231 lines
18 KiB
Plaintext
231 lines
18 KiB
Plaintext
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COMOROS
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 2,170 km2; land area: 2,170 km2
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Comparative area: slightly more than 12 times the size of
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Washington, DC
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Land boundaries: none
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Coastline: 340 km
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Maritime claims:
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Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
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Territorial sea: 12 nm
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Disputes: claims French-administered Mayotte
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Climate: tropical marine; rainy season (November to May)
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Terrain: volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains
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to low hills
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Natural resources: negligible
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Land use: arable land 35%; permanent crops 8%; meadows and
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pastures 7%; forest and woodland 16%; other 34%
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Environment: soil degradation and erosion; deforestation;
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cyclones possible during rainy season
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Note: important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel
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PEOPLE
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Population: 476,678 (July 1991), growth rate 3.5% (1991)
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Birth rate: 47 births/1,000 population (1991)
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Death rate: 12 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
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Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
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Infant mortality rate: 87 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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Life expectancy at birth: 54 years male, 59 years female (1991)
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Total fertility rate: 7.0 children born/woman (1991)
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Nationality: noun--Comoran(s); adjective--Comoran
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Ethnic divisions: Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava
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Religion: Sunni Muslim 86%, Roman Catholic 14%
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Language: Shaafi Islam (a Swahili dialect), Malagasy, French
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Literacy: 48% (male 56%, female 40%) age 15 and over can
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read and write (1980)
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Labor force: 140,000 (1982); agriculture 80%, government 3%; 51% of
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population of working age (1985)
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Organized labor: NA
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros
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Type: independent republic
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Capital: Moroni
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Administrative divisions: 3 islands; Anjouan, Grande Comore,
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Moheli; note--there may also be 4 municipalities named Domoni, Fomboni,
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Moroni, and Mutsamudu
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Independence: 6 July 1975 (from France)
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Constitution: 1 October 1978, amended October 1982 and January 1985
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Legal system: French and Muslim law in a new consolidated code
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National holiday: Independence Day, 6 July (1975)
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Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
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Legislative branch: unicameral Federal Assembly (Assemblee
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Federale)
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Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
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Leaders:
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Chief of State and Head of Government--President Said
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Mohamed DJOHAR (since 11 March 1990)
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Political parties:
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Comoran Union for Progress (Udzima), Said Mohamed DJOHAR, president;
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National Union for Democracy (UNDC), Mohamed TAKI
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Suffrage: universal at age 18
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Elections:
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President--last held 11 March 1990 (next to be held March 1996);
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results--Said Mohamed DJOHAR (Udzima) 55%; Mohamed TAKI Abdulkarim
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(UNDC) 45%;
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Federal Assembly--last held 22 March 1987 (next to be held March
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1992);
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results--percent of vote by party NA;
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seats--(42 total) Udzima 42
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Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
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IDB, IFAD, ILO, IMF, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
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UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO
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Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Amini Ali MOUMIN; Chancery
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(temporary) at the Comoran Permanent Mission to the UN, 336 East 45th
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Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10017; telephone (212) 972-8010;
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US--Ambassador Kenneth N. PELTIER; Embassy at address NA, Moroni
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(mailing address B. P. 1318, Moroni); telephone 73-22-03, 73-29-22
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Flag: green with a white crescent placed diagonally (closed side of
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the crescent points to the upper hoist-side corner of the flag); there
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are four white five-pointed stars placed in a line between the points of
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the crescent; the crescent, stars, and color green are traditional
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symbols of Islam; the four stars represent the four main islands of the
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archipelago--Mwali, Njazidja, Nzwani, and Mayotte (which is a territorial
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collectivity of France, but claimed by the Comoros)
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ECONOMY
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Overview: One of the world's poorest countries, Comoros is made
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up of several islands that have poor transportation links, a young and
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rapidly increasing population, and few natural resources. The low
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educational level of the labor force contributes to a low level of
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economic activity, high unemployment, and a heavy dependence on foreign
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grants and technical assistance. Agriculture, including fishing and
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forestry, is the leading sector of the economy. It contributes about 40%
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to GDP, employs 80% of the labor force, and provides most of the exports.
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The country is not self-sufficient in food production, and rice, the main
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staple, accounts for 90% of imports. During the period 1982-86 the
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industrial sector grew at an annual average rate of 5.3%, but its
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contribution to GDP was only 5% in 1988. Despite major investment in the
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tourist industry, which accounts for about 25% of GDP, growth has
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stagnated since 1983. A sluggish growth rate of 1.5% during 1985-90 has
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led to large budget deficits, declining incomes, and balance-of-payments
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difficulties.
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GDP: $245 million, per capita $530; real growth rate 1.5% (1990
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est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.9% (1989)
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Unemployment rate: over 16% (1988 est.)
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Budget: revenues $88 million; expenditures $92 million,
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including capital expenditures of $13 million (1990 est.)
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Exports: $16 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
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commodities--vanilla, cloves, perfume oil, copra;
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partners--US 53%, France 41%, Africa 4%, FRG 2% (1988)
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Imports: $41 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
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commodities--rice and other foodstuffs, cement, petroleum products,
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consumer goods;
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partners--Europe 62% (France 22%, other 40%), Africa 5%, Pakistan,
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China (1988)
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External debt: $242 million (December 1990)
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Industrial production: growth rate 3.4% (1988 est.); accounts
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for 5% of GDP
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Electricity: 16,000 kW capacity; 24 million kWh produced,
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55 kWh per capita (1989)
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Industries: perfume distillation, textiles, furniture, jewelry,
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construction materials
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Agriculture: accounts for 40% of GDP; most of population works in
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subsistence agriculture and fishing; plantations produce cash crops for
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export--vanilla, cloves, perfume essences, and copra; principal food
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crops--coconuts, bananas, cassava; world's leading producer of essence of
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ylang-ylang (for perfumes) and second-largest producer of vanilla; large
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net food importer
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Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY80-89), $10
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million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
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(1970-88), $406 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $22 million;
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Communist countries (1970-89), $18 million
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Currency: Comoran franc (plural--francs); 1 Comoran franc
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(CF) = 100 centimes
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Exchange rates: Comoran francs (CF) per US$1--256.54 (January
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1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30
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(1986), 449.26 (1985); note--linked to the French franc at 50 to 1 French
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franc
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Fiscal year: calendar year
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Highways: 750 km total; about 210 km bituminous, remainder crushed
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stone or gravel
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Ports: Mutsamudu, Moroni
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Civil air: 4 major transport aircraft
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Airports: 4 total, 4 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways;
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none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 3 with
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runways 1,220-2,439 m
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Telecommunications: sparse system of radio relay and high-frequency
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radio communication stations for interisland and external communications
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to Madagascar and Reunion; over 1,800 telephones; stations--2 AM, 1 FM,
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1 TV
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Branches: Comoran Defense Force (FCD), Federal Gendarmerie (GFC)
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Manpower availability: males 15-49, 101,332; 60,592 fit for
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military service
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Defense expenditures: $NA, 3% of GDP (1981)
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