1992 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1992 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
tropical marine; rainy season (November to May)
Coastline
340 km
Comparative area
slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC
Disputes
claims French-administered Mayotte
Environment
soil degradation and erosion; deforestation; cyclones possible during rainy season
Exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Land area
2,170 km2
Land boundaries
none
Land use
arable land 35%; permanent crops 8%; meadows and pastures 7%; forest and woodland 16%; other 34%
Natural resources
negligible
Note
important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel
Terrain
volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills
Territorial sea
12 nm
Total area
2,170 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
47 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate
12 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Ethnic divisions
Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava
Infant mortality rate
84 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Labor force
140,000 (1982); agriculture 80%, government 3%; 51% of population of working age (1985)
Languages
official languages are Arabic and French but majority of population speak Comoran, a blend of Swahili and Arabic
Life expectancy at birth
55 years male, 59 years female (1992)
Literacy
48% (male 56%, female 40%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
Nationality
noun - Comoran(s); adjective - Comoran
Net migration rate
0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Organized labor
NA
Population
493,853 (July 1992), growth rate 3.5% (1992)
Religions
Sunni Muslim 86%, Roman Catholic 14%
Total fertility rate
6.9 children born/woman (1992)
Government
Administrative divisions
three islands; Njazidja, Nzwani, and Mwali, formerly Grand Comore, Anjouan, and Moheli respectively; note - there are also four municipalities named Domoni, Fomboni, Moroni, and Mutsamudu
Capital
Moroni
Chief of State and Head of Government
President Said Mohamed DJOHAR (since 11 March 1990); coordinator of National Unity Government (de facto prime minister) - Mohamed Taki ABDULKARIM (1 January 1992)
Constitution
1 October 1978, amended October 1982 and January 1985
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Amini Ali MOUMIN; Chancery (temporary) at the Comoran Permanent Mission to the UN, 336 East 45th Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10017; telephone (212) 972-8010 US: Ambassador Kenneth N. PELTIER; Embassy at address NA, Moroni (mailing address B. P. 1318, Moroni); telephone 73-22-03, 73-29-22
Executive branch
president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Federal Assembly
last held 22 March 1987 (next to be held March 1992); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (42 total) Udzima 42
Flag
green with a white crescent placed diagonally (closed side of the crescent points to the upper hoist-side corner of the flag); 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 (which is a territorial collectivity of France, but claimed by the Comoros)
Independence
31 December 1975 (from France)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Legal system
French and Muslim law in a new consolidated code
Legislative branch
unicameral Federal Assembly (Assemblee Federale)
Long-form name
Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros
Member of
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, ILO, IMF, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO
National holiday
Independence Day, 6 July (1975)
President
last held 11 March 1990 (next to be held March 1996); results - Said Mohamed DJOHAR (Udzima) 55%, Mohamed TAKI Abdulkarim (UNDC) 45%
Suffrage
universal at age 18
Type
independent republic
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 34% of GDP; most of population works in subsistence agriculture and fishing; plantations produce cash crops for export - vanilla, cloves, perfume essences, and 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
Budget
revenues $88 million; expenditures $92 million, including capital expenditures of $13 million (1990 est.)
Currency
Comoran franc (plural - francs); 1 Comoran franc (CF) = 100 centimes
Economic aid
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
Electricity
16,000 kW capacity; 25 million kWh produced, 50 kWh per capita (1991)
Exchange rates
Comoran francs (CF) per US$1 - 269.01 (January 1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987); note - linked to the French franc at 50 to 1 French franc
Exports
$16 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.) commodities: vanilla, cloves, perfume oil, copra, ylang-ylang partners: US 53%, France 41%, Africa 4%, FRG 2% (1988)
External debt
$196 million (1991 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
exchange rate conversion - $260 million, per capita $540; real growth rate 2.7% (1991 est.)
Imports
$41 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.) commodities: rice and other foodstuffs, cement, petroleum products, consumer goods partners: Europe 62% (France 22%), Africa 5%, Pakistan, China (1988)
Industrial production
growth rate 3.4% (1988 est.); accounts for 5% of GDP
Industries
perfume distillation, textiles, furniture, jewelry, construction materials, soft drinks
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
4.0% (1991 est.)
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 low 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 about 34% to GDP, employs 80% of the labor force, and provides most of the exports. The country is not self-sufficient in food production, and rice, the main staple, accounts for 90% of imports. During the period 1982-86 the industrial sector grew at an annual average rate of 5.3%, but its contribution to GDP was only 5% in 1988. Despite major investment in the tourist industry, which accounts for about 25% of GDP, growth has stagnated since 1983. A sluggish growth rate of 1.5% during 1985-90 has led to large budget deficits, declining incomes, and balance-of-payments difficulties. Preliminary estimates for 1991 show a moderate increase in the growth rate based on increased exports, tourism, and government investment outlays.
Unemployment rate
over 16% (1988 est.)
Communications
Airports
4 total, 4 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
1 major transport aircraft
Highways
750 km total; about 210 km bituminous, remainder crushed stone or gravel
Ports
Mutsamudu, Moroni
Telecommunications
sparse system of radio relay and high-frequency radio communication stations for interisland and external communications to Madagascar and Reunion; over 1,800 telephones; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 1 FM, no TV
Military and Security
Branches
Comoran Security Forces (FCS), Federal Gendarmerie (GFC)
Defense expenditures
$NA, NA of GDP
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 105,022; 62,808 fit for military service