Comoros
Union of the ComorosUdzima wa Komori (Comorian); Union des Comores (French); Jumhuriyat al Qamar al Muttahidah (Arabic)
republicIndependence 6 July 1975 (from France)
Comoros as the 2009 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 124 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Comoros has endured more than 20 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 in a bloodless coup, and helped negotiate the 2000 Fomboni Accords power-sharing agreement in which the federal presidency rotates among the three islands, and each island maintains its own local government.
AZALI won the 2002 Presidential election, and each island in the archipelago elected its own president. AZALI stepped down in 2006 and President SAMBI was elected to office. In 2007, BACAR effected Anjouan's de-facto secession from the Union, refusing to step down in favor of fresh Anjouanais elections when Comoros' other islands held legitimate elections in July. The African Union (AU) initially attempted to resolve the political crisis by applying sanctions and a naval blockade on Anjouan, but in March 2008, AU and Comoran soldiers seized the island. The move was generally welcomed by the island's inhabitants.
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
20 fieldsLand useshare of 2,235 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
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
- total:
- 0.01 cu km/yr (48%/5%/47%)
- per capita:
- 13 cu m/yr (1999)
Natural hazards
cyclones possible during rainy season (December to April); Le Karthala 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, 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
People
22 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2009 est.)
Per 1,000 population
Male · female
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:
- 0.84 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.98 male(s)/female (2009 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:
- Udzima wa Komori (Comorian);
- Union des Comores (French);
- Jumhuriyat al Qamar al Muttahidah (Arabic)
- local short form:
- Komori (Comorian);
- Comores (French);
- Juzur al Qamar (Arabic)
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 (N'gazidja), Anjouan (Ndzuwani), Domoni*, Fomboni*, Moheli (Mwali), Moroni*, Moutsamoudou*
Legal system
French and Islamic law in a new consolidated code; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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 in 2011)
- 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 on 2 August 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, IMSO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAS, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Representative to the UN and Ambassador to the US Mohamed TOIHIRI
- chancery:
- Mission to the US, 866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 418, 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, N'gazidja, Nzwani, and Mahore (Mayotte - territorial collectivity of France, but claimed by Comoros)
note: 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.
44 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.
The political problems have inhibited growth, which has averaged only about 1% in 2006-08. Remittances from 150,000 Comorans abroad help supplement GDP.
Central bank discount rate
5.36% (31 December 2008) · 5.36% (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 80
Commercial bank prime lending rate
7% (31 December 2008) · 10.5% (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 79
Stock of money
$100.6 million (31 December 2008) · $76.68 million (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 113
Stock of quasi money
$41.74 million (31 December 2008) · $23.39 million (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 124
Stock of domestic credit
$79.52 million (31 December 2008) · $45.09 million (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 125
Agriculture - products
vanilla, cloves, ylang-ylang, 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 - 361.4 (2007), 391.8 (2006), 395.6 (2005), 396.21 (2004), 435.9 (2003) 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 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
Transportation
5 fieldsMerchant marine, 136 ships by type
Military
National Development Army (AND): Comoran Security Force; Comoran Federal Police (2008)
5 fieldsMilitary branches
National Development Army (AND): Comoran Security Force; Comoran Federal Police (2008)
Transnational Issues
1 fieldDisputes - international
- 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
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Comoros.” The World Factbook 2009. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/comoros/2009.