2015 Edition

Background

The archipelago of the Comoros in the Indian Ocean, composed of the islands of Mayotte, Anjouan, Moheli, and Grand Comore declared independence from France on 6 July 1975. France did not recognize the independence of Mayotte, which remains under French administration. Since independence, Comoros has endured political instability through realized and attempted coups. In 1997, the islands of Anjouan and Moheli declared independence from Comoros. In 1999, military chief Col. AZALI Assoumani seized power of the entire government in a bloodless coup; he initiated the 2000 Fomboni Accords, a power-sharing agreement in which the federal presidency rotates among the three islands, and each island maintains its local government. AZALI won the 2002 federal presidential election as president from Grand Comore Island, and each island in the archipelago elected its president. AZALI stepped down in 2006 and President SAMBI was elected to office as president from Anjouan. In 2007, Mohamed BACAR effected Anjouan's de-facto secession from the Union of Comoros, refusing to step down 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 to Anjouan, but in March 2008 the AU and Comoran soldiers seized the island. The island's inhabitants generally welcomed the move. In May 2011, Ikililou DHOININE won the presidency in peaceful elections widely deemed to be free and fair. Former President SAMBI’s supporters recently have attempted to remove the stipulation that the presidency rotate among the islands so that he can run again in the national elections, which are expected in early 2016.

Area

land

2,235 sq km

total

2,235 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical marine; rainy season (November to May)

Coastline

340 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Karthala 2,360 m

lowest point

Indian Ocean 0 m

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

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

16.86 cu m/yr (1999)

total

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

Geographic coordinates

12 10 S, 44 15 E

Geography - note

important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel

Irrigated land

1.3 sq km NA (2003)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land 46.7%; permanent crops 29.6%; permanent pasture 8.1%

agricultural land

84.4%

forest

1.4%

other

14.2% (2011 est.)

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

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

cyclones possible during rainy season (December to April); volcanic activity on Grand Comore

volcanism

Karthala (elev. 2,361 m) on Grand Comore Island last erupted in 2007; a 2005 eruption forced thousands of people to be evacuated and produced a large ash cloud

Natural resources

fish

Terrain

volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills

Total renewable water resources

1.2 cu km (2011)

Age structure

0-14 years

40.77% (male 158,654/female 159,722)

15-24 years

18.98% (male 71,694/female 76,500)

25-54 years

32.25% (male 119,595/female 132,299)

55-64 years

4.17% (male 14,414/female 18,135)

65 years and over

3.84% (male 14,018/female 15,940) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

27.84 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Child labor - children ages 5-14

percentage

27% (2000 est.)

total number

39,550

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

16.9% (2012)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

19.4% (2012)

Death rate

7.57 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

4.9%

potential support ratio

20.4% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

75.6%

youth dependency ratio

70.7%

Drinking water source

urban: 92.6% of population

rural: 89.1% of population

total: 90.1% of population

urban: 7.4% of population

rural: 10.9% of population

total: 9.9% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

7.6% of GDP (2008)

Ethnic groups

Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava

Health expenditures

5.8% of GDP (2013)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Hospital bed density

2.2 beds/1,000 population (2006)

Infant mortality rate

female

52.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

74.18 deaths/1,000 live births

total

63.55 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Arabic (official), French (official), Shikomoro (official; a blend of Swahili and Arabic) (Comorian)

Life expectancy at birth

female

66.19 years (2015 est.)

male

61.57 years

total population

63.85 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

73.7% (2015 est.)

male

81.8%

total population

77.8%

Major urban areas - population

MORONI (capital) 56,000 (2014)

Maternal mortality rate

335 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median age

female

20 years (2015 est.)

male

18.7 years

total

19.4 years

Nationality

adjective

Comoran

noun

Comoran(s)

Net migration rate

-2.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

5.8% (2014)

Population

780,971 (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

1.77% (2015 est.)

Religions

Sunni Muslim 98%, Roman Catholic 2%

Sanitation facility access

urban: 48.3% of population

rural: 30.9% of population

total: 35.8% of population

urban: 51.7% of population

rural: 69.1% of population

total: 35.8% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

NA (2013)

male

NA

total

11 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

0.99 male(s)/female

15-24 years

0.94 male(s)/female

25-54 years

0.9 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.8 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.88 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

0.94 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.6 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

2.67% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

28.3% of total population (2015)

Administrative divisions

3 islands and 4 municipalities*; Anjouan (Ndzuwani), Domoni*, Fomboni*, Grande Comore (N'gazidja), Moheli (Mwali), Moroni*, Moutsamoudou*

Capital

geographic coordinates

11 42 S, 43 14 E

name

Moroni

time difference

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

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of the Comoros

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

10 years

Constitution

previous 1996; latest ratified 23 December 2001; amended 2009, 2014 (2015)

Country name

conventional long form

Union of the Comoros

conventional short form

Comoros

etymology

name derives from the Arabic designation "Juzur al Qamar" meaning "Islands of the Moon"

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)

Diplomatic representation from the US

the US does not have an embassy in Comoros; the ambassador to Madagascar is accredited to Comoros

