Comoros (2006) | Cocos (Keeling) Islands (2003) | |
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Administrative divisions | 3 islands and 4 municipalities*; Grande Comore (Njazidja), Anjouan (Nzwani), Domoni*, Fomboni*, Moheli (Mwali), Moroni*, Moutsamoudou* | none (territory of Australia) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 42.7% (male 148,009/female 147,038)
15-64 years: 54.3% (male 185,107/female 190,139) 65 years and over: 3% (male 9,672/female 10,983) (2006 est.) |
0-14 years: NA%
15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% (2003 est.) |
Agriculture - products | vanilla, cloves, perfume essences, copra, coconuts, bananas, cassava (tapioca) | vegetables, bananas, pawpaws, coconuts |
Airports | 4 (2006) | 1 (2002) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
Area | total: 2,170 sq km
land: 2,170 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 14 sq km
land: 14 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the two main islands of West Island and Home Island |
Area - comparative | slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC | about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
Background | 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. | There are 27 coral islands in the group. Captain William Keeling discovered the islands in 1609, but they remained uninhabited until the 19th century. Annexed by the UK in 1857, they were transferred to the Australian Government in 1955. The population on the two inhabited islands generally is split between the ethnic Europeans on West Island and the ethnic Malays on Home Island. |
Birth rate | 36.93 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | NA births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $27.6 million
expenditures: $NA (2001 est.) |
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA |
Capital | name: Moroni
geographic coordinates: 11 41 S, 43 16 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
West Island |
Climate | tropical marine; rainy season (November to May) | tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year |
Coastline | 340 km | 26 km |
Constitution | 23 December 2001 | Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955 |
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: Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
conventional short form: Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
Currency | - | Australian dollar (AUD) |
Death rate | 8.2 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | NA deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Debt - external | $232 million (2000 est.) | $NA |
Dependency status | - | territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services |
Diplomatic representation from the US | the US does not have an embassy in Comoros; the ambassador to Madagascar is accredited to Comoros | none (territory of Australia) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | 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 |
none (territory of Australia) |
Disputes - international | claims French-administered Mayotte | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $24 million (2003 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, 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. | Grown throughout the islands, coconuts are the sole cash crop. Small local gardens and fishing contribute to the food supply, but additional food and most other necessities must be imported from Australia. There is a small tourist industry. |
Electricity - consumption | 16.74 million kWh (2003) | NA kWh |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2003) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2003) | - |
Electricity - production | 18 million kWh (2003) | NA kWh |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: NA%
hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA% |
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 5 m |
Environment - current issues | soil degradation and erosion results from crop cultivation on slopes without proper terracing; deforestation | fresh water resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs |
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 | Europeans, Cocos Malays |
Exchange rates | Comoran francs (KMF) per US dollar - 395.6 (2005), 396.21 (2004), 435.9 (2003), 522.74 (2002), 549.78 (2001)
note: the Comoran franc is pegged to the euro at a rate of 491.9677 Comoran francs per euro |
Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.9354 (2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997) |
Executive branch | 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% |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general
head of government: Administrator (nonresident) William Leonard TAYLOR (since 4 February 1999) cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia |
Exports | NA bbl/day | $NA |
Exports - commodities | vanilla, ylang-ylang (perfume essence), cloves, copra | copra |
Exports - partners | France 27.7%, Singapore 16.8%, Japan 15.1%, Germany 13.7%, US 5.8%, Netherlands 5.1% (2005) | Australia (1999) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 July - 30 June |
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 | the flag of Australia is used |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $NA |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 40%
industry: 4% services: 56% (2001 est.) |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $NA |
GDP - real growth rate | 3% (2005 est.) | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 12 10 S, 44 15 E | 12 30 S, 96 50 E |
Geography - note | important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel | islands are thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation |
Highways | - | total: 15 km
