British Indian Ocean Territory (2002) | Comoros (2007) | |
Administrative divisions | - | 3 islands and 4 municipalities*; Grande Comore, Anjouan, Domoni*, Fomboni*, Moheli, Moroni*, Moutsamoudou* |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years: 42.6% (male 151,920/female 150,851)
15-64 years: 54.4% (male 191,096/female 196,120) 65 years and over: 3% (male 9,933/female 11,497) (2007 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | vanilla, cloves, perfume essences, copra, coconuts, bananas, cassava (tapioca) |
Airports | 1 (2001) | 4 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2002) |
total: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2007) |
Area | total: 60 sq km
land: 60 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago |
total: 2,170 sq km
land: 2,170 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order which had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia. | Comoros has endured 19 coups or attempted coups since gaining independence from France in 1975. In 1997, the islands of Anjouan and Moheli declared independence from Comoros. In 1999, military chief Col. AZALI seized power. He pledged to resolve the secessionist crisis through a confederal arrangement named the 2000 Fomboni Accord. In December 2001, voters approved a new constitution and presidential elections took place in the spring of 2002. Each island in the archipelago elected its own president and a new union president took office in May 2002. |
Birth rate | - | 36.35 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Budget | - | revenues: $27.6 million
expenditures: $NA (2001 est.) |
Capital | - | name: Moroni
geographic coordinates: 11 42 S, 43 14 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds | tropical marine; rainy season (November to May) |
Coastline | 698 km | 340 km |
Constitution | - | 23 December 2001 |
Country name | conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory
conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT |
conventional long form: Union of the Comoros
conventional short form: Comoros local long form: Union des Comores local short form: Comores |
Death rate | - | 7.95 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $232 million (2000 est.) |
Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | the US does not have an embassy in Comoros; the ambassador to Madagascar is accredited to Comoros |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | chief of mission: Representative to the US and Ambassador to the UN Mahmoud M. ABOUD
chancery: Mission to the US, 336 East 45th Street (2nd floor), New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 750-1637 |
Disputes - international | Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; repatriation is complicated by the US military lease of Diego Garcia, the largest island in the chain | claims French-administered Mayotte |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $25.23 million (2005 est.) |
Economy - overview | All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. | One of the world's poorest countries, Comoros is made up of three islands that have 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. Agriculture, including fishing, hunting, and forestry, 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 the bulk of imports. The government - which is hampered by internal political disputes - is struggling to upgrade education and technical training, privatize commercial and industrial enterprises, improve health services, diversify exports, promote tourism, and reduce the high population growth rate. Increased foreign support is essential if the goal of 4% annual GDP growth is to be met. Remittances from 150,000 Comorans abroad help supplement GDP. |
Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | 18.6 million kWh (2005) |
Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production | NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military | 20 million kWh (2005) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Le Kartala 2,360 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | soil degradation and erosion results from crop cultivation on slopes without proper terracing; deforestation |
Environment - international agreements | - | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | - | Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava |
Exchange rates | - | Comoran francs (KMF) per US dollar - 392.03 (2006), 395.6 (2005), 396.21 (2004), 435.9 (2003), 522.74 (2002)
note: the Comoran franc is pegged to the euro at a rate of 491.9677 Comoran francs per euro |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Commissioner Alan HUCKLE (since 2001); Administrator Louise SAVILL (since NA); note - both reside in the UK cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch |
chief of state: President Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI (since 26 May 2006)
head of government: President Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI (since 26 May 2006) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: as defined by the 2001 constitution, the presidency rotates every four years among the elected presidents from the three main islands in the Union; election last held 14 May 2006 (next to be held by May 2010); prime minister appointed by the president; note - the post of prime minister has been vacant since May 2002 election results: Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI elected president; percent of vote - Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI 58.0%, Ibrahim HALIDI 28.3%, Mohamed DJAANFAMI 13.7% |
Exports | - | NA bbl/day |
Exports - commodities | - | vanilla, ylang-ylang (perfume essence), cloves, copra |
Exports - partners | - | Netherlands 35.8%, France 18.3%, Italy 12.8%, Singapore 7.8%, Turkey 5%, US 4.6% (2006) |
Fiscal year | - | calendar year |
Flag description | white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag | 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, Njazidja, Nzwani, and Mayotte (a territorial collectivity of France, but claimed by Comoros); the crescent, stars, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: 40%
industry: 4% services: 56% (2001 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | - | 3% (2005 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 6 00 S, 71 30 E | 12 10 S, 44 15 E |
Geography - note | archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility | important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel |
