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Compare Comoros (2001) - British Indian Ocean Territory (2007)
Compare Comoros (2001) z British Indian Ocean Territory (2007)
| Comoros (2001) | British Indian Ocean Territory (2007) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | 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:
42.81% (male 127,955; female 127,267) 15-64 years: 54.26% (male 159,560; female 163,949) 65 years and over: 2.93% (male 8,326; female 9,145) (2001 est.) |
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| Agriculture - products | vanilla, cloves, perfume essences, copra, coconuts, bananas, cassava (tapioca) | - |
| Airports | 4 (2000 est.) | 1 (2007) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total:
4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2000 est.) |
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2007) |
| Area | total:
2,170 sq km land: 2,170 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 54,400 sq km
land: 60 sq km; Diego Garcia 44 sq km water: 54,340 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago of 55 islands |
| Area - comparative | slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC | land area is about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC |
| Background | 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 has pledged to resolve the secessionist crisis through the 2000 Fomboni Accord, a confederal arrangement that the Organization of African Unity has yet to recognize. | 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 that had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia. |
| Birth rate | 39.52 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | - |
| Budget | revenues:
$48 million expenditures: $53 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997) |
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| Capital | Moroni | - |
| Climate | tropical marine; rainy season (November to May) | tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds |
| Coastline | 340 km | 698 km |
| Constitution | 20 October 1996 | - |
| Country name | conventional long form:
Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros conventional short form: Comoros local long form: Republique Federale Islamique des Comores local short form: Comores |
conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory
conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT |
| Currency | Comoran franc (KMF) | - |
| Death rate | 9.35 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | - |
| Debt - external | $197 million (1997 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 | the US does not have an embassy in Comoros; the ambassador to Mauritius is accredited to Comoros | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission:
Deputy Permanent Representative Mahmoud Mohamed ABOUD (acting) chancery: (temporary) care of the Permanent Mission of the Federal and Islamic Republic of the Comoros to the United Nations, 420 East 50th Street, New York, NY 10022 telephone: [1] (212) 972-8010 FAX: [1] (212) 983-4712 |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| Disputes - international | claims French-administered Mayotte; the island of Anjouan (Nzwani) has moved to secede from Comoros | Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia; in 2001, the former inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago, evicted in 1967 and 1973 and now residing chiefly in Mauritius, were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation; in May 2006, the High Court of London reversed U.K. Government's 2004 orders of council that banned habitation on the islands; a small group of Chagossians visited Diego Garcia in April 2006; repatriation is complicated by the exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricts access to the largest viable island in the chain |
| Economic aid - recipient | $28.1 million (1997) | - |
| Economy - overview | 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, is the leading sector of the economy. It 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 is struggling to upgrade education and technical training, to privatize commercial and industrial enterprises, to improve health services, to diversify exports, to promote tourism, and to reduce the high population growth rate. Continued 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. | All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where a joint UK-US military facility is located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installation are performed 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 native Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. The territory makes money by selling fishing licenses and postage stamps. |
| Electricity - consumption | 15.8 million kWh (1999) | NA kWh |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | - |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | - |
| Electricity - production | 17 million kWh (1999) | NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military |
| Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
88.24% hydro: 11.76% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
- |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Le Kartala 2,360 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m |
| Environment - current issues | soil degradation and erosion results from crop cultivation on slopes without proper terracing; deforestation | NA |
| 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 |
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| Ethnic groups | Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava | - |
| Exchange rates | Comoran francs per US dollar - 524.41 (January 2001), 533.98 (2000), 461.77 (1999), 442.46 (1998), 437.75 (1997), 383.66 (1996)
note: prior to January 1999, the official rate was pegged to the French franc at 75 Comoran francs per French franc; since 1 January 1999, the Comoran franc is pegged to the euro at a rate of 491.9677 Comoran francs per euro |
- |
| Executive branch | chief of state:
President AZALI Assoumani (since 6 May 1999); note - the interim government of President Tajiddine Ben Said MASSOUNDE, which had assumed power on 6 November 1998 upon the death of President Mohamed TAKI Abdulkarim, was overthrown in a bloodless coup on 30 April 1999 head of government: Prime Minister Hamada MADI (since late November 2000) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 6 and 16 March 1996 (next to be held NA); prime minister appointed by the president note: President AZALI claimed a one-year term at the time of the coup; but elections, promised for spring 2000, were not held election results: results of the last presidential election before the coup were: Mohamed TAKI Abdulkarim elected president; percent of vote - 64.3% |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Commissioner Leigh TURNER (since July 2006); Administrator Tony HUMPHRIES (since February 2005); note - both reside in the UK and are represented by the officer commanding British Forces on Diego Garcia cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch |
| Exports | $7.9 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) | - |
| Exports - commodities | vanilla, ylang-ylang, cloves, perfume oil, copra | - |
| Exports - partners | France 50%, Germany 25% (1998) | - |
| Fiscal year | calendar year | - |
