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Compare Comoros (2001) - United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges (2007)
Compare Comoros (2001) z United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges (2007)
| Comoros (2001) | United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges (2007) | |
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| 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.) | Baker Island: one abandoned World War II runway of 1,665 m covered with vegetation and unusable
Howland Island: airstrip constructed in 1937 for scheduled refueling stop on the round-the-world flight of Amelia EARHART and Fred NOONAN; the aviators left Lae, New Guinea, for Howland Island but were never seen again; the airstrip is no longer serviceable Johnston Atoll: one closed and not maintained Kingman Reef: lagoon was used as a halfway station between Hawaii and American Samoa by Pan American Airways for flying boats in 1937 and 1938 Midway Islands: 3 - one operational (2,409 m paved); no fuel for sale except emergencies Palmyra Atoll: 1 - 1,846 m unpaved runway; privately owned (2006) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total:
4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2000 est.) |
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| Area | total:
2,170 sq km land: 2,170 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total - 6,959.41 sq km; emergent land - 22.41 sq km; submerged - 6,937 sq km
Baker Island: total - 129 sq km; emergent land - 2.1 sq km; submerged - 127 sq km Howland Island: total - 139 sq km; emergent land - 2.6 sq km; submerged - 136 sq km Jarvis Island: total - 152 sq km; emergent land - 5 sq km; submerged - 147 sq km Johnston Atoll: total - 276.6 sq km; emergent land - 2.6 sq km; submerged - 274 sq km Kingman Reef: total - 1,958.01 sq km; emergent land - 0.01 sq km; submerged - 1,958 sq km Midway Islands: total - 2,355.2 sq km; emergent land - 6.2 sq km; submerged - 2,349 sq km Palmyra Atoll: total - 1,949.9 sq km; emergent land - 3.9 sq km; submerged - 1,946 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC | Baker Island: about two and a half times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Howland Island: about three times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC Jarvis Island: about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC Johnston Atoll: about four and a half times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC Kingman Reef: a little more than one and a half times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC Midway Islands: about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC Palmyra Atoll: about 20 times the size of The Mall in 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. | The following US Pacific island territories constitute the Pacific Remote Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex and as such are managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of Interior. These remote refuges are the most widespread collection of marine- and terrestrial-life protected areas on the planet under a single country's jurisdiction. They protect many endemic species including corals, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, seabirds, water birds, land birds, insects, and vegetation not found elsewhere.
Baker Island: The US took possession of the island in 1857, and its guano deposits were mined by US and British companies during the second half of the 19th century. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization began on this island but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned. The island was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974. Howland Island: Discovered by the US early in the 19th century, the island was officially claimed by the US in 1857. Both US and British companies mined for guano until about 1890. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization began on this island, similar to the effort on nearby Baker Island, but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned. The famed American aviatrix Amelia EARHART disappeared while seeking out Howland Island as a refueling stop during her 1937 round-the-world flight; Earhart Light, a day beacon near the middle of the west coast, was named in her memory. The island was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974. Jarvis Island: First discovered by the British in 1821, the uninhabited island was annexed by the US in 1858, but abandoned in 1879 after tons of guano had been removed. The UK annexed the island in 1889, but never carried out plans for further exploitation. The US occupied and reclaimed the island in 1935 until it was abandoned in 1942 during World War II. The island was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974. Johnston Atoll: Both the US and the Kingdom of Hawaii annexed Johnston Atoll in 1858, but it was the US that mined the guano deposits until the late 1880s. Johnston and Sand Islands were designated wildlife refuges in 1926. The US Navy took over the atoll in 1934, and subsequently the US Air Force assumed control in 1948. The site was used for high-altitude nuclear tests in the 1950s and 1960s, and until late in 2000 the atoll was maintained as a storage and disposal site for chemical weapons. Munitions destruction is now complete. Cleanup and closure of the facility was completed by May 2005. The Fish and Wildlife Service and the US Air Force are currently discussing future management options; in the interim, Johnston Atoll and the three-mile Naval Defensive Sea around it remain under the jurisdiction and administrative control of the US Air Force. Kingman