Compare Western Sahara (2007) - Comoros (2007)

Compare Western Sahara (2007) z Comoros (2007)

	Western Sahara (2007)	Comoros (2007)

Administrative divisions	none (under de facto control of Morocco)	3 islands and 4 municipalities; Grande Comore, Anjouan, Domoni, Fomboni, Moheli, Moroni, Moutsamoudou*
Age structure	0-14 years: 45.4% (male 88,176/female 85,421) 15-64 years: 52.3% (male 98,345/female 101,895) 65 years and over: 2.3% (male 3,705/female 5,075) (2007 est.)	0-14 years: 42.6% (male 151,920/female 150,851) 15-64 years: 54.4% (male 191,096/female 196,120) 65 years and over: 3% (male 9,933/female 11,497) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products	fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads); fish	vanilla, cloves, perfume essences, copra, coconuts, bananas, cassava (tapioca)
Airports	9 (2007)	4 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2007)	total: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 2 (2007)	-
Area	total: 266,000 sq km land: 266,000 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 2,170 sq km land: 2,170 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	about the size of Colorado	slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC
Background	Morocco virtually annexed the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara (formerly Spanish Sahara) in 1976, and the rest of the territory in 1979, following Mauritania's withdrawal. A guerrilla war with the Polisario Front contesting Rabat's sovereignty ended in a 1991 UN-brokered cease-fire; a UN-organized referendum on final status has been repeatedly postponed.	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.
Birth rate	NA	36.35 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget	revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA	revenues: $27.6 million expenditures: $NA (2001 est.)
Capital	none time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)	name: Moroni geographic coordinates: 11 42 S, 43 14 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate	hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew	tropical marine; rainy season (November to May)
Coastline	1,110 km	340 km
Constitution	-	23 December 2001
Country name	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Western Sahara former: Spanish Sahara	conventional long form: Union of the Comoros conventional short form: Comoros local long form: Union des Comores local short form: Comores
Death rate	NA	7.95 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external	$NA	$232 million (2000 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US	none	the US does not have an embassy in Comoros; the ambassador to Madagascar is accredited to Comoros
Diplomatic representation in the US	none	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
Disputes - international	Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, whose sovereignty remains unresolved; UN-administered cease-fire has remained in effect since September 1991, administered by the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), but attempts to hold a referendum have failed and parties thus far have rejected all brokered proposals; several states have extended diplomatic relations to the "Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic" represented by the Polisario Front in exile in Algeria, while others recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara; most of the approximately 102,000 Sahrawi refugees are sheltered in camps in Tindouf, Algeria	claims French-administered Mayotte
Economic aid - recipient	$NA	$25.23 million (2005 est.)
Economy - overview	Western Sahara depends on pastoral nomadism, fishing, and phosphate mining as the principal sources of income for the population. The territory lacks sufficient rainfall for sustainable agricultural production, and most of the food for the urban population must be imported. Incomes in Western Sahara are substantially below the Moroccan level. The Moroccan Government controls all trade and other economic activities in Western Sahara. Morocco and the EU signed a four-year agreement in July 2006 allowing European vessels to fish off the coast of Morocco, including the disputed waters off the coast of Western Sahara. Moroccan energy interests in 2001 signed contracts to explore for oil off the coast of Western Sahara, which has angered the Polisario. However, in 2006, the Polisario awarded similar exploration licenses in the disputed territory, which would come into force if Morocco and the Polisario resolve their dispute over Western Sahara.	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.
Electricity - consumption	79.05 million kWh (2005)	18.6 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2005)	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2005)	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production	85 million kWh (2005)	20 million kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m highest point: unnamed location 463 m	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Le Kartala 2,360 m
Environment - current issues	sparse water and lack of arable land	soil degradation and erosion results from crop cultivation on slopes without proper terracing; deforestation
Environment - international agreements	party to: none of the selected agreements 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, Berber	Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava
Exchange rates	Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 8.7722 (2006), 8.865 (2005), 8.868 (2004), 9.5744 (2003), 11.0206 (2002)	Comoran francs (KMF) per US dollar - 392.03 (2006), 395.6 (2005), 396.21 (2004), 435.9 (2003), 522.74 (2002) note: the Comoran franc is pegged to the euro at a rate of 491.9677 Comoran francs per euro
Executive branch	none	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%
Exports	NA bbl/day	NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities	phosphates 62%	vanilla, ylang-ylang (perfume essence), cloves, copra
Exports - partners	Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2006)	Netherlands 35.8%, France 18.3%, Italy 12.8%, Singapore 7.8%, Turkey 5%, US 4.6% (2006)
