Comoros

Branches

Comoran Security Force

Defense expenditures

$NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability

males age 15-49: 121,854 males fit for military service: 72,873 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 1, shortwave 0

Radios

NA

Telephone system

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

Telephones

3,770 (1991 est.)

Television broadcast stations

0

Televisions

200 (1991 est.) Defense

Agriculture

vanilla, cloves, perfume essences, copra, coconuts, bananas, cassava (tapioca)

Budget

revenues: $83 million expenditures: $92 million, including capital expenditures of $32 million (1992)

Currency

1 Comoran franc (CF) = 100 centimes

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economic 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 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 90% 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, and to reduce the high population growth rate. Continued foreign support is essential if the goal of 4% annual GDP growth is to be reached in the late 1990s.

Electricity

capacity: 16,000 kW production: 17 million kWh consumption per capita: 27 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates

Comoran francs (CF) per US$1 - 375.42 (January 1996), 374.36 (1995), 416.40 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991) 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

$13.7 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: vanilla, ylang-ylang, cloves, perfume oil, copra partners: US 44%, France 40%, Germany 6%, Africa 5% (1992)

External debt

$160 million (1992 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $370 million (1994 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

GDP per capita

$700 (1994 est.)

GDP real growth rate

0.9% (1994 est.)

Imports

$40.9 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: rice and other foodstuffs, petroleum products, cement, consumer goods partners: France 34%, South Africa 14%, Kenya 8%, Japan 4% (1992)

Industrial production growth rate

-6.5% (1989 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

15% (1993 est.)

Labor force

140,000 (1982) by occupation: agriculture 80%, government 3%

Unemployment rate

15.8% (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 results from crop cultivation on slopes without proper terracing; deforestation natural hazards: cyclones and tsunamis possible during rainy season (December to April); Mount Kartala on Grand Comore is an active volcano international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Desertification

Geographic coordinates

12 10 S, 44 15 E

Geographic note

important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel

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

Southern Africa, group of islands in the Mozambique Channel, about two-thirds of the way between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources

negligible

Terrain

volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Kartala 2,360 m

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

Data code

CN

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamed Ahamada DJIMBANAOU (ambassador to the US and Canada) chancery: (temporary) care of the Permanent Mission of the Federal and Islamic Republic of the Comoros to the United Nations, 336 East 45th Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 972-8010

Executive branch

chief of state: President Mohamed TAKI Abdulkarim (since 16 March 1996) was elected by popular vote; election last held 16 March 1996 (next to be held March 2001) head of government: Prime Minister MASSOUNDI Tadjidine Ben Said (since March 1996) was appointed by the president cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president

FAX

[1] (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; two seats remained unfilled

Flag

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

Independence

6 July 1975 (from France)

International organization participation

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

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Cour Supreme), two members are appointed by the president, two members are elected by the Federal Assembly, one by the Council of each island, plus all the former presidents of the republic

Legal system

French and Muslim law in a new consolidated code

Legislative branch

unicameral

Name of country

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

Islands' Fraternity and Unity Party (CHUMA), Said Ali KEMAL; over 20 political parties are currently active, the most important of which are Comoran Union for Progress (UDZIMA), Omar TAMOU; 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 of government

independent republic

US diplomatic representation

the US does not have an embassy in Comoros; the ambassador to Mauritius is accredited to Comoros

Age structure

0-14 years: 48% (male 137,235; female 136,207) 15-64 years: 49% (male 138,447; female 142,058) 65 years and over: 3% (male 7,242; female 8,048) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

45.82 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

10.28 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava

Infant mortality rate

75.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 58.7 years male: 56.43 years female: 61.05 years (1996 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.) total population: 57.3% male: 64.2% female: 50.4%

Nationality

noun: Comoran(s) adjective: Comoran

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

569,237 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

3.55% (1996 est.)

Religions

Sunni Muslim 86%, Roman Catholic 14%

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female all ages: 0.99 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate

6.65 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Airports

total: 4 with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 1 with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 3 (1995 est.)

Highways

total: 1,104 km paved: 400 km unpaved: 704 km (1988 est.)

Merchant marine

none

Ports

Fomboni, Moroni, Mutsamudu

Railways

0 km