Reef: The US annexed the reef in 1922. Its sheltered lagoon served as a way station for flying boats on Hawaii-to-American Samoa flights during the late 1930s. There are no terrestrial plants on the reef, which is frequently awash, but it does support abundant and diverse marine fauna and flora. In 2001, the waters surrounding the reef out to 12 nm were designated a US National Wildlife Refuge. Midway Islands: The US took formal possession of the islands in 1867. The laying of the trans-Pacific cable, which passed through the islands, brought the first residents in 1903. Between 1935 and 1947, Midway was used as a refueling stop for trans-Pacific flights. The US naval victory over a Japanese fleet off Midway in 1942 was one of the turning points of World War II. The islands continued to serve as a naval station until closed in 1993. Today the islands are a National Wildlife Refuge and are the site of the world's largest Laysan albatross colony. Palmyra Atoll: The Kingdom of Hawaii claimed the atoll in 1862, and the US included it among the Hawaiian Islands when it annexed the archipelago in 1898. The Hawaii Statehood Act of 1959 did not include Palmyra Atoll, which is now partly privately owned by the Nature Conservancy with the rest owned by the Federal government and managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. These organizations are managing the atoll as a wildlife refuge. The lagoons and surrounding waters within the 12 nm US territorial seas were transferred to the US Fish and Wildlife Service and designated as a National Wildlife Refuge in January 2001. |
| 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) | Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun
Johnston Atoll and Kingman Reef: tropical, but generally dry; consistent northeast trade winds with little seasonal temperature variation Midway Islands: subtropical with cool, moist winters (December to February) and warm, dry summers (May to October); moderated by prevailing easterly winds; most of the 1,067 mm (42 in) of annual rainfall occurs during the winter Palmyra Atoll: equatorial, hot; located within the low pressure area of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) where the northeast and southeast trade winds meet, it is extremely wet with between 4,000-5,000 mm (160-200 in) of rainfall each year |
| Coastline | 340 km | Baker Island: 4.8 km
Howland Island: 6.4 km Jarvis Island: 8 km Johnston Atoll: 34 km Kingman Reef: 3 km Midway Islands: 15 km Palmyra Atoll: 14.5 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: none
conventional short form: Baker Island; Howland Island; Jarvis Island; Johnston Atoll; Kingman Reef; Midway Islands; Palmyra Atoll |
| Currency | Comoran franc (KMF) | - |
| Death rate | 9.35 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | - |
| Debt - external | $197 million (1997 est.) | - |
| Dependency status | - | unincorporated territories of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system
note on Palmyra Atoll: incorporated Territory of the US; partly privately owned and partly federally owned; administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior; the Office of Insular Affairs of the US Department of the Interior continues to administer nine excluded areas comprising certain tidal and submerged lands within the 12 nm territorial sea or within the lagoon |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | the US does not have an embassy in Comoros; the ambassador to Mauritius is accredited to Comoros | none (territories of the US) |
| 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 |
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| Disputes - international | claims French-administered Mayotte; the island of Anjouan (Nzwani) has moved to secede from Comoros | none |
| 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. | no economic activity |
| Electricity - consumption | 15.8 million kWh (1999) | - |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | - |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | - |
| Electricity - production | 17 million kWh (1999) | - |
| Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
88.24% hydro: 11.76% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
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| Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Le Kartala 2,360 m |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Baker Island, unnamed location - 8 m; Howland Island, unnamed location - 3 m; Jarvis Island, unnamed location - 7 m; Johnston Atoll, Sand Island - 10 m; Kingman Reef, unnamed location - less than 1 m; Midway Islands, unnamed location - 13 m; Palmyra Atoll, unnamed location - 2 m |
| Environment - current issues | soil degradation and erosion results from crop cultivation on slopes without proper terracing; deforestation | Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands, and Johnston Atoll: no natural fresh water resources
Kingman Reef: none Midway Islands and Palmyra Atoll: 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 |
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| 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% |
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| 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 | the flag of the US is used |
| GDP | purchasing power parity - $419 million (2000 est.) | - |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
40% industry: 4% services: 56% (2000 est.) |
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| 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 | Baker Island: 0 13 N, 176 28 W