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km (2003) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | NA bbl/day | $NA |
Imports - commodities | rice and other foodstuffs, consumer goods, petroleum products, cement, transport equipment | foodstuffs |
Imports - partners | France 20.5%, South Africa 11.7%, UAE 9.1%, Kenya 8%, Pakistan 5%, Mauritius 4.4%, Belgium 4.3%, India 4.1% (2005) | Australia (1999) |
Independence | 6 July 1975 (from France) | none (territory of Australia) |
Industrial production growth rate | -2% (1999 est.) | NA% |
Industries | tourism, perfume distillation | copra products and tourism |
Infant mortality rate | total: 72.85 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 81.27 deaths/1,000 live births female: 64.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
total: NA%
male: NA% female: NA% |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3% (2005 est.) | NA% |
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, ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO | none |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 2 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA | 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) | Supreme Court; Magistrate's Court |
Labor force | 144,500 (1996 est.) | NA |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 80%
industry and services: 20% |
the Cocos Islands Cooperative Society Ltd. employs construction workers, stevedores, and lighterage workers; tourism employs others |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 35.87%
permanent crops: 23.32% other: 40.81% (2005) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.) |
Languages | Arabic (official), French (official), Shikomoro (a blend of Swahili and Arabic) | Malay (Cocos dialect), English |
Legal system | French and Sharia (Islamic) law in a new consolidated code | based upon the laws of Australia and local laws |
Legislative branch | 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 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 |
unicameral Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council (7 seats) |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 62.33 years
male: 60 years female: 64.72 years (2006 est.) |
total population: NA years
male: NA years female: NA years (2003 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 Africa, group of islands at the northern mouth of the Mozambique Channel, about two-thirds of the way between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique | Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Indonesia, about halfway from Australia to Sri Lanka |
Map references | Africa | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | total: 121 ships (1000 GRT or over) 564,882 GRT/801,238 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 10, cargo 85, chemical tanker 1, container 1, livestock carrier 1, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 9, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 5, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 72 (Bangladesh 1, Bulgaria 1, Greece 10, India 1, Kenya 1, Kuwait 1, Lebanon 6, Nigeria 2, Norway 1, Pakistan 2, Philippines 1, Russia 4, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Saudi Arabia 3, Syria 4, Turkey 11, UAE 6, Ukraine 14, US 2) (2006) |
none (2002 est.) |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of Australia; the territory does have a five-person police force |
Military branches | Comoran Defense Force: Comoran Security Force (includes Gendarmerie and Army), Comoran Federal Police (2006) | - |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $12.87 million (2005 est.) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 3% (2005 est.) | - |
National holiday | Independence Day, 6 July (1975) | NA |
Nationality | noun: Comoran(s)
adjective: Comoran |
noun: Cocos Islander(s)
adjective: Cocos Islander |
Natural hazards | cyclones possible during rainy season (December to April); Le Kartala on Grand Comore is an active volcano | cyclone season is October to April |
Natural resources | NEGL | fish |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | Convention for the Renewal of the Comoros [AZALI Assowmani]; Camp of the Autonomous Islands (a coalition of parties organized by the island 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] | none |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | none |
Population | 690,948 (July 2006 est.) | 630 (July 2003 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 60% (2002 est.) | NA% |
Population growth rate | 2.87% (2006 est.) | 0% (2003 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | none; lagoon anchorage only |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001) | AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (2000) |
Railways | - | 0 km |
Religions | Sunni Muslim 98%, Roman Catholic 2% | Sunni Muslim 80%, other 20% (2002 est.) |
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: 0.88 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
- |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | NA |
Telephone system | 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 |
general assessment: connected within Australia's telecommunication system
domestic: NA international: telephone, telex, and facsimile communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite; 1 satellite earth station of NA type (2002) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 16,900 (2005) | 287 (1992) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 16,100 (2005) | NA |
Television broadcast stations | NA | NA |
Terrain | volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills | flat, low-lying coral atolls |
Total fertility rate | 5.03 children born/woman (2006 est.) | NA children born/woman (2003 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 20% (1996 est.) | 60% (2000 est.) |
Waterways | - | none |