Comoros

independent republicIndependence 6 July 1975 (from France)

Comoros as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 64 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

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CapitalMoroni
Area2,170 km2
1991

Every edition of Comoros

Populationas each edition published it
476,678 people July 1991 · 460,188 in 1990
Population growth% a year
Not in this edition 3.54% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 18.6 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
Not in this edition 57.35 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
7 children per woman 1991 · 7 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
87 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 89 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
Not in this edition $540 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
Not in this edition 2.7% in 1993

Geography

11 fields
Total area
2,170km2
land area: 2,170 km2Comparative area: slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC

Coastline

340 km Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm

Disputes

claims French-administered Mayotte

Climate

tropical marine; rainy season (November to May)

Terrain

volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills

Land use

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

Environment

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

Note

important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel

People

14 fields
Population
476,678
(July 1991), growth rate 3.5% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth
47Death
12Net migration
0
Labor force
140,000
(1982); agriculture 80%, government 3%; 51% of population of working age (1985)
Literacy
48%
(male 56%, female 40%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)

Infant mortality rate

87 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Life expectancy at birth

54 years male, 59 years female (1991)

Total fertility rate

7.0 children born/woman (1991)

Nationality

noun--Comoran(s); adjective--Comoran

Ethnic divisions

Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava

Religion

Sunni Muslim 86%, Roman Catholic 14%

Language

Shaafi Islam (a Swahili dialect), Malagasy, French

Government

Independent republic

15 fields

Federal Assembly, 42 seats, elected 22 March 1987one dot, one seat

Udzima 42

Long-form name

Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros

Type

independent republic

Capital

Moroni

Administrative divisions

  • 3 islands;
  • Anjouan, Grande Comore, Moheli;
  • note--there may also be 4 municipalities named Domoni, Fomboni, Moroni, and Mutsamudu

Independence

6 July 1975 (from France)

Constitution

1 October 1978, amended October 1982 and January 1985

National holiday

Independence Day, 6 July (1975)

Executive branch

president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch

unicameral Federal Assembly (Assemblee Federale)

Judicial branch

  • Supreme Court (Cour Supreme) Chief of State and Head of Government--President Said Mohamed DJOHAR (since 11 March 1990) Comoran Union for Progress (Udzima), Said Mohamed DJOHAR, president;
  • National Union for Democracy (UNDC), Mohamed TAKI

Suffrage

  • universal at age 18 President--last held 11 March 1990 (next to be held March 1996);
  • results--Said Mohamed DJOHAR (Udzima) 55%;
  • Mohamed TAKI Abdulkarim (UNDC) 45%;
  • 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

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

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

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)

Economy

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.

16 fields
GDP, purchasing power parity
$245million
per capita $530; real growth rate 1.5% (1990 est.)
Unemployment rate
16%
over · (1988 est.)
External debt
$242million
(December 1990)

Budget

Revenues
$88 millionExpenditures
$92 million
expenditures, including capital expenditures of $13 million (1990 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 and forestry, is the leading sector of the economy. It contributes about 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 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.

Exports

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

Imports

  • $41 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
  • commodities--rice and other foodstuffs, cement, petroleum products, consumer goods;
  • partners--Europe 62% (France 22%, other 40%), Africa 5%, Pakistan, China (1988)

Industrial production

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

Electricity

16,000 kW capacity; 24 million kWh produced, 55 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

perfume distillation, textiles, furniture, jewelry, construction materials

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, 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

Economic aid

  • US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY80-89), $10 million;
  • Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $406 million;
  • OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $22 million;
  • Communist countries (1970-89), $18 million

Currency

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

Exchange rates

  • Comoran francs (CF) per US$1--256.54 (January 1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985);
  • note--linked to the French franc at 50 to 1 French franc

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

5 fields

Airports, 4 total, 4 usable

permanent-surface runways
4runways over 3,659 m
nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m
1runways 1,220-2,439 m
3

Highways

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

Ports

Mutsamudu, Moroni

Civil air

4 major transport aircraft

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;
  • stations--2 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV

Defense Forces

Comoran Defense Force (FCD), Federal Gendarmerie (GFC)

3 fields

Branches

Comoran Defense Force (FCD), Federal Gendarmerie (GFC)

Manpower availability

males 15-49, 101,332; 60,592 fit for military service

Defense expenditures

$NA, 3% of GDP (1981)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Comoros.” The World Factbook 1991. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/comoros/1991.

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