Christmas Island (2007) | Comoros (2005) | |
Administrative divisions | none (territory of Australia) | 3 islands; Grande Comore (Njazidja), Anjouan (Nzwani), and Moheli (Mwali); note - there are also four municipalities named Domoni, Fomboni, Moroni, and Moutsamoudou |
Age structure | 0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA |
0-14 years: 42.8% (male 144,075/female 143,175)
15-64 years: 54.2% (male 179,541/female 184,488) 65 years and over: 3% (male 9,407/female 10,561) (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products | NA | vanilla, cloves, perfume essences, copra, coconuts, bananas, cassava (tapioca) |
Airports | 1 (2007) | 4 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007) |
total: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 135 sq km
land: 135 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 2,170 sq km
land: 2,170 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC | slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed and settlement began by the UK in 1888. Phosphate mining began in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958. Almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park. | Unstable Comoros has endured 19 coups or attempted coups since gaining independence from France in 1975. In 1997, the islands of Anjouan and Moheli declared their 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 of 2002. |
Birth rate | NA | 37.52 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA |
revenues: $27.6 million
expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA (2001 est.) |
Capital | name: The Settlement
geographic coordinates: 10 25 S, 105 43 E time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Moroni |
Climate | tropical with a wet season (December to April) and dry season; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds | tropical marine; rainy season (November to May) |
Coastline | 138.9 km | 340 km |
Constitution | Christmas Island Act of 1958-59 (1 October 1958) as amended by the Territories Law Reform Act of 1992 | 23 December 2001 |
Country name | conventional long form: Territory of Christmas Island
conventional short form: Christmas Island |
conventional long form: Union of the Comoros
conventional short form: Comoros local long form: Union des Comores local short form: Comores |
Death rate | NA | 8.4 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $232 million (2000 est.) |
Dependency status | non-self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territory of Australia) | the US does not have an embassy in Comoros; the ambassador to Mauritius is accredited to Comoros |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territory of Australia) | chief of mission: Ambassador Mahmoud M. ABOUD (ambassador to the US and Canada and permanent representative to the UN)
chancery: (temporary) care of the Permanent Mission of the Union of the Comoros to the United Nations, 420 East 50th Street, New York, NY 10022 telephone: [1] (212) 972-8010 and 223-2711 FAX: [1] (212) 983-4712 and 715-0699 |
Disputes - international | none | claims French-administered Mayotte |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | $10 million (2001 est.) |
Economy - overview | Phosphate mining had been the only significant economic activity, but in December 1987 the Australian Government closed the mine. In 1991, the mine was reopened. With the support of the government, a $34 million casino opened in 1993, but closed in 1998. The Australian Government in 2001 agreed to support the creation of a commercial space-launching site on the island, expected to begin operations in the near future. | 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 | - | 22.17 million kWh (2002) |
Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production | - | 23.84 million kWh (2002) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Murray Hill 361 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Le Kartala 2,360 m |
Environment - current issues | loss of rainforest; impact of phosphate mining | 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 | Chinese 70%, European 20%, Malay 10%
note: no indigenous population (2001) |
Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava |
Exchange rates | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002) | Comoran francs (KMF) per US dollar - 396.21 (2004), 435.9 (2003), 522.74 (2002), 549.78 (2001), 533.98 (2000)
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), represented by the Australian governor general
head of government: Administrator Neil LUCAS (since 30 January 2006) elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia |
chief of state: President AZALI Assoumani (since 26 May 2002); note - following a 1999 coup AZALI was appointed president; in January 2002 he resigned his position to run in the 14 April 2002 presidential elections; Prime Minister Hamada Madi BOLERO was appointed interim president until replaced again by AZALI in May 2002 when BOLERO was appointed Minister of External Defense and Territorial Security; the president is both the chief of state and the head of government
head of government: President AZALI Assoumani (since 26 May 2002); note - following a 1999 coup AZALI was appointed president; in January 2002 he resigned his position to run in the 14 April 2002 presidential elections; Prime Minister Hamada Madi BOLERO was appointed interim president until replaced again by AZALI in May 2002 when BOLERO was appointed Minister of External Defense and Territorial Security; the president is both the chief of state and the head of government 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 April 2002 (next to be held April 2007); prime minister appointed by the president; note - AZALI has not appointed a Prime Minister since he was sworn into office in May 2002 election results: President AZALI Assoumani elected president with 75% of the vote |
Exports | $NA | NA |
Exports - commodities | phosphate | vanilla, ylang-ylang, cloves, perfume oil, copra |
Exports - partners | Australia, NZ (2006) | US 43.8%, France 18.6%, Singapore 16.5%, Turkey 4.8%, Germany 4.5% (2004) |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | calendar year |
Flag description | territorial flag; divided diagonally from upper hoist to lower fly; the upper triangle is green with a yellow image of the Golden Bosun Bird superimposed, while the lower triangle is blue with the Southern Cross constellation, representing Australia, superimposed; a centered yellow disk displays a green map of the island; the flag of Australia is used for official purposes | 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 - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $700 (2002 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | - | 2% (2002 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 10 30 S, 105 40 E | 12 10 S, 44 15 E |
