Comoros

total:

0.01 cu km/yr (48%/5%/47%)

per capita:

13 cu m/yr (1999)

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

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:

0.85 male(s)/female

total population:

0.98 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

noun:

Comoran(s)

adjective:

Comoran

conventional long form:

Union of the Comoros

conventional short form:

Comoros

local long form:

Union des Comores

local short form:

Comores

name:

Moroni

geographic coordinates:

11 42 S, 43 14 E

time difference:

UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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%

• 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]

chief of mission:

Representative to the US and Ambassador to the UN Mohamed TOIHIRI

chancery:

Mission to the US, 866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 418, New York, NY 10017

telephone:

[1] (212) 750-1637

• 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 Mahore (Mayotte - territorial collectivity of France, but claimed by Comoros)

note: the crescent, stars, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam

agriculture:

80%

industry and services:

20% (1996 est.)

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

revenues:

$27.6 million

expenditures:

$NA (2001 est.)

general assessment:

• sparse system of microwave radio relay and HF radiotelephone communication stations;
• fixed-line connections only about 3 per 100 persons;
• mobile cellular usage about 5 per 100 persons

domestic:

HF radiotelephone communications and microwave radio relay

international:

country code - 269; HF radiotelephone communications to Madagascar and Reunion

total:

880 km

paved:

673 km

unpaved:

207 km (2002)

males age 16-49:

167,850

females age 16-49:

167,362 (2008 est.)

males age 16-49:

121,550

females age 16-49:

131,015 (2008 est.)

male:

7,901

female:

7,894 (2008 est.)

• claims French-administered Mayotte and challenges France's and Madagascar's claims to Banc du Geyser, a drying reef in the Mozambique Channel;
• in May 2008, African Union forces are called in to assist the Comoros military recapture Anjouan Island from rebels who seized it in 2001