military service

Agriculture

accounts for 34% of GDP; most of population works in subsistence agriculture and fishing; plantations produce cash crops for export - vanilla, cloves, perfume essences, and copra; principal food crops - coconuts, bananas, cassava; world's leading producer of essence of ylang-ylang (for perfumes) and second-largest producer of vanilla; large net food importer

Budget

revenues $88 million; expenditures $92 million, including capital expenditures of $13 million (1990 est.)

Currency

Comoran franc (plural - francs); 1 Comoran franc (CF) = 100 centimes

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY80-89), $10 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $435 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $22 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $18 million

Electricity

16,000 kW capacity; 25 million kWh produced, 50 kWh per capita (1991)

Exchange rates

Comoran francs (CF) per US$1 - 269.01 (January 1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987); note - linked to the French franc at 50 to 1 French franc

Exports

$16 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.) commodities: vanilla, cloves, perfume oil, copra, ylang-ylang partners: US 53%, France 41%, Africa 4%, FRG 2% (1988)

External debt

$196 million (1991 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

exchange rate conversion - $260 million, per capita $540; real growth rate 2.7% (1991 est.)

Imports

$41 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.) commodities: rice and other foodstuffs, cement, petroleum products, consumer goods partners: Europe 62% (France 22%), Africa 5%, Pakistan, China (1988)

Industrial production

growth rate 3.4% (1988 est.); accounts for 5% of GDP

Industries

perfume distillation, textiles, furniture, jewelry, construction materials, soft drinks

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.0% (1991 est.)

Overview

One of the world's poorest countries, Comoros is made up of several islands that have poor transportation links, a young and rapidly increasing population, and few natural resources. The low educational level of the labor force contributes to a low 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 about 34% to GDP, employs 80% of the labor force, and provides most of the exports. The country is not self-sufficient in food production, and rice, the main staple, accounts for 90% of imports. During the period 1982-86 the industrial sector grew at an annual average rate of 5.3%, but its contribution to GDP was only 5% in 1988. Despite major investment in the tourist industry, which accounts for about 25% of GDP, growth has stagnated since 1983. A sluggish growth rate of 1.5% during 1985-90 has led to large budget deficits, declining incomes, and balance-of-payments difficulties. Preliminary estimates for 1991 show a moderate increase in the growth rate based on increased exports, tourism, and government investment outlays.

Unemployment rate

over 16% (1988 est.)

Climate

tropical marine; rainy season (November to May)

Coastline

340 km

Comparative area

slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC

Disputes

claims French-administered Mayotte

Environment

soil degradation and erosion; deforestation; cyclones possible during rainy season

Land area

2,170 km2

Land boundaries

none

Land use

arable land 35%; permanent crops 8%; meadows and pastures 7%; forest and woodland 16%; other 34%

Maritime claims

Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm Territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources

negligible

Note

important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel

Terrain

volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills

Total area

2,170 km2

Administrative divisions

three islands; Njazidja, Nzwani, and Mwali, formerly Grand Comore, Anjouan, and Moheli respectively; note - there are also four municipalities named Domoni, Fomboni, Moroni, and Mutsamudu

Capital

Moroni

Constitution

1 October 1978, amended October 1982 and January 1985

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Amini Ali MOUMIN; Chancery (temporary) at the Comoran Permanent Mission to the UN, 336 East 45th Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10017; telephone (212) 972-8010 US: Ambassador Kenneth N. PELTIER; Embassy at address NA, Moroni (mailing address B. P. 1318, Moroni); telephone 73-22-03, 73-29-22

Elections

Federal Assembly: last held 22 March 1987 (next to be held March 1992); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (42 total) Udzima 42 President: last held 11 March 1990 (next to be held March 1996); results - Said Mohamed DJOHAR (Udzima) 55%, Mohamed TAKI Abdulkarim (UNDC) 45%

Executive branch

president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Flag

green with a white crescent placed diagonally (closed side of the crescent points to the upper hoist-side corner of the flag); 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 (which is a territorial collectivity of France, but claimed by the Comoros)

Independence

31 December 1975 (from France)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Leaders

Chief of State and Head of Government: President Said Mohamed DJOHAR (since 11 March 1990); coordinator of National Unity Government (de facto prime minister) - Mohamed Taki ABDULKARIM (1 January 1992)

Legal system

French and Muslim law in a new consolidated code

Legislative branch

unicameral Federal Assembly (Assemblee Federale)

Long-form name

Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros

Member of

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, ILO, IMF, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO

National holiday

Independence Day, 6 July (1975)

Suffrage

universal at age 18

Type

independent republic

Birth rate

47 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate

12 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic divisions

Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava

Infant mortality rate

84 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force

140,000 (1982); agriculture 80%, government 3%; 51% of population of working age (1985)

Languages

official languages are Arabic and French but majority of population speak Comoran, a blend of Swahili and Arabic

Life expectancy at birth

55 years male, 59 years female (1992)

Literacy

48% (male 56%, female 40%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)

Nationality

noun - Comoran(s); adjective - Comoran

Net migration rate

0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor

NA

Population

493,853 (July 1992), growth rate 3.5% (1992)

Religions

Sunni Muslim 86%, Roman Catholic 14%

Total fertility rate

6.9 children born/woman (1992)