Geography - note | located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean | important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel |
Highways | - | total: 880 km
paved: 673 km unpaved: 207 km (1999 est) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
Imports | $NA | NA |
Imports - commodities | consumer goods | rice and other foodstuffs, consumer goods; petroleum products, cement, transport equipment |
Imports - partners | principally Australia (2006) | France 23.5%, South Africa 11.1%, Kenya 7.5%, UAE 7.2%, Italy 4.9%, Pakistan 4.7%, Mauritius 4.2%, Singapore 4.1% (2004) |
Independence | none (territory of Australia) | 6 July 1975 (from France) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | -2% (1999 est.) |
Industries | tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion) | tourism, perfume distillation |
Infant mortality rate | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
total: 74.93 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 83.48 deaths/1,000 live births female: 66.13 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 3.5% (2001 est.) |
International organization participation | none | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AMF, AU, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (observer), ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WMO |
Irrigated land | NA | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's Court | 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 | NA | 144,500 (1996 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture 80% |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national park) (2005) |
arable land: 35.87%
permanent crops: 23.32% other: 40.81% (2001) |
Languages | English (official), Chinese, Malay | Arabic (official), French (official), Shikomoro (a blend of Swahili and Arabic) |
Legal system | under the authority of the governor general of Australia and Australian law | French and Sharia (Islamic) law in a new consolidated code |
Legislative branch | unicameral Christmas Island Shire Council (9 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: held every two years with half the members standing for election; last held 20 October 2007 (next to be held in 2009) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 9 |
unicameral Assembly of the Union (33 seats; 15 deputies are selected by the individual islands' local assemblies and the 18 by universal suffrage; deputies serve for five years);
elections: last held 18 and 25 April 2004 (next to be held NA 2009) election results: NA |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: NA
male: NA female: NA |
total population: 61.96 years
male: 59.65 years female: 64.33 years (2005 est.) |
Literacy | NA | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 56.5% male: 63.6% female: 49.3% (2003 est.) |
Location | Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of 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 | Southeast Asia | Africa |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | - | total: 79 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 452,801 GRT/681,343 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 9, cargo 55, chemical tanker 1, container 1, livestock carrier 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 5, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 1 foreign-owned: 35 (Bulgaria 1, Germany 1, Greece 7, India 1, Jordan 1, Kenya 1, Lebanon 3, Nigeria 1, Norway 1, Pakistan 1, Philippines 1, Russia 2, Syria 3, Turkey 6, Ukraine 4, United Kingdom 1) (2005) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of Australia | - |
Military branches | - | Comoran Security Force |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $11.6 million (2004) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 3% (2004) |
National holiday | Australia Day, 26 January (1788) | Independence Day, 6 July (1975) |
Nationality | noun: Christmas Islander(s)
adjective: Christmas Island |
noun: Comoran(s)
adjective: Comoran |
Natural hazards | the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard | cyclones possible during rainy season (December to April); Le Kartala on Grand Comore is an active volcano |
Natural resources | phosphate, beaches | NEGL |
Net migration rate | NA | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | none | Forces pour l'Action Republicaine or FAR [Col. Abdourazak ABDULHAMID]; Forum pour la Redressement National or FRN (alliance of 12 parties); Front Democratique or FD [Moustoifa Said CHEIKH]; Front National pour la Justice or FNJ (Islamic party in opposition) [Ahmed RACHID]; Movement des Citoyens pour la Republique or MCR [Mahamoud MRADABI]; Mouvement Populaire Anjouanais or MPA (Anjouan separatist movement) [leader NA]; Mouvement pour la Democratie et le Progress or MDP-NGDC [Abbas DJOUSSOUF]; Movement pour le Socialisme et la Democratie or MSD (splinter group of FD) [Abdou SOEFOU]; Parti Comorien pour la Democratie et le Progress or PCDP [Ali MROUDJAE]; Rassemblement National pour le Development or RND (party of the government) [Omar TAMOU, Abdoulhamid AFFRAITANE] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | NA |
Population | 1,402 (July 2006 est.) (July 2007 est.) | 671,247 (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | 60% (2002 est.) |
Population growth rate | 0% (2007 est.) | 2.91% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Mayotte, Moutsamoudou |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2006) | AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001) |
Religions | Buddhist 36%, Muslim 25%, Christian 18%, other 21% (1997) | Sunni Muslim 98%, Roman Catholic 2% |
Sex ratio | NA | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
Suffrage | - | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: service provided by the Australian network
domestic: GSM mobile telephone service replaced older analog system in February 2005 international: country code - 61-8; satellite earth stations - 1 INTELSAT earth station provides telephone and telex service (2005) |
general assessment: sparse system of microwave radio relay and HF radiotelephone communication stations
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 | 13,200 (2003) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 2,000 (2003) |
Television broadcast stations | 0 (TV broadcasts received via satellite from mainland Australia) (2006) | NA |
Terrain | steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau | volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills |
Total fertility rate | NA | 5.09 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | 20% (1996 est.) |