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 2010 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, Mohamed 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); volcanic activity on Grand Comore
- volcanism:
- Karthala (elev. 2,361 m, 7,746 ft) on Grand Comore Island last erupted in 2007;
- a 2005 eruption forced thousands of people to be evacuated and produced a large ash cloud
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 · (2010 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:
- 0.83 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.98 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Government
Republic; President Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI (since 26 May 2006); President Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI (since 26 May 2006)
19 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Assembly of the Union, 24 seats, elected 6 and 20 December 2009one 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; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)
- 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 on 14 May 2006 (next to be held on 7 November 2010)
- 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 on 6 and 20 December 2009 (next to be held in 2014)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - NA;
- seats by party - pro-union coalition 19, autonomous coalition 4, independents 1;
- note - 9 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
- Camp of the Autonomous Islands or CdIA (a coalition of parties organized by the islands' presidents in opposition to the Union President);
- Convention for the Renewal of the Comoros or CRC [AZALI Assowmani];
- 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
ACP, AfDB, AMF, AOSIS, 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, 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
National anthem
- name:
- "Udzima wa ya Masiwa" (The Union of the Great Islands)
- lyrics/music:
- Said Hachim SIDI ABDEREMANE/Said Hachim SIDI ABDEREMANE and Kamildine ABDALLAH
note: adopted 1978
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.
43 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. Export income is heavily reliant on the three main crops of vanilla, cloves, and ylang-ylang and Comoros' export earnings are easily disrupted by disasters such as fires.
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 - lacks a comprehensive strategy to attract foreign investment and 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.
Political problems have inhibited growth, which has averaged only about 1% in 2006-09. Remittances from 150,000 Comorans abroad help supplement GDP. In September 2009 the IMF approved Comoros for a three-year $21 million loan. The IMF gave generally positive reports of the country's program performance as of October 2010.
The African Development Bank approved a $34.6 million debt-relief package loan for Comoros in September 2010, and Comoros will attempt to qualifry for debt relief in 2012 under the IMF and World Bank's Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative.
Central bank discount rate
2.21% (31 December 2009) · 5.36% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 81
Commercial bank prime lending rate
10.5% (31 December 2009 est.) · 10.5% (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 85
Stock of narrow money
$104.7 million (31 December 2009) · $98.36 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 179
Stock of broad money
$168.6 million (31 December 2009) · $143.7 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 182
Stock of domestic credit
$79.75 million (31 December 2008 est.) · $60.57 million (31 December 2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 179
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
7 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- sparse system of microwave radio relay and HF radiotelephone communication stations
- domestic:
- fixed-line connections only about 3 per 100 persons; mobile cellular usage about 15 per 100 persons
- international:
- country code - 269; HF radiotelephone communications to Madagascar and Reunion
Broadcast media
- national state-owned TV station and a TV station run by Anjouan regional government;
- national state-owned radio;
- regional governments on the islands of Grande Comore and Anjouan each operate a radio station;
- a few independent and small community radio stations operate on the islands of Grande Comore and Moheli, and these two islands have access to Mayotte Radio and French TV (2007)
Transportation
5 fieldsMerchant marine, 177 ships by type
Military
Army of National Development (AND): Comoran Security Force, Comoran Coast Guard, Comoran Federal Police (2010)
6 fieldsMilitary branches
Army of National Development (AND): Comoran Security Force, Comoran Coast Guard, Comoran Federal Police (2010)
Military service age and obligation
- 18 years of age for 2-year voluntary military service;
- no conscription;
- women first inducted into the Army in 2004 (2010)
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 2010. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/comoros/2010.