1988 Edition

Administrative divisions

nine regions, divided into districts, and capital district

Boundary disputes

section with Zaire is indefinite

Branches

presidential executive, Council of State; judiciary; all policy made by Congolese Labor Party Central Committee and Politburo

Capital

Brazzaville

Climate

tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); constantly high temperatures and humidity; particularly enervating climate astride the Equator

tropical; moderated by trade winds

Coastline

169 km

120 km

Communists

unknown number of Communists and sympathizers

Comparative area

slightly smaller than Montana

slightly larger than Washington, D. C.

Continental shelf

200 meters or edge of continental margin

Elections

elections for local and regional organs and the National Assembly were held in July 1979 — the first elections since June 1973 Political parties and leaders: Congolese Labor Party (PCT) is the only legal party; Party Congress held in July 1984 — Sassou unanimously elected to another five-year term as President and party chairman

Environment

deforestation

subject to typhoons from November to March

Ethnic divisions

about 15 ethnic groups divided into some 75 tribes, almost all Bantu; most important ethnic groups are Kongo (48%) in the south, Sangha (20%) Congo (continued) and M'Bochi (12%) in the north, Teke (17%) in the center; about 8,500 Europeans, mostly French

81.3% Polynesian (full blood), 7.7% Polynesian and European, 7.7% Polynesian and other, 2.4% European, 0.9% other

Extended economic zone

200 nm

Government leaders

Col. Denis SASSOUNGUESSO, President and party chairman (since 1979); Ange Edouard POUNGUI, Prime Minister (since July 1984)

Infant mortality rate

92.3/1,000 (1983)

200/1,000 (1985)

Labor force

140,000 (1982); 80% agriculture, 3% government; significant unemployment

about 40% of population economically active (1985); 75% agriculture, 25% commerce, industry, government; 79,100 wage earners; 40,000-60,000 unemployed

Land boundaries

4,514 km total

Land use

2% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 29% meadows and pastures; 62% forest and woodland; 7% other

4% arable land; 22% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 74% other

Language

Shaafi Islam (a Swahili dialect), Malagasy, French

French (official); many African languages with Lingala and Kikongo most widely used

English

Legal system

based on French civil law system and customary law; constitution adopted 8 July 1979

Life expectancy

48.8

46.5

Literacy

15%

over 80%

Member of

AfDB, Conference of East and Central African States, EAMA, ECA, EIB (associate), FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAU, UDEAC, UEAC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

National holiday

National Day, 15 August

Nationality

noun — Congolese (sing., pi.); adjective — Congolese or Congo

noun — Cook Islanders); adjective — Cook Islander

Organized labor

20% of total labor force (1979 est.)

Other political or pressure groups

Union of Congolese Socialist Youth (UJSC), Congolese Trade Union Congress (CSC), Revolutionary Union of Congolese Women (URFC), General Union of Congolese Pupils and Students (UGEEC)

Population

2,082,154 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 3.38%

17,898 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 0.55%

Religion

42% animist, 50% Christian, 2% Muslim

Christian, majority of populace members of Cook Islands Christian Church

Special notes

none

none

Suffrage

universal over age 18

Terrain

coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin

low coral atolls in north; volcanic, hilly islands in south

Territorial sea

200 nm

12 nm

Total area

342,000 km2; land area: 341,500 km2

230 km2; land area: 230 km2

Type

people's republic

Administrative divisions

each of the three main islands is an administrative unit under a governor appointed by the President, three separate municipalities (Moroni, Mutsamudu, Domoni)

Branches

presidency; 38-member legislature (Federal Assembly)

New Zealand Governor General appoints Representative to Cook Islands, who represents the Queen and the New Zealand Government; Representative appoints the Prime Minister; popularly elected 24-member Parliament; 15-member House of Arikis (chiefs), appointed by Representative, is an advisory body only

Capital

Moroni

Avarua

Elections

Abdallah Abderemane won 1984 presidential election with 99% majority; Federal Assembly elected in March

every five years, latest in November 1983 Political parties and leaders: -Democratic Party, Sir Thomas Davis; Cook Islands Party, Geoffrey Henry

Government leader

Ahmed ABDALLAH ABDEREMANE, President (since October 1978)

Sir Thomas DAVIS, Prime Minister (since July 1978)

Legal system

French and Muslim law in a new consolidated code

Member of

AfDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, IDA, IDE — Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, ILO, IMF, ITU, NAM, OAU, QIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

ADB, IDA, IFC, IMF, SPF, SPEC, ESCAP (associate member)

Official name

Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros

People's Republic of the

Cook Islands

Political party

sole legal political party is Comoran Union for Progress (UCP)

Suffrage

universal adult

universal adult

Type

independent republic

self-governing in free association with New Zealand; Cook Islands Government fully responsible for internal affairs and has the right at any time to move to full independence by unilateral action; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs, in consultation with the Cook Islands Government

