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Compare Spratly Islands (2002) - Comoros (2003)
Compare Spratly Islands (2002) z Comoros (2003)
| Spratly Islands (2002) | Comoros (2003) | |
 |  | |
| 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: 42.9% (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 | - | vanilla, cloves, perfume essences, copra, coconuts, bananas, cassava (tapioca) |
| Airports | 4 (2001) | 4 (2002) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 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: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
- |
| Area | total: less than 5 sq km
land: less than 5 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts scattered over an area of nearly 410,000 sq km of the central South China Sea |
total: 2,170 sq km
land: 2,170 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | NA | slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC |
| Background | This archipelago - surrounded by rich fishing grounds and potentially by gas and oil deposits - is claimed in its entirety by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, while portions are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines. All five parties occupy certain islands or reefs. | 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 | - | 38.5 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Budget | - | revenues: $27.6 million
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.) |
| Capital | - | Moroni |
| Climate | tropical | tropical marine; rainy season (November to May) |
| Coastline | 926 km | 340 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 |
| Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Spratly Islands |
conventional long form: Union of the Comoros
conventional short form: Comoros local long form: Union des Comores local short form: Comores |
| Currency | - | Comoran franc (KMF) |
| Death rate | - | 8.86 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Debt - external | - | $232 million (2000 est.) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | - | 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 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 | all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam; parts of them are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines; in 1984, Brunei established an exclusive fishing zone that encompasses Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands, but has not publicly claimed the island; in 2000, China joined ASEAN discussions towards creating a South China Sea "code of conduct" - a non-legally binding confidence building measure | claims French-administered Mayotte |
| Economic aid - recipient | - | $10 million (2001 est.) |
| Economy - overview | Economic activity is limited to commercial fishing. The proximity to nearby oil- and gas-producing sedimentary basins suggests the potential for oil and gas deposits, but the region is largely unexplored, and there are no reliable estimates of potential reserves; commercial exploitation has yet to be developed. | 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 | - | 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: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Southwest Cay 4 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Le Kartala 2,360 m |
| Environment - current issues | NA | soil degradation and erosion results from crop cultivation on slopes without proper terracing; deforestation |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Exports | - | NA (2001) |
| Exports - commodities | - | vanilla, ylang-ylang, cloves, perfume oil, copra |
| Exports - partners | - | France 32.4%, Germany 19.4%, US 17.6%, Singapore 11.5%, Netherlands 6.5% (2002) |
| Fiscal year | - | calendar year |
| 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 |
| GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $441 million (2002 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: 40%
industry: 4% services: 56% (2001 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $700 (2002 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | - | 2% (2002 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 8 38 N, 111 55 E | 12 10 S, 44 15 E |
| Geography - note | strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs | important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel |
| Highways | - | total: 880 km
paved: 673 km unpaved: 207 km (1999 est) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Imports | - | NA (2001) |
| Imports - commodities | - | rice and other foodstuffs, consumer goods; petroleum products, cement, transport equipment |
| Imports - partners | - | France 34.3%, South Africa 12%, Japan 6.1%, Kenya 5.9%, UAE 5.8%, Mauritius 4.9%, Thailand 4.6% (2002) |
| Independence | - | 6 July 1975 (from France) |
| Industrial production growth rate | - | -2% (1999 est.) |
| Industries | - | tourism, perfume distillation |
| 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.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 3.5% (2001 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) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 1 (2000) |
| Irrigated land | 0 sq km (1998 est.) | 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 | 0 km |
| Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 34.98%
permanent crops: 17.94% other: 47.08% (1998 est.) |
| Languages | - | Arabic (official), French (official), Shikomoro (a blend of Swahili and Arabic) |
| Legal system | - | French and Sharia (Islamic) law in a new consolidated code |
| 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 |
| Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: 61.18 years
male: 58.92 years female: 63.5 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 | Southeastern Asia, group of reefs and islands in the South China Sea, about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam to the southern Philippines | 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 | Southeast Asia | Africa |
| Maritime claims | NA | exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 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.) |
| Military - note | Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs, of which about 45 are claimed and occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam | - |
| 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) |
| Nationality | - | noun: Comoran(s)
adjective: Comoran |
| Natural hazards | typhoons; serious maritime hazard because of numerous reefs and shoals | cyclones possible during rainy season (December to April); Le Kartala on Grand Comore is an active volcano |
| Natural resources | fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential | NEGL |
| Net migration rate | - | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 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] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
| Population | no indigenous inhabitants
note: there are scattered garrisons occupied by personnel of several claimant states (July 2002 est.) |
632,948 (July 2003 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | - | 60% (2002 est.) |
| Population growth rate | - | 2.96% (2003 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | none; offshore anchorage only | Fomboni, Moroni, Moutsamoudou |
| Radio broadcast stations | - | AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001) |
| 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: 0.9 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
| 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 |
| Telephones - main lines in use | - | 7,000 (2000) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | - | NA |
| Television broadcast stations | - | NA |
| Terrain | flat | volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills |
| Total fertility rate | - | 5.21 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | - | 20% (1996 est.) |
| Waterways | none | none |
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