Comoros

Airports

total: 4 usable: 4 with permanent-surface runways: 4 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 3

Highways

total: 750 km paved: bituminous 210 km unpaved: crushed stone, gravel 540 km

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 Defense Force (FDC)

Defense expenditures

$NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 112,918; fit for military service 67,522

Agriculture

accounts for 40% of GDP; most of population works in subsistence agriculture and fishing; plantations produce cash crops for export - vanilla, cloves, perfume essences, 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: $96 million expenditures: $88 million, including capital expenditures of $33 million (1991 est.)

Currency

1 Comoran franc (CF) = 100 centimes

Economic aid

recipient: 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

capacity: 16,000 kW production: 25 million kWh consumption per capita: 50 kWh (1991)

Exchange rates

Comoran francs (CF) per US$1 - 444.03 (January 1994), 254.57 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989) note: beginning 12 January 1994, the Comoran franc was devalued to 75 per French franc from 50 per French franc at which it had been fixed since 1948

Exports

$21 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: vanilla, cloves, perfume oil, copra, ylang-ylang partners: US 53%, France 41%, Africa 4%, FRG 2% (1988)

External debt

$160 million (1992 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Imports

$60 million (f.o.b., 1992 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 -6.5% (1989 est.); accounts for 10% of GDP

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4% (1991 est.)

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $360 million (1993 est.)

National product per capita

$700 (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate

5% (1992 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 40% 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 1982-86 the industrial sector grew at an annual average rate of 5.3%, but its contribution to GDP is small. 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. Estimates for 1992 show a moderate increase in the growth rate based on increased exports, tourism, and government investment outlays.

Unemployment rate

over 15.9% (1989)

Area

total area: 2,170 sq km land area: 2,170 sq km comparative area: slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical marine; rainy season (November to May)

Coastline

340 km

Environment

current issues: soil degradation and erosion; deforestation natural hazards: cyclones possible during rainy season international agreements: signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea

International disputes

claims French-administered Mayotte

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

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

Location

Southeastern Africa, in the extreme northern Mozambique Channel, about two-thirds of the way between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique

Map references

Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

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

Administrative divisions

three islands; Grand Comore (Njazidja), Anjouan (Nzwani), and Moheli (Mwali) note: there are also four municipalities named Domoni, Fomboni, Moroni, and Mutsamudu

Capital

Moroni

Constitution

7 June 1992

Digraph

CN

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: 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

Executive branch

chief of state: : President Said Mohamed DJOHAR (since 11 March 1990); election last held 11 March 1990 (next to be held March 1996); results - Said Mohamed DJOHAR (UDZIMA) 55%, Mohamed TAKI Abdulkarim (UNDC) 45% head of government: : Prime Minister Mohamed Abdou MADI (since 6 January 1994) appointed by President DJOHAR 6 January 1994 (DJOHAR has appointed 14 prime ministers in the last three years) cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president

FAX

(212) 983-4712

Federal Assembly (Assemblee Federale)

elections last held 12-20 December 1993 (next to be held by NA January 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (42 total) Ruling Coalition: RDR 15, UNDC 5, MWANGAZA 2; Opposition: UDZIMA 8, other smaller parties 10; 2 seats remained unfilled note: opposition is boycotting the National Assembly until the government promises to investigate fraud in the last election

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

6 July 1975 (from France)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Legal system

French and Muslim law in a new consolidated code

Legislative branch

unicameral

Member of

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

Names

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 6 July (1975)

Political parties and leaders

over 20 political parties are currently active, the most important of which are; Comoran Union for Progress (UDZIMA), Omar TAMOU; Islands' Fraternity and Unity Party (CHUMA), Said Ali KEMAL; Comoran Party for Democracy and Progress (PCDP), Ali MROUDJAE; Realizing Freedom's Capability (UWEZO), Mouazair ABDALLAH; Democratic Front of the Comoros (FDR), Moustapha CHELKH; Dialogue Proposition Action (DPA/MWANGAZA), Said MCHAWGAMA; Rally for Change and Democracy (RACHADE), Hassan HACHIM; Union for Democracy and Decentralization (UNDC), Mohamed Taki Halidi IBRAHAM; Rally for Democracy and Renewal (RDR); Comoran Popular Front (FPC), Mohamed HASSANALI, Mohamed El Arif OUKACHA, Abdou MOUSTAKIM (Secretary General)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type

independent republic

US diplomatic representation

none; post closed in September 1993

Birth rate

46.48 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate

10.95 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava

Infant mortality rate

79.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Labor force

140,000 (1982) by occupation: agriculture 80%, government 3% note: 51% of population of working age (1985)

Languages

Arabic (official), French (official), Comoran (a blend of Swahili and Arabic)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 57.81 years male: 55.63 years female: 60.06 years (1994 est.)

Literacy

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

Nationality

noun: Comoran(s) adjective: Comoran

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Population

530,136 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

3.55% (1994 est.)

Religions

Sunni Muslim 86%, Roman Catholic 14%

Total fertility rate

6.79 children born/woman (1994 est.)