Howland Island: 0 48 N, 176 38 W Jarvis Island: 0 23 S, 160 01 W Johnston Atoll: 16 45 N, 169 31 W Kingman Reef: 6 23 N, 162 25 W Midway Islands: 28 12 N, 177 22 W Palmyra Atoll: 5 53 N, 162 05 W |
| Geography - note | important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel | Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: scattered vegetation consisting of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife
Johnston Atoll: Johnston Island and Sand Island are natural islands, which have been expanded by coral dredging; North Island (Akau) and East Island (Hikina) are manmade islands formed from coral dredging; the egg-shaped reef is 34 km in circumference Kingman Reef: barren coral atoll with deep interior lagoon; closed to the public Midway Islands: a coral atoll managed as a national wildlife refuge and open to the public for wildlife-related recreation in the form of wildlife observation and photography Palmyra Atoll: the high rainfall and resulting lush vegetation make the environment of this atoll unique among the US Pacific Island territories; it supports one of the largest remaining undisturbed stands of Pisonia beach forest in the Pacific |
| Highways | total:
880 km paved: 673 km unpaved: 207 km (1996) |
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| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
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| 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 | - |
| 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 | none |
| 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 US, 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 |
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| Life expectancy at birth | total population:
60.41 years male: 58.2 years female: 62.68 years (2001 est.) |
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| Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 57.3% male: 64.2% female: 50.4% (1995 est.) |
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| Location | Southern Africa, group of islands in the Mozambique Channel, about two-thirds of the way between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique | Oceania
Baker Island: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 1,830 nm (3,389 km) southwest of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and Australia Howland Island: island in the North Pacific Ocean 1,815 nm (3,361 km) southwest of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and Australia Jarvis Island: island in the South Pacific Ocean 1,305 nm (2,417 km) south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and the Cook Islands Johnston Atoll: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 717 nm (1,328 km) southwest of Honolulu, about one-third of the way from Hawaii to the Marshall Islands Kingman Reef: reef in the North Pacific Ocean 930 nm (1,722 km) south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and American Samoa Midway Islands: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 1,260 nm (2,334 km) northwest of Honolulu near the end of the Hawaiian Archipelago, about one-third of the way from Honolulu to Tokyo Palmyra Atoll: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 960 nm (1,778 km) south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and American Samoa |
| Map references | Africa | Oceania |
| Maritime claims | exclusive economic zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic 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 US |
| 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.) |
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| Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49:
83,920 (2001 est.) |
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| National holiday | Independence Day, 6 July (1975) | - |
| Nationality | noun:
Comoran(s) adjective: Comoran |
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| Natural hazards | cyclones possible during rainy season (December to April); Le Kartala on Grand Comore is an active volcano | Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard
Kingman Reef: wet or awash most of the time, maximum elevation of less than 1 m makes Kingman Reef a maritime hazard Midway Islands, Johnston, and Palmyra Atolls: NA |
| Natural resources | NEGL | terrestrial and aquatic wildlife |
| 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: public entry is by special-use permit from US Fish and Wildlife Service only and generally restricted to scientists and educators; visited annually by US Fish and Wildlife Service Johnston Atoll: in previous years, an average of 1,100 US military and civilian contractor personnel were present; as of May 2005 all US government personnel had left the island Midway Islands: approximately 40 people make up the staff of US Fish and Wildlife Service and their services contractor living at the atoll Palmyra Atoll: four to 20 Nature Conservancy and US Fish and Wildlife staff |
| 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) | - |
| 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 |
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| Telephones - main lines in use | 6,000 (1997) | - |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | NA | - |
| Television broadcast stations | 0 (1998) | - |
| Terrain | volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills | low and nearly level sandy coral islands with narrow fringing reefs that have developed at the top of submerged volcanic mountains, which in most cases rise steeply from the ocean floor |
| Total fertility rate | 5.32 children born/woman (2001 est.) | - |
| Unemployment rate | 20% (1996 est.) | - |
| Waterways | none | - |
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