Voting strength

UCP holds 37 seats in the Federal Assembly

(1983) ParliamentDemocratic Party, 13 seats; Cook Islands Party, 11 seats

Agriculture

food crops — rice, manioc, maize, fruits, vegetables, coconuts, cinnamon, yams; export crops — essential oils for perfumes (mainly ylang-ylang), vanilla, copra, cloves

cash crops — sugarcane, wood, coffee, cocoa beans, palm kernels, bananas, peanuts, tobacco; food crops — root crops, rice, corn, bananas, manioc, fish, goats, chickens

export crops include copra, citrus fruits, pineapples, tomatoes, and bananas, with subsistence crops of yams and taro

Aid

$9.34 million (1983) New Zealand, Australia, and Western sources

Budget

domestic revenues, $11 million; external grants, $29 million; current expenditures, $14 million; capital expenditures, $7 million; extrabudgetary expenditures, $44 million (1984)

revenues, $721 million; current expenditures, $508 million; development expenditures, $241 million (1984)

$121 million (1977)

Electric power

4,000 kW capacity; 5 million kWh produced, 1 1 kWh per capita (1986)

120,000 kW capacity; 262 million kWh produced, 140 kWh per capita (1986)

4,750 kW capacity; 15 million kWh produced, 830 kWh per capita (1986)

Exports

$15 million (f.o.b., 1985 est.); perfume oils, vanilla, copra, cloves

$1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1984); oil (90%), lumber, tobacco, veneer, plywood, coffee, cocoa, sugar

$4.20 million (1983); copra, fresh and canned fruit

Fiscal year

calendar year

Fishing

catch 31,000 metric tons (1983)

GDP

about $1.8 billion, $1,140 per capita; real growth rate 2.5% per year (1984); 80% of economy is private sector, predominantly French owned and operated

$21.0 million, $1,170 per capita (1983)

GNP

$114 million, about $290 per capita (1985 est.)

Imports

$25 million (f.o.b., 1985 est.); rice and other foodstuffs, cement, fuels, chemicals, textiles

$618 million (f.o.b., 1984); machinery, transport equipment, manufactured consumer goods, iron and steel, foodstuffs, chemical products,

$24.36 million (1983); foodstuffs, textiles, fuels

Major industries

crude oil, cement, sawmills, brewery, sugar mill, palm oil, soap, cigarettes

Major industry

perfume distillation

fruit processing, tourism

Major trade partners

exports — France, FRG, US; imports — France, Kenya, Reunion

France, Italy, FRG, US

(1970) exports — 98% New Zealand; imports— 76% New Zealand, 7% Japan

Monetary conversion rate

331 Communaute Financiere Africaine (CFA) francs=US$l (September 1986)

331.24 Communaute Financiere Africaine (CFA) francs=US$l (November 1986)

$1.94 New Zealand=US$l (November 1986)

Natural resources

petroleum, wood, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, phosphates, natural gas

Airfields

4 total, 4 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

55 total, 51 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 21 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

7 total, 5 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Branches

Army, Presidential Guard, Gendarmerie

Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary National People's Militia

Civil air

2 major transport aircraft

5 major transport aircraft

no major transport aircraft

Highways

1,110 km total; about 400 km bituminous, remainder crushed stone or gravel

11,970 km total; 555 km bituminous surface treated; 848 km gravel, laterite, 5,347 km improved earth, and 5,220 km unimproved roads

187 km total (1980); 35 km paved, 35 km gravel, 84 km improved earth, 33 km unimproved earth

Inland waterways

the Congo and Ubangi Rivers provide 1,120 km of commercially navigable water transport; the remainder of the inland waterways are used for local traffic only

none

Military budget

for fiscal year ending 31 December 1981, $2.9 million; about 16% of the central government budget Gull at Guinea "Pointe Noire BRAZZAVILLE Boundary representation is not necessarily authoritative

Military manpower

males 15-49, 86,000; 51,000 fit for military service

males 15-49, 426,000; 215,000 fit for military service; about 20,000 reach military age (20) annually Cook Islands Pukapuka. Rakahanga. Panrhyn "Manihiki Nassau Island Suwarrow South Pacific Ocean Aitutaki Mitiaro Takutaa Mauke Palmarslon ~ Rarotonga See retloiul mip X 'Mongaia

Pipelines

crude oil 25 km

Ports

1 major (Mutsamudu); 2 minor

1 major (Pointe-Noire)

2 minor

Railroads

none

727 km, 1.067-meter gauge, single track

none

Telecommunications

sparse system of radio-relay and high frequency radio communication stations for interisland and external communications to Madagascar and Reunion; 1,800 telephones (0.4 per 100 popl.); 2 AM stations, 1 FM station, no TV stations Defense Forces

services adequate for government use; primary network is composed of radio-relay routes and coaxial cables; key centers are Brazzaville, PointeNoire, and Loubomo; 18,100 telephones (1.1 per 100 popl.); 3 AM, 1 FM, 4 TV stations; 1 Atlantic Ocean satellite station Defense Forces

2 AM, no FM, no TV stations; 10,000 radio receivers; 2,052 telephones; 1 satellite station