Compare Oman (2003) - Comoros (2003)

Compare Oman (2003) z Comoros (2003)

	Oman (2003)	Comoros (2003)

Administrative divisions	6 regions (mintaqat, singular - mintaqah) and 2 governorates* (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah) Ad Dakhiliyah, Al Batinah, Al Wusta, Ash Sharqiyah, Az Zahirah, Masqat, Musandam, Zufar; note - the US Embassy in Oman reports that Masqat is a governorate, but this has not been confirmed by the US Board on Geographic Names (BGN)	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: 42.2% (male 603,664; female 580,469) 15-64 years: 55.4% (male 934,621; female 620,158) 65 years and over: 2.4% (male 36,504; female 31,709) (2003 est.)	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.)
Agriculture - products	dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables; camels, cattle; fish	vanilla, cloves, perfume essences, copra, coconuts, bananas, cassava (tapioca)
Airports	139 (2002)	4 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 6 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)	total: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 133 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 55 914 to 1,523 m: 37 under 914 m: 32 (2002)	-
Area	total: 212,460 sq km land: 212,460 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 2,170 sq km land: 2,170 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Kansas	slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC
Background	In 1970, QABOOS bin Said Al Said ousted his father and has ruled as sultan ever since. His extensive modernization program has opened the country to the outside world and has preserved a long-standing political and military relationship with the UK. Oman's moderate, independent foreign policy has sought to maintain good relations with all Middle Eastern countries.	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.
Birth rate	37.47 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)	38.5 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget	revenues: $9.2 billion expenditures: $6.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)	revenues: $27.6 million expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
Capital	Muscat	Moroni
Climate	dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south	tropical marine; rainy season (November to May)
Coastline	2,092 km	340 km
Constitution	none; note - on 6 November 1996, Sultan QABOOS issued a royal decree promulgating a new basic law which, among other things, clarifies the royal succession, provides for a prime minister, bars ministers from holding interests in companies doing business with the government, establishes a bicameral legislature, and guarantees basic civil liberties for Omani citizens	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
Country name	conventional long form: Sultanate of Oman conventional short form: Oman local long form: Saltanat Uman local short form: Uman former: Muscat and Oman	conventional long form: Union of the Comoros conventional short form: Comoros local long form: Union des Comores local short form: Comores
Currency	Omani rial (OMR)	Comoran franc (KMF)
Death rate	3.97 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)	8.86 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external	$5.7 billion (2002 est.)	$232 million (2000 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Richard Lewis BALTIMORE III embassy: Jameat A'Duwal Al Arabiya Street, Al Khuwair area, Muscat mailing address: P. O. Box 202, P.C. 115, Madinat Al-Sultan Qaboos, Muscat telephone: [968] 698989, extension 203 FAX: [968] 699771	the US does not have an embassy in Comoros; the ambassador to Mauritius is accredited to Comoros
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Muhammad bin Ali bin Thani AL-KHUSSAIBY chancery: 2535 Belmont Road, NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 387-1980 through 1981, 1988 FAX: [1] (202) 745-4933	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	boundary agreement signed and ratified with UAE in 2003 for entire border, including Oman's Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah enclaves	claims French-administered Mayotte
Economic aid - recipient	$76.4 million (1995)	$10 million (2001 est.)
Economy - overview	Oman's economic performance improved significantly in 2000 due largely to the upturn in oil prices. The government is moving ahead with privatization of its utilities, the development of a body of commercial law to facilitate foreign investment, and increased budgetary outlays. Oman continues to liberalize its markets and joined the World Trade Organization (WTrO) in November 2000. GDP growth improved in 2001 despite the global slowdown and then fell back to 2.2% in 2002. In order to reduce unemployment, the government is trying to replace expatriate workers with local workers. Another government objective is the development of the nation's gas resources.	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.
Electricity - consumption	8.625 billion kWh (2001)	19.78 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	9.274 billion kWh (2001)	21.27 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source	fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)	fossil fuel: 90.6% hydro: 9.4% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m highest point: Jabal Shams 2,980 m	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Le Kartala 2,360 m
Environment - current issues	rising soil salinity; beach pollution from oil spills; very limited natural fresh water resources	soil degradation and erosion results from crop cultivation on slopes without proper terracing; deforestation
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected 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	Arab, Baluchi, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi), African	Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava
Exchange rates	Omani rials per US dollar - 0.38 (2002), 0.38 (2001), 0.38 (2000), 0.38 (1999), 0.38 (1998)	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
Executive branch	chief of state: Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said Al Said (since 23 July 1970); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said Al Said (since 23 July 1970); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary	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
Exports	NA (2001)	NA (2001)
Exports - commodities	petroleum, reexports, fish, metals, textiles	vanilla, ylang-ylang, cloves, perfume oil, copra
Exports - partners	Japan 20.5%, South Korea 18.5%, China 14.1%, Thailand 11.7%, UAE 9.2%, Singapore 4.3%, US 4.1% (2002)	France 32.4%, Germany 19.4%, US 17.6%, Singapore 11.5%, Netherlands 6.5% (2002)
Fiscal year	calendar year	calendar year
Flag description	three horizontal bands of white, red, and green of equal width with a broad, vertical, red band on the hoist side; the national emblem (a khanjar dagger in its sheath superimposed on two crossed swords in scabbards) in white is centered near the top of the vertical band	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	purchasing power parity - $22.4 billion (2002 est.)	purchasing power parity - $441 million (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 3% industry: 55% services: 42% (2001 est.)	agriculture: 40% industry: 4% services: 56% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $8,300 (2002 est.)	purchasing power parity - $700 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	2.2% (2002 est.)	2% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates	21 00 N, 57 00 E	12 10 S, 44 15 E
