Match 57 DB Rec# - 7,509 Dataset-WOFACT
Title :Comoros
Text :
Comoros
Geography
Location:
Southern Africa, group of islands in the Mozambique Channel, about
two-thirds of the way between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total area:
2,170 sq km
land area:
2,170 sq km
comparative area:
slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
340 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
claims French-administered Mayotte
Climate:
tropical marine; rainy season (November to May)
Terrain:
volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills
Natural resources:
negligible
Land use:
arable land:
35%
permanent crops:
8%
meadows and pastures:
7%
forest and woodland:
16%
other:
34%
Irrigated land:
NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
soil degradation and erosion results from crop cultivation on slopes without
proper terracing; deforestation
natural hazards:
cyclones and tsunamis possible during rainy season (December to April);
Mount Kartala on Grand Comore is an active volcano
international agreements:
party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous
Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified -
Desertification
Note:
important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel
People
Population:
549,338 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
48% (female 131,334; male 132,327)
15-64 years:
49% (female 137,083; male 133,629)
65 years and over:
3% (female 7,860; male 7,105) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.56% (1995 est.)
Birth rate:
46.22 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate:
10.6 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
77.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
58.27 years
male:
56.04 years
female:
60.57 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.73 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Comoran(s)
adjective:
Comoran
Ethnic divisions:
Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava
Religions:
Sunni Muslim 86%, Roman Catholic 14%
Languages:
Arabic (official), French (official), Comoran (a blend of Swahili and
Arabic)
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
total population:
48%
male:
56%
female:
40%
Labor force:
140,000 (1982)
by occupation:
agriculture 80%, government 3%
Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros
conventional short form:
Comoros
local long form:
Republique Federale Islamique des Comores
local short form:
Comores
Digraph:
CN
Type:
independent republic
Capital:
Moroni
Administrative divisions:
three islands; Grand Comore (Njazidja), Anjouan (Nzwani), and Moheli (Mwali)
note:
there are also four municipalities named Domoni, Fomboni, Moroni, and
Mutsamudu
Independence:
6 July 1975 (from France)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 6 July (1975)
Constitution:
7 June 1992
Legal system:
French and Muslim law in a new consolidated code
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President Said Mohamed DJOHAR (since 11 March 1990); election last held 11
March 1990 (next to be held March 1996); results - Said Mohamed DJOHAR
(UDZIMA) 55%, Mohamed TAKI Abdulkarim (UNDC) 45%
head of government:
Prime Minister Halifa HOUMADI (since 13 October 1994); note - HOUMADI is the
fifteenth prime minister appointed by President DJOHAR in the last three
years
cabinet:
Council of Ministers; appointed by the president
Legislative branch:
unicameral
Federal Assembly (Assemblee Federale):
elections last held 12-20 December 1993 (next to be held by NA January
1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (42 total) Ruling
Coalition: RDR 15, UNDC 5, MWANGAZA 2; Opposition: UDZIMA 8, other smaller
parties 10; 2 seats remained unfilled
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Government
Political parties and leaders:
over 20 political parties are currently active, the most important of which
are; Comoran Union for Progress (UDZIMA), Omar TAMOU; Islands' Fraternity
and Unity Party (CHUMA), Said Ali KEMAL; Comoran Party for Democracy and
Progress (PCDP), Ali MROUDJAE; Realizing Freedom's Capability (UWEZO),
Mouazair ABDALLAH; Democratic Front of the Comoros (FDR), Moustapha CHELKH;
Dialogue Proposition Action (DPA/MWANGAZA), Said MCHAWGAMA; Rally for Change
and Democracy (RACHADE), Hassan HACHIM; Union for Democracy and
Decentralization (UNDC), Mohamed Taki Halidi IBRAHAM; Rally for Democracy
and Renewal (RDR); Comoran Popular Front (FPC), Mohamed HASSANALI, Mohamed
El Arif OUKACHA, Abdou MOUSTAKIM (Secretary General)
Member of:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AL, CCC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS (associate), ILO, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU,
NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Mohamed Ahamadu DJIMBANAO (ambassador to the US and Canada)
chancery:
(temporary) care of the Permanent Mission of the Federal and Islamic
Republic of the Comoros to the United Nations, 336 East 45th Street, 2nd
Floor, New York, NY 10017
telephone:
[1] (212) 972-8010
FAX:
[1] (212) 983-4712
US diplomatic representation:
none; ambassador to Port Louis, Mauritius, is accredited to Comoros
Flag:
green with a white crescent in the center of the field, its points facing
upward; there are four white five-pointed stars placed in a line between the
points of the crescent; the crescent, stars, and color green are traditional
symbols of Islam; 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 design, the most recent
of several, is described in the constitution approved by referendum on 7
June 1992
Economy
Overview:
One of the world's poorest countries, Comoros is made up of several islands
that have poor 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, is the
leading sector of the economy. It 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 90%
of imports. The government is struggling to upgrade education and technical
training, to privatize commercial and industrial enterprises, to improve
health services, to diversify exports, and to reduce the high population
growth rate. Continued foreign support is essential if the goal of 4% annual
GDP growth is to be reached in the late 1990s.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power parity - $370 million (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate:
0.9% (1994 est.)
National product per capita:
$700 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
15% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
15.8% (1989)
Budget:
revenues:
$83 million
expenditures:
$92 million, including capital expenditures of $32 million (1992)
Exports:
$13.7 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities:
vanilla, ylang-ylang, cloves, perfume oil, copra
partners:
US 44%, France 40%, Germany 6%, Africa 5% (1992)
Imports:
$40.9 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities:
rice and other foodstuffs, petroleum products, cement, consumer goods
partners:
France 34%, South Africa 14%, Kenya 8%, Japan 4% (1992)
External debt:
$160 million (1992 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate -6.5% (1989 est.); accounts for 6% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
16,000 kW
production:
17 million kWh
consumption per capita:
27 kWh (1993)
Industries:
perfume distillation, textiles, furniture, jewelry, construction materials,
soft drinks
Economy
Agriculture:
accounts for 40% of GDP; most of population works in subsistence agriculture
and fishing; plantations produce cash crops for export - vanilla, cloves,
perfume essences, copra; principal food crops - coconuts, bananas, cassava;
world's leading producer of essence of ylang-ylang (for perfumes) and
second-largest producer of vanilla; large net food importer
Economic aid:
recipient:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY80-89), $10 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $435 million; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $22 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $18
million
Currency:
1 Comoran franc (CF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
Comoran francs (CF) per US$1 - 297.07 (January 1995), 416.40 (1994), 254.57
(1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990)
note:
beginning 12 January 1994, the Comoran franc was devalued to 75 per French
franc from 50 per French franc at which it had been fixed since 1948
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Transportation
Railroads:
0 km
Highways:
total:
750 km
paved:
bituminous 210 km
unpaved:
crushed stone, gravel 540 km
Ports:
Fomboni, Moroni, Mutsamudo
Merchant marine:
none
Airports:
total:
4
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m:
1
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m:
3
Communications
Telephone system:
over 1,800 telephones; sparse system of radio relay and high-frequency radio
communication stations for interisland and external communications to
Madagascar and Reunion
local:
NA
intercity:
high frequency radio and microwave radio relay
international:
high frequency radio
Radio:
broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 1, shortwave 0
radios:
NA
Television:
broadcast stations:
0
televisions:
NA
Defense Forces
Branches:
Comoran Security Force
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 117,349; males fit for military service 70,178 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures:
$NA, NA% of GDP
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The printed version of this item can be found under the title:
The World Factbook 1995,
SuDoc No: PREX 3.15:995
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