Comoros (2003) | Isle of Man (2005) | |
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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 | none; there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 24 local authorities each with its own elections |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 42.9% (male 136,060; female 135,277)
15-64 years: 54.2% (male 169,121; female 173,822) 65 years and over: 2.9% (male 8,863; female 9,805) (2003 est.) |
0-14 years: 17.4% (male 6,681/female 6,365)
15-64 years: 65.5% (male 24,693/female 24,482) 65 years and over: 17.1% (male 5,163/female 7,665) (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products | vanilla, cloves, perfume essences, copra, coconuts, bananas, cassava (tapioca) | cereals, vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry |
Airports | 4 (2002) | 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2002) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 2,170 sq km
land: 2,170 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 572 sq km
land: 572 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly more than three 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 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 was sworn in on May 26, 2002. | Part of the Norwegian Kingdom of the Hebrides until the 13th century when it was ceded to Scotland, the isle came under the British crown in 1765. Current concerns include reviving the almost extinct Manx Gaelic language. |
Birth rate | 38.5 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 11.18 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $27.6 million
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.) |
revenues: $485 million
expenditures: $463 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY00/01 est.) |
Capital | Moroni | Douglas |
Climate | tropical marine; rainy season (November to May) | temperate; cool summers and mild winters; overcast about one-third of the time |
Coastline | 340 km | 160 km |
Constitution | 23 December 2001
note: a Transitional National Unity Government (GUNT) was formed on 20 January 2002 following the passing of the new constitution; the GUNT governed until the presidential elections on 14 April 2002 |
unwritten; note - The Isle of Man Constitution Act of 1961 does not embody the unwritten Manx Constitution |
Country name | conventional long form: Union of the Comoros
conventional short form: Comoros local long form: Union des Comores local short form: Comores |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Isle of Man |
Currency | Comoran franc (KMF) | - |
Death rate | 8.86 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 11.26 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Debt - external | $232 million (2000 est.) | $NA |
Dependency status | - | British crown dependency |
Diplomatic representation from the US | the US does not have an embassy in Comoros; the ambassador to Mauritius is accredited to Comoros | none (British crown dependency) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | 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 |
none (British crown dependency) |
Disputes - international | claims French-administered Mayotte | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $10 million (2001 est.) | NA |
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, 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, to privatize commercial and industrial enterprises, to improve health services, to diversify exports, to promote tourism, and to 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. | Offshore banking, manufacturing, and tourism are key sectors of the economy. The government's policy of offering incentives to high-technology companies and financial institutions to locate on the island has paid off in expanding employment opportunities in high-income industries. As a result, agriculture and fishing, once the mainstays of the economy, have declined in their shares of GDP. Trade is mostly with the UK. The Isle of Man enjoys free access to EU markets. |
Electricity - consumption | 19.78 million kWh (2001) | - |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | - |
Electricity - production | 21.27 million kWh (2001) | - |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 90.6%
hydro: 9.4% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Le Kartala 2,360 m |
lowest point: Irish Sea 0 m
highest point: Snaefell 621 m |
Environment - current issues | soil degradation and erosion results from crop cultivation on slopes without proper terracing; deforestation | waste disposal (both household and industrial); transboundary air pollution |
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 | Manx (Norse-Celtic descent), Briton |
Exchange rates | Comoran francs (KMF) per US dollar - 522.74 (2002), 549.78 (2001), 533.98 (2000), 461.78 (1999), 442.46 (1998)
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 |
Manx pounds per US dollar - 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001), 0.6609 (2000) |
Executive branch | 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 NA 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 |
chief of state: Lord of Mann Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Lieutenant Governor Ian MACFADYEN (since 26 October 2002)
head of government: Chief Minister Donald GELLING (since 14 December 2004) cabinet: Council of Ministers elections: the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch for a five-year term; the Chief Minister is elected by the Tynwald; election last held 14 December 2004 (next to be held December 2010) election results: Donald GELLING elected chief minister by the Tynwald; note - Richard CORKILL resigned 2 December 2004 |
Exports | NA (2001) | $NA |
Exports - commodities | vanilla, ylang-ylang, cloves, perfume oil, copra | tweeds, herring, processed shellfish, beef, lamb |
Exports - partners | France 32.4%, Germany 19.4%, US 17.6%, Singapore 11.5%, Netherlands 6.5% (2002) | UK (2000) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | 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 | red with the Three Legs of Man emblem (Trinacria), in the center; the three legs are joined at the thigh and bent at the knee; in order to have the toes pointing clockwise on both sides of the flag, a two-sided emblem is used |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $441 million (2002 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 40%
industry: 4% services: 56% (2001 est.) |
agriculture: 1%
industry: 13% services: 86% (2000 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $700 (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $28,500 (2003 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 2% (2002 est.) | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 12 10 S, 44 15 E | 54 15 N, 4 30 W |
Geography - note | important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel | one small islet, the Calf of Man, lies to the southwest, and is a bird sanctuary |
Highways | total: 880 km
paved: 673 km unpaved: 207 km (1999 est) |
total: 800 km
paved: 800 km unpaved: 0 km (1999) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | NA (2001) | $NA |
Imports - commodities | rice and other foodstuffs, consumer goods; petroleum products, cement, transport equipment | timber, fertilizers, fish |