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

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

chief of mission

Ambassador Mohamed SOILIH (since 18 November 2014)

FAX

[1] (212) 750-1657

telephone

[1] (212) 750-1637

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

chief of state

President Ikililou DHOININE (since 26 May 2011); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

election results

Ikililou DHOININE elected president; percent of vote in second round - Ikililou DHOININE 61.1%, Mohamed Said FAZUL 32.7%, Abdou DJABIR 6.2%

elections/appointments

presidency rotates every 4 years among the elected presidents of the Union's 3 main islands; Union president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed (first round by the island voters only; second round by simple majority vote of all island voters; election last held on 7 November and 26 December 2010 (next to be held in 2015)

head of government

President Ikililou DHOININE (since 26 May 2011)

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, Ndzuwani, and Mahore (Mayotte - department of France, but claimed by Comoros)

note

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

Government type

republic

Independence

6 July 1975 (from France)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AMF, AOSIS, AU, CAEU (candidates), COMESA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of 7 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 8 members)

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court judges - 2 selected by the president of the Union, 2 by the Assembly of the Union, and 1 each by the 3 island councils; judges appointed for life; Constitutional Court members appointed - 1 by the president, 1 each by the 3 vice presidents, 1 by the Assembly, and 1 each by the island executives; all members serve 6-year renewable terms

subordinate courts

Court of Appeals (in Moroni); Tribunal de premiere instance; island village (community) courts; religious courts

Legal system

mixed legal system of Islamic religious law, the French civil code of 1975, and customary law

Legislative branch

description

unicameral Assembly of the Union (33 seats; 24 members elected by absolute majority vote in two rounds if needed and 9 members indirectly selected by island assemblies; members serve 5-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UPDC 8, PJ 7, RDC 2, CRC 2, RADHI 1, PEC 1, independents 3; note - in addition 9 seats will be filled by nominations from the 3 island assemblies

elections

last held on 25 January and 22 February 2015 (next to be held in 2020)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Said Hachim SIDI ABDEREMANE/Said Hachim SIDI ABDEREMANE and Kamildine ABDALLAH

name

"Udzima wa ya Masiwa" (The Union of the Great Islands)

note

adopted 1978

National holiday

Independence Day, 6 July (1975)

National symbol(s)

four stars and crescent; national colors: green, white

Political parties and leaders

Convention for the Renewal of the Comoros or CRC [AZALI Assoumani]

Democratic Rally of the Comoros or RDC [Mouigni BARAKA]

Juwa Party or PJ [Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI]

Party for the Comorian Agreement (Partie Pour l'Entente Commorienne) or PEC [Fahmi Said IBRAHIM]

Rally for an Alternative of Harmonious and Integrated Development or RADHI [Abdou SOEFO]

Rally with a Development Intiiative for Enlightened Youth or RIDJA [Said Larifou]

Union for the Development of the Comoros or UPDC [Mohamed HALIFA]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Federation Comorienne des Consomateurs or FCC [Mohamed Said Abdallah MCHANGANA]

Mouvement des Entreprises comorienne or MODEC [Faharate HOUSSEIN]

Union des Chambres de Commerce et de l'Industrie et de l'Agriculture or UCCIA [Fahmy THABIT]

Confederation des Travailleurs Comoriens or CTC

other

environmentalists

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

vanilla, cloves, ylang-ylang (perfume essence), coconuts, bananas, cassava (manioc)

Budget

expenditures

$169.1 million (2014 est.)

revenues

$164.8 million

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-0.6% of GDP (2014 est.)

Central bank discount rate

1.93% (31 December 2010)

2.21% (31 December 2009)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

10.5% (31 December 2014 est.)

10.5% (31 December 2013 est.)

Current account balance

-$80 million (2014 est.)

-$107 million (2013 est.)

Debt - external

$142 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$146.4 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Economy - overview

One of the world's poorest countries, Comoros is made up of three islands that are hampered by 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. Currently, authorities are negotiating with the IMF for triennial program assistance. Agriculture, including fishing, hunting, and forestry, accounts for 50% of 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 and extreme weather. Despite agriculture’s importance to the economy, the country imports roughly 70% of its food; rice, the main staple, accounts for the bulk of imports. The government - which is racked by internal political disputes - is struggling to provide basic services, upgrade education and technical training, privatize commercial and industrial enterprises, improve health services, diversify exports, promote tourism, and reduce the high population growth rate. Recurring political instability, sometimes initiated from outside the country, has inhibited growth. Remittances from about 200,000 Comoran diaspora contribute about 25% of the country’s GDP. In December 2012, IMF and the World Bank's International Development Association supported $176 million in debt relief for Comoros, resulting in a 59% reduction of its future external debt service over a period of 40 years. In late 2013, a US-based investment company invested $200 million in a project to explore for hydrocarbons in Comoran territorial waters, the largest financial investment in the country’s history.

Exchange rates

Comoran francs (KMF) per US dollar -

370.81 (2014 est.)

370.81 (2013 est.)

382.9 (2012 est.)

353.9 (2011 est.)

371.46 (2010 est.)

Exports

$18.3 million (2014 est.)

