Comoros Islands

This Page was last updated on the 26th June, 2007.

Country	Presidential Elections went ahead smoothly on 24th June on Grand Comoro and the formerly breakaway island of Moheli. On Moheli, a businessman who favours close links with the other islands, Mohamed Ali Said, won a convincing 58% of the vote to become President of Moheli. On troubled Anjouan, the sitting President of the island, Mohamed Bacar, held the preliminary election of June 10th, declaring himself re-elected with 90% of the vote. This election was held in defience of the African Union and the Comoro Government. The Union President is also from Anjouan, elected in 2006.
Official Name	Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros (Republique Federale Islamique des Comores)
Former Name	Comoros (visited by Arabs and Portuguese explorers around 1505; France established rule over Grande Comore, Anjouan, Mayotte, and Moheli and were put under the governor general of Madagascar between 1841 and 1912; the islands became a French overseas territory after World War II; internal political autonomy granted in 1961; despite agreement reached with France in 1973 for Comoros to become independent in 1978, the Comorian parliament passed a resolution declaring unilateral independence on 6 July , 1975; Comorian Government took control of Grande Comore, Anjouan, and Moheli; Mayotte remained under French administration.
Capital	Moroni (Ngazidja Island)
Main Towns	Moroni, Mutsamudu (Anjouan Island), Fomboni (Moheli Island)
Subdivisions	3 islands - Anjouan (Nzwani), Moheli (Mwali) and Ngazidja (Grand Comoros). 4 municipalities: Domoni, Fomboni, Moroni, and Moutsamoudou.
Independence	6 July 1975 (from France)
Constitution	23 December 2001
National Holiday	Independence Day, 6 July (1975)
UN Membership	12 November 1975
OAU Membership	18 July 1975 – now African Union (AU)
Commonwealth	n/a
Other Organisations	In alphabetical order according to abbreviation/acronym: Agency for the French-Speaking Community (ACCT), Africa-Caribbean-Pacific-European Union (ACP-EU), African Development Bank (AfDB or AFDB), Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD), Arab League (AL or League of Arab States), Arab Monetary Fund (AMF), Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA), Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Franc Zone (FZ), Group of 77 at the United Nations (G-77), International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), International Criminal Court (ICCt - signatory), International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (ICRM), International Development Association (IDA), Islamic Development Bank (IDB), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), International Finance Corporation (IFC), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS - associate), International Labour Organisation (ILO), International Monetary Fund (IMF), International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Indian Ocean Commission (InOC), International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Telecommunications Union (ITU), Non Aligned Movement (NAM), Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW - signatory), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Universal Postal Union (UPU), World Customs Organization (WCO, former Customs Cooperation Council [CCC]), World Health Organisation (WHO), World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), World Trade Organisation (WTrO - applicant).
Population	World Bank Figures: 544,280 (1999), 558,000 (2000), 571,888 (2001), 585,937 (2002), 600,142 (2003) Other Sources: 549,338 (July 1995), 596,202 (July 2001 est.) 632,948 (July 2003 est.) 671,247 (July 2005 est.) By island – Mwali: 35,751; Ngazija: 296,177; Nzwani: 243,732 (2003)
Area	4 Major Islands : Grande Comore (1,025 sq. km.), Anjouan (424 sq. km.), Mayotte (374 sq. km., French-administered, claimed by Comoros), and Moheli (211 sq. km.).
Density	322 per sq.km. (1995)
Highest Point	Le Kartala 7,746 ft. (2,361 m.)
Lowest Point	Indian Ocean - sea level ft. (m.)
Neighbours	none - Indian Ocean
Life Expectancy	56 years (1995), total population: 60.41 years, male: 58.2 years, female: 62.68 years (2001 est.) total population: 61.18 years male: 58.92 years female: 63.5 years (2003 est.) total population: 61.96 years male: 59.65 years female: 64.33 years (2005 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate	total: 79.51 deaths/1,000 live births female: 70.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 88.32 deaths/1,000 live births
