Comoros
Union of the ComorosUnion des Comores
republicIndependence 6 July 1975 (from France)
Comoros as the 2007 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
Comoros has endured 19 coups or attempted coups since gaining independence from France in 1975. In 1997, the islands of Anjouan and Moheli declared 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 took office in May 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 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2007 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2007 est.)
Male · female
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.007 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 0.974 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.864 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.985 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Government
Republic; President Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI (since 26 May 2006); President Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI (since 26 May 2006)
18 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Assembly of the Union, 18 seats, elected 18 and 25 April 2004one dot, one seat
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Union of the Comoros
- conventional short form:
- Comoros
- local long form:
- Union des Comores
- local short form:
- Comores
Capital
- name:
- Moroni
- geographic coordinates:
- 11 42 S, 43 14 E
- time difference:
- UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions
3 islands and 4 municipalities*; Grande Comore, Anjouan, Domoni*, Fomboni*, Moheli, Moroni*, Moutsamoudou*
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI (since 26 May 2006)
- head of government:
- President Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI (since 26 May 2006)
- cabinet:
- Council of Ministers appointed by the president
- 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 May 2006 (next to be held by May 2010);
- prime minister appointed by the president;
- note - the post of prime minister has been vacant since May 2002
- election results:
- Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI elected president; percent of vote - Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI 58.0%, Ibrahim HALIDI 28.3%, Mohamed DJAANFAMI 13.7%
Legislative branch
unicameral Assembly of the Union (33 seats; 15 deputies are selected by the individual islands' local assemblies and 18 by universal suffrage; to serve for five years);
- elections:
- last held 18 and 25 April 2004 (next to be held in 2009)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - NA;
- seats by party - CdIA 12, CRC 6;
- note - 15 additional seats are filled by deputies from local island assemblies
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
- Convention for the Renewal of the Comoros or CRC [AZALI Assowmani];
- Camp of the Autonomous Islands or CdIA (a coalition of parties organized by the islands' presidents in opposition to the Union President);
- Front National pour la Justice or FNJ [Ahmed RACHID] (Islamic party in opposition);
- Mouvement pour la Democratie et le Progress or MDP-NGDC [Abbas DJOUSSOUF];
- Parti Comorien pour la Democratie et le Progress or PCDP [Ali MROUDJAE];
- Rassemblement National pour le Development or RND [Omar TAMOU, Abdoulhamid AFFRAITANE]
International organization participation
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AMF, AU, COMESA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, ITSO, ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Representative to the US and Ambassador to the UN Mahmoud M. ABOUD
- chancery:
- Mission to the US, 336 East 45th Street (2nd floor), New York, NY 10017
- telephone:
- [1] (212) 750-1637
Diplomatic representation from the US
the US does not have an embassy in Comoros; the ambassador to Madagascar 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.
39 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, privatize commercial and industrial enterprises, improve health services, diversify exports, promote tourism, and 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 - 392.03 (2006), 395.6 (2005), 396.21 (2004), 435.9 (2003), 522.74 (2002) note: 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;
- fixed-line connections only about 2 per 100 persons;
- mobile cellular usage about 2 per 100 persons
- domestic:
- HF radiotelephone communications and microwave radio relay
- international:
- country code - 269; HF radiotelephone communications to Madagascar and Reunion
Transportation
5 fieldsMerchant marine, 144 ships by typeships (1000 GRT or over) 657,755 GRT/954,498 DWT
Airports by runway lengthpaved only
Military
Comoran Defense Force: Comoran Security Force; Comoran Federal Police (2007)
4 fieldsTransnational Issues
1 fieldCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Comoros.” The World Factbook 2007. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/comoros/2007.