$18.9 million (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

vanilla, ylang-ylang (perfume essence), cloves

Exports - partners

India 28.4%, Singapore 13.2%, France 13%, Germany 12.9%, Saudi Arabia 5.9%, US 4.9%, Netherlands 4.6% (2014)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

(2014 est.)

exports of goods and services

17.5%

government consumption

29.1%

household consumption

104.1%

imports of goods and services

-56.4%

investment in fixed capital

-1.7%

investment in inventories

7.4%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

49.5%

industry

12.5%

services

38% (2014 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$1,500 (2014 est.)

$1,500 (2013 est.)

$1,500 (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

2% (2014 est.)

3.5% (2013 est.)

3% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$697 million (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$1.19 billion (2014 est.)

$1.167 billion (2013 est.)

$1.128 billion (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

Gross national saving

11.6% of GDP (2014 est.)

11.8% of GDP (2013 est.)

12.2% of GDP (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

55.2% (2004)

lowest 10%

0.9%

Imports

$216 million (2014 est.)

$231.3 million (2013 est.)

Imports - commodities

rice and other foodstuffs, consumer goods, petroleum products, cement and construction materials, transport equipment

Imports - partners

China 14.6%, Pakistan 13.9%, France 13.6%, Algeria 11.8%, UAE 9.5%, India 5.9% (2014)

Industrial production growth rate

3% (2014 est.)

Industries

fishing, tourism, perfume distillation

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.3% (2014 est.)

1.6% (2013 est.)

Labor force

245,200 (2013 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

80%

industry and services

20% (1996 est.)

Population below poverty line

60% (2002 est.)

Stock of broad money

$269.6 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$251.9 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$166.6 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$167.3 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$133.3 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$159.4 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

23.6% of GDP (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

20% (1996 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

157,400 Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2015 est.)

Electricity - consumption

39.99 million kWh (2012 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

95.5% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

4.5% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

22,000 kW (2012 est.)

Electricity - production

43 million kWh (2012 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

1,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

1,009 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

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)

Internet country code

.km

Internet users

percent of population

6.6% (2014 est.)

total

50,200

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001)

Telephone system

domestic

fixed-line connections only about 3 per 100 persons; mobile cellular usage about 30 per 100 persons

general assessment

sparse system of microwave radio relay and HF radiotelephone communication stations

international

country code - 269; landing point for the EASSy fiber-optic submarine cable system connecting East Africa with Europe and North America; HF radiotelephone communications to Madagascar and Reunion (2010)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

3 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

23,500

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

50 (2014 est.)

total

383,000

Television broadcast stations

NA

Airports

4 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

2,438 to 3,047 m

1

914 to 1,523 m

3 (2013)

total

4

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 16, cargo 83, carrier 5, chemical tanker 5, container 2, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 17, refrigerated cargo 10, roll on/roll off 8

foreign-owned

73 (Bangladesh 1, Bulgaria 4, China 1, Cyprus 2, Greece 4, Kenya 2, Kuwait 1, Latvia 2, Lebanon 2, Lithuania 1, Nigeria 1, Norway 1, Pakistan 5, Russia 12, Syria 5, Turkey 8, UAE 8, UK 1, Ukraine 10, US 2) (2010)

total

149

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Moroni, Mutsamudu

Roadways

paved

673 km

total

880 km

unpaved

207 km (2002)

Manpower available for military service

females age 16-49

183,363 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

184,236

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

145,797 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

134,562

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

8,809 (2010 est.)

male

8,831

Military branches

National Army for Development (l'Armee Nationale de Developpement, AND): Comoran Security Force (also called Comoran Defense Force (Force Comorienne de Defense, FCD), includes Gendarmerie), Comoran Coast Guard, Comoran Federal Police (2015)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for 2-year voluntary male and female military service; no conscription (2015)

Disputes - 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 assisted the Comoros military recapture Anjouan Island from rebels who seized it in 2001

Trafficking in persons

current situation

Comoros is a source country for children subjected to forced labor and, reportedly, sex trafficking domestically, and women and children are subjected to forced labor in Mayotte; it is possibly a transit and destination country for Malagasy women and girls and a transit country for East African women and girls exploited in domestic service in the Middle East; Comoran children are forced to labor in domestic service, roadside and street vending, baking, fishing, and agriculture; some Comoran students at Koranic schools are exploited for forced agricultural or domestic labor, sometimes being subjected to physical and sexual abuse; Comoros may be particularly vulnerable to transnational trafficking because of inadequate border controls, government corruption, and the presence of international criminal networks

tier rating

Tier 3 – Comoros does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and was placed on Tier 3 after being on the Tier 2 Watch List for two consecutive years without making progress; Parliament passed revisions to the penal code in 2014, including anti-trafficking provisions and enforcement guidelines, but these amendments have not yet been passed approved by the President and put into effect; a new child labor law was passed in 2015 prohibiting child trafficking, but existing laws do not criminalize the forced prostitution of adults; authorities did not investigate, prosecute, or convict alleged trafficking offenders, including complicit officials; the government lacked victim identification and care referral procedures, did not assist any victims during 2014, and provided minimal support to NGOs offering victims psychosocial services (2015)