| Flag description | green with a white crescent in the center of the field, its points facing downward; there are four white five-pointed stars placed in a line between the points of the crescent; the crescent, stars, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam; 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 design, the most recent of several, is described in the constitution approved by referendum on 7 June 1992 | 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 |
| GDP | purchasing power parity - $419 million (2000 est.) | - |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
40% industry: 4% services: 56% (2000 est.) |
- |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $720 (2000 est.) | - |
| GDP - real growth rate | 0.5% (2000 est.) | - |
| Geographic coordinates | 12 10 S, 44 15 E | 6 00 S, 71 30 E; note - Diego Garcia 7 20 S, 72 25 E |
| Geography - note | important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel | archipelago of 55 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility |
| Highways | total:
880 km paved: 673 km unpaved: 207 km (1996) |
- |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
- |
| Imports | $55.1 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) | - |
| Imports - commodities | rice and other foodstuffs, consumer goods; petroleum products, cement, transport equipment | - |
| Imports - partners | France 38%, Pakistan 13%, South Africa 8%, Kenya 8% (1998) | - |
| Independence | 6 July 1975 (from France) | - |
| Industrial production growth rate | -2% (1999 est.) | - |
| Industries | tourism, perfume distillation, textiles, furniture, jewelry, construction materials, soft drinks | - |
| Infant mortality rate | 84.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | - |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.5% (1999) | - |
| International organization participation | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, CCC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (associate), ILO, IMF, InOC, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTrO (applicant) | - |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | - |
| Irrigated land | NA sq km | 0 sq km |
| 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% | - |
| Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
| Land use | arable land:
35% permanent crops: 10% permanent pastures: 7% forests and woodland: 18% other: 30% (1993 est.) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005) |
| Languages | Arabic (official), French (official), Comoran (a blend of Swahili and Arabic) | - |
| Legal system | French and Muslim law in a new consolidated code | the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply |
| Legislative branch | bicameral legislature consists of the Senate (15 seats: five from each island); members selected by regional councils for six-year terms) and a Federal Assembly or Assemblee Federale (43 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms); note - the Federal Assembly was dissolved following the coup of 30 April 1999
elections: Federal Assembly - last held 1 and 8 December 1996 (next to be held NA) election results: Federal Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RND 39, FNJ 3, independent 1 note: the constitution stipulates that only parties that win six seats in the Federal Assembly (two from each island) are permitted to be in opposition, but if no party accomplishes that, the second most successful party will be in opposition; in the elections of December 1996 the FNJ appeared to qualify as opposition |
- |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population:
60.41 years male: 58.2 years female: 62.68 years (2001 est.) |
- |
| Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 57.3% male: 64.2% female: 50.4% (1995 est.) |
- |
| Location | Southern Africa, group of islands in the Mozambique Channel, about two-thirds of the way between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique | archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia |
| Map references | Africa | Political Map of the World |
| Maritime claims | exclusive economic zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
| Merchant marine | total:
2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 19,122 GRT/29,817 DWT ships by type: cargo 2 (2000 est.) |
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| Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016 |
| Military branches | Comoran Security Force | - |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $NA | - |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA% | - |
| Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49:
141,120 (2001 est.) |
- |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49:
83,920 (2001 est.) |
- |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 6 July (1975) | - |
| Nationality | noun:
Comoran(s) adjective: Comoran |
- |
| Natural hazards | cyclones possible during rainy season (December to April); Le Kartala on Grand Comore is an active volcano | NA |
| Natural resources | NEGL | coconuts, fish, sugarcane |
| Net migration rate | NEGL migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | - |
| Political parties and leaders | Front National pour la Justice or FNJ (Islamic party in opposition) [Ahmed Abdallah MOHAMED, Ahmed ABOUBACAR, Soidiki M'BAPANOZA]; Rassemblement National pour le Development or RND (party of the government) [Ali Bazi SELIM] | - |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | - |
| Population | 596,202 (July 2001 est.) | 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 in the 1960s and 1970s; in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in November 2004, there were approximately 4,000 UK and US military personnel and civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia |
| Population below poverty line | NA% | - |
| Population growth rate | 3.02% (2001 est.) | - |
| Ports and harbors | Fomboni, Moroni, Moutsamoudou | - |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Radios | 90,000 (1997) | - |
| Railways | 0 km | - |
| Religions | Sunni Muslim 98%, Roman Catholic 2% | - |
| Sex ratio | 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: 0.91 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
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| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | - |
| Telephone system | general assessment:
sparse system of microwave radio relay and HF radiotelephone communication stations domestic: HF radiotelephone communications and microwave radio relay international: HF radiotelephone communications to Madagascar and Reunion |
general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available
domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet international: country code (Diego Garcia) - 246; international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 6,000 (1997) | NA |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | NA | - |
| Television broadcast stations | 0 (1998) | 1 (1997) |
| Terrain | volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills | flat and low (most areas do not exceed two meters in elevation) |
| Total fertility rate | 5.32 children born/woman (2001 est.) | - |
| Unemployment rate | 20% (1996 est.) | - |
| Waterways | none | - |
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