Highways | total: NA km
paved: short stretch of paved road of NA km between port and airfield on Diego Garcia unpaved: NA km |
- |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | - | NA bbl/day |
Imports - commodities | - | rice and other foodstuffs, consumer goods, petroleum products, cement, transport equipment |
Imports - partners | - | France 24.8%, UAE 9.9%, South Africa 6.4%, Pakistan 6.3%, Kenya 5%, China 4.8%, India 4.4%, Italy 4.2% (2006) |
Independence | - | 6 July 1975 (from France) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | -2% (1999 est.) |
Industries | - | fishing, tourism, perfume distillation |
Infant mortality rate | - | total: 70.66 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 78.86 deaths/1,000 live births female: 62.21 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 3% (2005 est.) |
International organization participation | - | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AMF, AU, COMESA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, ITSO, ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km (1998 est.) | NA |
Judicial branch | - | Supreme Court or Cour Supremes (two members appointed by the president, two members elected by the Federal Assembly, one elected by the Council of each island, and others are former presidents of the republic) |
Labor force | - | 144,500 (1996 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture: 80%
industry and services: 20% (1996 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: NEGL
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 35.87%
permanent crops: 23.32% other: 40.81% (2005) |
Languages | - | Arabic (official), French (official), Shikomoro (a blend of Swahili and Arabic) |
Legal system | the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply | French and Islamic law in a new consolidated code |
Legislative branch | - | unicameral Assembly of the Union (33 seats; 15 deputies are selected by the individual islands' local assemblies and 18 by universal suffrage; to serve for five years);
elections: last held 18 and 25 April 2004 (next to be held in 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CdIA 12, CRC 6; note - 15 additional seats are filled by deputies from local island assemblies |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: 62.73 years
male: 60.37 years female: 65.15 years (2007 est.) |
Literacy | - | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 56.5% male: 63.6% female: 49.3% (2003 est.) |
Location | Southern Asia, archipelago in the Indian Ocean, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia | 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 | Political Map of the World | Africa |
Maritime claims | exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 3 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | - | total: 144 ships (1000 GRT or over) 657,755 GRT/954,498 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 11, cargo 101, chemical tanker 3, container 1, livestock carrier 4, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 9, refrigerated cargo 6, roll on/roll off 6, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 70 (Bangladesh 1, Bulgaria 1, Cyprus 1, Greece 8, India 2, Kenya 1, Kuwait 1, Lebanon 5, Norway 1, Pakistan 2, Philippines 1, Russia 9, Saudi Arabia 1, Syria 8, Turkey 8, Ukraine 13, UAE 5, US 2) (2007) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016 | - |
Military branches | - | Comoran Defense Force: Comoran Security Force; Comoran Federal Police (2007) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 2.8% (2006) |
National holiday | - | Independence Day, 6 July (1975) |
Nationality | - | noun: Comoran(s)
adjective: Comoran |
Natural hazards | NA | cyclones possible during rainy season (December to April); Le Kartala on Grand Comore is an active volcano |
Natural resources | coconuts, fish, sugarcane | NEGL |
Net migration rate | - | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | - | Convention for the Renewal of the Comoros or CRC [AZALI Assowmani]; Camp of the Autonomous Islands or CdIA (a coalition of parties organized by the islands' presidents in opposition to the Union President); Front National pour la Justice or FNJ [Ahmed RACHID] (Islamic party in opposition); Mouvement pour la Democratie et le Progress or MDP-NGDC [Abbas DJOUSSOUF]; Parti Comorien pour la Democratie et le Progress or PCDP [Ali MROUDJAE]; Rassemblement National pour le Development or RND [Omar TAMOU, Abdoulhamid AFFRAITANE] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
Population | no indigenous inhabitants
note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles around the time of the construction of UK-US military facilities; in 2001, there were approximately 1,500 UK and US military personnel and 2,000 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2002 est.) |
711,417 (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | 60% (2002 est.) |
Population growth rate | - | 2.84% (2007 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Diego Garcia | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001) |
Radios | NA | - |
Religions | - | Sunni Muslim 98%, Roman Catholic 2% |
Sex ratio | - | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.007 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.974 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.864 male(s)/female total population: 0.985 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
Suffrage | - | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available
domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000) |
general assessment: sparse system of microwave radio relay and HF radiotelephone communication stations; fixed-line connections only about 2 per 100 persons; mobile cellular usage about 2 per 100 persons
domestic: HF radiotelephone communications and microwave radio relay international: country code - 269; HF radiotelephone communications to Madagascar and Reunion |
Telephones - main lines in use | NA | 16,900 (2005) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 16,100 (2005) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | NA |
Terrain | flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation) | volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills |
Total fertility rate | - | 4.97 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | 20% (1996 est.) |
Waterways | none | - |