Geography - note	strategic location on Musandam Peninsula adjacent to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil	important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel
Heliports	1 (2002)	-
Highways	total: 34,965 km paved: 9,673 km (including 550 km of expressways) unpaved: 25,292 km (2001)	total: 880 km paved: 673 km unpaved: 207 km (1999 est)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports	NA (2001)	NA (2001)
Imports - commodities	machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants	rice and other foodstuffs, consumer goods; petroleum products, cement, transport equipment
Imports - partners	UAE 27.5%, Japan 16.7%, UK 7.4%, US 6.9%, Germany 5% (2002)	France 34.3%, South Africa 12%, Japan 6.1%, Kenya 5.9%, UAE 5.8%, Mauritius 4.9%, Thailand 4.6% (2002)
Independence	1650 (expulsion of the Portuguese)	6 July 1975 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate	4% (2000 est.)	-2% (1999 est.)
Industries	crude oil production and refining, natural gas production, construction, cement, copper	tourism, perfume distillation
Infant mortality rate	total: 21.01 deaths/1,000 live births male: 24.03 deaths/1,000 live births female: 17.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)	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.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	-0.5% (2002 est.)	3.5% (2001 est.)
International organization participation	ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO	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)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	1 (2000)	1 (2000)
Irrigated land	620 sq km (1998 est.)	NA sq km
Judicial branch	Supreme Court note: the nascent civil court system, administered by region, has non-Islamic judges as well as traditional Islamic judges	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	920,000 (2002 est.)	144,500 (1996 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%	agriculture 80%
Land boundaries	total: 1,374 km border countries: Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 0.08% permanent crops: 0.22% other: 99.7% (1998 est.)	arable land: 34.98% permanent crops: 17.94% other: 47.08% (1998 est.)
Languages	Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian dialects	Arabic (official), French (official), Shikomoro (a blend of Swahili and Arabic)
Legal system	based on English common law and Islamic law; ultimate appeal to the monarch; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	French and Sharia (Islamic) law in a new consolidated code
Legislative branch	bicameral Majlis Oman consists of an upper chamber or Majlis al-Dawla (48 seats; members appointed by the monarch; has advisory powers only) and a lower chamber or Majlis al-Shura (83 seats; members elected by limited suffrage for three-year term, however, the monarch makes final selections and can negate election results; body has some limited power to propose legislation, but otherwise has only advisory powers) elections: last held 4 October 2003 (next to be held NA 2006) election results: NA	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
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 72.58 years male: 70.4 years female: 74.86 years (2003 est.)	total population: 61.18 years male: 58.92 years female: 63.5 years (2003 est.)
Literacy	definition: NA total population: 75.8% male: 83.1% female: 67.2% (2003 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 56.5% male: 63.6% female: 49.3% (2003 est.)
Location	Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf, between Yemen and UAE	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	Middle East	Africa
Maritime claims	contiguous zone: 24 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM	exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine	total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 17,291 GRT/9,457 DWT ships by type: container 1, passenger 2 note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: Singapore 1 (2002 est.)	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.)
Military branches	Royal Omani Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force), Royal Omani Police	Comoran Security Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$2.424 billion (FY01)	$6 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	12.2% (FY01)	3% (FY02)
Military manpower - availability	males age 15-49: 788,429 (2003 est.)	males age 15-49: 150,079 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	males age 15-49: 438,326 (2003 est.)	males age 15-49: 89,090 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age	14 years of age (2003 est.)	-
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	males: 29,485 (2003 est.)	-
National holiday	Birthday of Sultan QABOOS, 18 November (1940)	Independence Day, 6 July (1975)
Nationality	noun: Omani(s) adjective: Omani	noun: Comoran(s) adjective: Comoran
Natural hazards	summer winds often raise large sandstorms and dust storms in interior; periodic droughts	cyclones possible during rainy season (December to April); Le Kartala on Grand Comore is an active volcano
Natural resources	petroleum, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas	NEGL
Net migration rate	0.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines	gas 3,599 km; oil 3,187 km (2003)	-
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	2,807,125 note: includes 577,293 non-nationals (July 2003 est.)	632,948 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%	60% (2002 est.)
Population growth rate	3.38% (2003 est.)	2.96% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors	Matrah, Mina' al Fahl, Mina' Raysut	Fomboni, Moroni, Moutsamoudou
Radio broadcast stations	AM 3, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999)	AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001)
Railways	0 km	0 km
Religions	Ibadhi Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim, Hindu	Sunni Muslim 98%, Roman Catholic 2%
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.51 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.15 male(s)/female total population: 1.28 male(s)/female (2003 est.)	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.)
Suffrage	in Oman's most recent elections in 2000, limited to approximately 175,000 Omanis chosen by the government to vote in elections for the Majlis al-Shura	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: modern system consisting of open-wire, microwave, and radiotelephone communication stations; limited coaxial cable domestic: open-wire, microwave, radiotelephone communications, and a domestic satellite system with 8 earth stations international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat	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
Telephones - main lines in use	201,000 (1997)	7,000 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular	59,822 (1997)	NA
Television broadcast stations	13 (plus 25 low-power repeaters) (1999)	NA
Terrain	central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south	volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills
Total fertility rate	5.94 children born/woman (2003 est.)	5.21 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate	NA%	20% (1996 est.)
Waterways	none	none

Sitemap: Compare countries listing (map site) | Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.