Imports - partners | France 34.3%, South Africa 12%, Japan 6.1%, Kenya 5.9%, UAE 5.8%, Mauritius 4.9%, Thailand 4.6% (2002) | UK (2000) |
Independence | 6 July 1975 (from France) | none (British crown dependency) |
Industrial production growth rate | -2% (1999 est.) | 3.2% (FY96/97) |
Industries | tourism, perfume distillation | financial services, light manufacturing, tourism |
Infant mortality rate | total: 79.51 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 88.32 deaths/1,000 live births female: 70.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
total: 5.93 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.93 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.5% (2001 est.) | 3.6% (March 2003 est.) |
International organization participation | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (associate), ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WMO, WTrO (applicant) | UPU |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 0 sq km (1998 est.) |
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) | High Court of Justice (justices are appointed by the Lord Chancellor of England on the nomination of the lieutenant governor) |
Labor force | 144,500 (1996 est.) | 39,690 (2001) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 80% | agriculture, forestry and fishing 3%, manufacturing 11%, construction 10%, transport and communication 8%, wholesale and retail distribution 11%, professional and scientific services 18%, public administration 6%, banking and finance 18%, tourism 2%, entertainment and catering 3%, miscellaneous services 10% |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 34.98%
permanent crops: 17.94% other: 47.08% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 9%
permanent crops: 0% other: 91% (permanent pastures, forests, mountain, and heathland) (2002) |
Languages | Arabic (official), French (official), Shikomoro (a blend of Swahili and Arabic) | English, Manx Gaelic |
Legal system | French and Sharia (Islamic) law in a new consolidated code | English common law and Manx statute |
Legislative branch | unicameral Assembly of the Union (30 seats; half the deputies are selected by the individual islands' local assemblies and the other half by universal suffrage; deputies serve for five years) note - elections for the former legislature, the Federal Assembly, dissolved in 1999, where held on 1 and 8 December 1996; the next elections for the Assembly of the Union were scheduled to be held in April 2003 but have yet to occur | bicameral Tynwald consists of the Legislative Council (an 11-member body composed of the President of Tynwald, the Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man, a nonvoting attorney general, and 8 others named by the House of Keys) and the House of Keys (24 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Keys - last held 22 November 2001 (next to be held November 2006) election results: House of Keys - percent of vote by party - Man Labor Party 17.3%, Alliance for Progressive Government 14.6%; seats by party - Man Labor Party 2, Alliance for Progressive Government 3, independents 19 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 61.18 years
male: 58.92 years female: 63.5 years (2003 est.) |
total population: 78.34 years
male: 74.98 years female: 81.87 years (2005 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 56.5% male: 63.6% female: 49.3% (2003 est.) |
definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | 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 | Western Europe, island in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland |
Map references | Africa | Europe |
Maritime claims | exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm |
Merchant marine | total: 28 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 432,132 GRT/796,734 DWT
ships by type: bulk 4, cargo 15, chemical tanker 1, petroleum tanker 5, refrigerated cargo 1, specialized tanker 2 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Malta 1, Pakistan 1, Turkey 1 (2002 est.) |
total: 267 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,834,626 GRT/11,354,689 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 31, cargo 54, chemical tanker 45, combination ore/oil 1, container 15, liquefied gas 46, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 53, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 10, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 5 foreign-owned: 253 (Australia 1, Bahamas 8, Denmark 39, France 2, Germany 55, Greece 20, Hong Kong 3, Italy 7, Japan 4, Netherlands 2, New Zealand 1, Norway 18, Singapore 2, Sweden 1, Turkey 2, United Kingdom 86, United States 2) registered in other countries: 9 (2005) |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
Military branches | Comoran Security Force | - |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $6 million (FY02) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 3% (FY02) | - |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 150,079 (2003 est.) | - |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 89,090 (2003 est.) | - |
National holiday | Independence Day, 6 July (1975) | Tynwald Day, 5 July |
Nationality | noun: Comoran(s)
adjective: Comoran |
noun: Manxman (men), Manxwoman (women)
adjective: Manx |
Natural hazards | cyclones possible during rainy season (December to April); Le Kartala on Grand Comore is an active volcano | NA |
Natural resources | NEGL | none |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 5.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | 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] | Man Labor Party [leader NA]; Alliance for Progressive Government [leader NA]; Man Nationalist Party [leader NA]
note: most members sit as independents |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | none |
Population | 632,948 (July 2003 est.) | 75,049 (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 60% (2002 est.) | NA |
Population growth rate | 2.96% (2003 est.) | 0.52% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Fomboni, Moroni, Moutsamoudou | Castletown, Douglas, Ramsey |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001) | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Railways | 0 km | total: 61 km (35 km electrified) (2003) |
Religions | Sunni Muslim 98%, Roman Catholic 2% | Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Society of Friends |
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: 0.9 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 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: NA
domestic: landline, telefax, mobile cellular telephone system international: fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, satellite earth station, submarine cable |
Telephones - main lines in use | 7,000 (2000) | 51,000 (1999) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | NA | NA |
Television broadcast stations | NA | 0 (receives broadcasts from the UK and satellite) (1999) |
Terrain | volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills | hills in north and south bisected by central valley |
Total fertility rate | 5.21 children born/woman (2003 est.) | 1.65 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 20% (1996 est.) | 0.6% (2004 est.) |
Waterways | none | - |