Fiscal year	calendar 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 - composition by sector	agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: 40%	agriculture: 40% industry: 4% services: 56% (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	NA%	3% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates	24 30 N, 13 00 W	12 10 S, 44 15 E
Geography - note	the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas	important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports	NA bbl/day	NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities	fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs	rice and other foodstuffs, consumer goods, petroleum products, cement, transport equipment
Imports - partners	Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2006)	France 24.8%, UAE 9.9%, South Africa 6.4%, Pakistan 6.3%, Kenya 5%, China 4.8%, India 4.4%, Italy 4.2% (2006)
Independence	-	6 July 1975 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate	NA%	-2% (1999 est.)
Industries	phosphate mining, handicrafts	fishing, tourism, perfume distillation
Infant mortality rate	total: NA male: NA female: NA	total: 70.66 deaths/1,000 live births male: 78.86 deaths/1,000 live births female: 62.21 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	NA%	3% (2005 est.)
International organization participation	none	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, ITSO, ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Irrigated land	NA	NA
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	12,000	144,500 (1996 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture: 50% industry and services: 50%	agriculture: 80% industry and services: 20% (1996 est.)
Land boundaries	total: 2,046 km border countries: Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 0.02% permanent crops: 0% other: 99.98% (2005)	arable land: 35.87% permanent crops: 23.32% other: 40.81% (2005)
Languages	Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic	Arabic (official), French (official), Shikomoro (a blend of Swahili and Arabic)
Legal system	-	French and Islamic law in a new consolidated code
Legislative branch	-	unicameral Assembly of the Union (33 seats; 15 deputies are selected by the individual islands' local assemblies and 18 by universal suffrage; to 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
Life expectancy at birth	total population: NA male: NA female: NA	total population: 62.73 years male: 60.37 years female: 65.15 years (2007 est.)
Literacy	NA	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 56.5% male: 63.6% female: 49.3% (2003 est.)
Location	Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco	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	Africa	Africa
Maritime claims	contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine	-	total: 144 ships (1000 GRT or over) 657,755 GRT/954,498 DWT by type: bulk carrier 11, cargo 101, chemical tanker 3, container 1, livestock carrier 4, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 9, refrigerated cargo 6, roll on/roll off 6, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 70 (Bangladesh 1, Bulgaria 1, Cyprus 1, Greece 8, India 2, Kenya 1, Kuwait 1, Lebanon 5, Norway 1, Pakistan 2, Philippines 1, Russia 9, Saudi Arabia 1, Syria 8, Turkey 8, Ukraine 13, UAE 5, US 2) (2007)
Military branches	-	Comoran Defense Force: Comoran Security Force; Comoran Federal Police (2007)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	-	2.8% (2006)
National holiday	-	Independence Day, 6 July (1975)
Nationality	noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s) adjective: Sahrawi, Sahrawian, Sahraouian	noun: Comoran(s) adjective: Comoran
Natural hazards	hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely restricting visibility	cyclones possible during rainy season (December to April); Le Kartala on Grand Comore is an active volcano
Natural resources	phosphates, iron ore	NEGL
Net migration rate	-	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Political parties and leaders	-	Convention for the Renewal of the Comoros or CRC [AZALI Assowmani]; Camp of the Autonomous Islands or CdIA (a coalition of parties organized by the islands' 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]
Political pressure groups and leaders	none	NA
Population	382,617 note: estimate is based on projections by age, sex, fertility, mortality, and migration; fertility and mortality are based on data from neighboring countries (July 2007 est.)	711,417 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%	60% (2002 est.)
Population growth rate	NA	2.84% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations	AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)	AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001)
Religions	Muslim	Sunni Muslim 98%, Roman Catholic 2%
Sex ratio	NA	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.007 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.974 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.864 male(s)/female total population: 0.985 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage	none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign not yet completed	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: sparse and limited system domestic: NA international: country code - 212; tied into Morocco's system by microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and satellite; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) linked to Rabat, Morocco	general assessment: sparse system of microwave radio relay and HF radiotelephone communication stations; fixed-line connections only about 2 per 100 persons; mobile cellular usage about 2 per 100 persons domestic: HF radiotelephone communications and microwave radio relay international: country code - 269; HF radiotelephone communications to Madagascar and Reunion
Telephones - main lines in use	about 2,000 (1999 est.)	16,900 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular	0 (1999)	16,100 (2005)
Television broadcast stations	NA	NA
Terrain	mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast	volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills
Total fertility rate	NA	4.97 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate	NA%	20% (1996 est.)

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