Comoros
Union of the ComorosUnion des Comores
independent republicIndependence 6 July 1975 (from France)
Comoros as the 2003 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 113 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Unstable Comoros has endured 19 coups or attempted coups since gaining independence from France in 1975. In 1997, the islands of Anjouan and Moheli declared their independence from Comoros. In 1999, military chief Col. AZALI seized power. He pledged to resolve the secessionist crisis through a confederal arrangement named the 2000 Fomboni Accord. In December 2001, voters approved a new constitution and presidential elections took place in the spring of 2002. Each island in the archipelago elected its own president and a new union president was sworn in on May 26, 2002.
Geography
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
18 fieldsLand useshare of 2,170 sq km
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
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
People
19 fieldsPer 1,000 population(2003 est.)
Male · female
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 42.9% (male 136,060; female 135,277)
- 15-64 years:
- 54.2% (male 169,121; female 173,822)
- 65 years and over:
- 2.9% (male 8,863; female 9,805) (2003 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:
- 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Government
Independent republic; President AZALI Assoumani (since 26 May 2002); President AZALI Assoumani (since 26 May 2002)
18 fieldsCountry name
- conventional long form:
- Union of the Comoros
- conventional short form:
- Comoros
- local short form:
- Comores
- local long form:
- Union des Comores
Administrative divisions
- 3 islands;
- Grande Comore (Njazidja), Anjouan (Nzwani), and Moheli (Mwali);
- note - there are also four municipalities named Domoni, Fomboni, Moroni, and Moutsamoudou
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
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
- election results:
- President AZALI Assoumani elected president with 75% of the vote
- 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
- 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
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, where held on 1 and 8 December 1996;
- the next elections for the Assembly of the Union were scheduled to be held in April 2003 but have yet to occur
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 and 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, AFESD, AL, AMF, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (associate), ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WMO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the 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 representation from the 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
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.
36 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2001 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
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.
Agriculture - products
vanilla, cloves, perfume essences, copra, coconuts, bananas, cassava (tapioca)
Imports - commodities
rice and other foodstuffs, consumer goods; petroleum products, cement, transport equipment
Exchange rates
Comoran francs (KMF) per US dollar - 522.74 (2002), 549.78 (2001), 533.98 (2000), 461.78 (1999), 442.46 (1998)
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
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- 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
Transportation
7 fieldsMerchant marine, 28 ships by typeone square, one ship · ships (1,000 GRT or over) 432,132 GRT/796,734 DWT
Airports by runway lengthpaved only
Networkskm
Military
Comoran Security Force
5 fieldsTransnational Issues
1 fieldCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Comoros.” The World Factbook 2003. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/comoros/2003.