HIV/AIDS	adult prevalence rate: 0.12% (2001 est.) people living with HIV/AIDS: NA deaths: NA IRIN Plus News - HIV/AIDS Treatment Map: Comoros - Updated: Sept 2004 Population: 747,000 HIV Prevalence Rate (%) 2003 End: N/D No. Of People living with HIV/AIDS: N/D No. Of People in need of ART: N/D No. Of People Currently On ART (Sep 04): N/D No. Of People on ART Public Sector: N/D No. Of People on ART in Non Govt Programmes: N/D No. Of People Exptd to be on ART (2005 End): N/D Front Line Drug Regimen: N/D HIV/AIDS Treatment Sites: N/D Global Fund 2 Year Approved Funding US$685,600.00 Total Funds Disbursed By The Global Fund: Nil Total Funds Disbursed By The World Bank Multi-Country HIV/AIDS Programme (MAP): Nil Total Funds Disbursed By PEPFAR: Nil Source: USAID, WHO, Ministry of Health
Adult Literacy Rate	48% (1985), total population: 57.3%, male: 64.2%, female: 50.4% (1995 est.) total population: 56.5% male: 63.6% female: 49.3% (2003 est.)
Ethnic Groups	Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava
Languages	Arabic (official), French (official), Comoran (a blend of Swahili and Arabic), Likala.
Religions	Islam of the Shafi sect - except for a few Catholic families on Mahore
Type of Government	Independent republic.After Anjouan and Moheli tried to break from the Comoros in the violence of 1997, a new constitutional arrangement was introduced in 2001. Every four years one of the islands in turn proposes three candidates for the presidential election of the Union of the Comoros. Voters from all the islands vote on these candidates. In the 2006 election, it was the turn of Anjouan to hold the presidency.
President	Ahmed Abdullah Mohamed Sambi won the May 2006 election, gaining 58% of the popular vote. He will be replaced by a president from Moheli in 2010. There are three main islands in the Union of Comoros and the presidency of the Union rotates between them every four years. Each island elects its own president. They are: Moheli,Grande Comoro and Nzwani (Anjouan)
Prime Minister	---
Political Parties	Forces pour l'Action Republicaine (FAR); Forum pour la Redressement National (FRN, alliance of 12 parties); Front Democratique (FD); Front National pour la Justice (FNJ, Islamic party in opposition); Movement des Citoyens pour la Republique (MCR); Mouvement Populaire Anjouanais (MPA); Mouvement pour la Democratie et le Progress (MDP-NGDC); Movement pour le Socialisme et la Democratie (MSD, splinter group of FD); Parti Comorien pour la Democratie et le Progress (PCDP); Rassemblement National pour le Development (RND)
Ruling Party	Government of National Unity, Transitional National Unity Government (GUNT) formed on 20 January 2002 and governed until the presidential elections on 14 April 2002. Government party is Rassemblement National pour le Development (RND)
Currency	Comoran franc (KMF)(100 centimes) pegged to the euro at a rate of 491.9677 Comoran francs per euro Comoran francs (KMF) per US dollar - 396.21 (2004), 435.9 (2003), 522.74 (2002), 549.78 (2001), 533.98 (2000)
GDP	US$510 (1994) purchasing power parity - $441 million (2002 est.) per capita purchasing power parity - US$700 (2002 est.)
GNP	US$400 (1994)
Per Capita Income	Per capita income: US$720 GDP per head: US$402 (est.2003)
Population Below Poverty Line	60% (2002 est.)
Land Use	arable land: 35.87% permanent crops: 23.32% other: 40.81% (2001) Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural Resources	NEGL
Oil and Natural Gas	Oil production: 0 bbl/day (2001 est.) consumption: 700 bbl/day (2001 est.) exports: NA (2001) imports: NA (2001)
Military	Branches: Comoran Security Force Manpower availability: males age 15-49: 150,079 (2003 est.) males age 18-49: 138,940 (2005 est.) Expenditures - US$6 million, 3% of GDP (FY02) US$11.6 million, 3% of GDP (2004)
Economic Aid Received	US$10 million (2001 est.) Aid per Capita (World Bank): US$39 (1999), US$34 (2000), US$48 (2001), US$55 (2002), US$41 (2003)
Debt	Severely indebted (HIPC) World Bank Figures: US$156,800,000 (2000), US$177,100,000 (2001), US$191,900,000 (2002), US$209,900,000 (2003) Other Sources: US$70bn (May 1994), US$197 million (1997 est.) US$232 million (2000 est.) US $232million (2000 est.)
Major Imports	rice, petroleum, meat, wheat flour, cotton textiles, cement (1998 est.) rice and other foodstuffs, consumer goods; petroleum products, cement, transport equipment
Imports from	France 38%, Pakistan 13%, Kenya 8%, South Africa 8%.(1998 est.) US$35.84 million (1998 est.) France 25%, South Africa 16.7%, Kenya 6.7%, Pakistan 3.4% (2000) France 24.4%, South Africa 11.5%, UAE 7.3%, Kenya 6.1%, Italy 5.1%, Mauritius 4.8%, Singapore 4.2% (2004) US$88 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Major Exports	vanilla, cloves, perfume essences, copra (1999 est.) Vanilla 65%, cloves 18.5%, ylang ylang (perfume oil) 12.5%, coffee, vanilla, copra
Exports to	France, Germany (1999 est.) US$7.9 million (1999 est.) France 31.3%, US 18.8%, Singapore 18.8%, Germany 6.3% (2000) US 42.2%, France 18%, Singapore 16%, Turkey 4.7% (2004) US$28 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

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The White Fathers, Sutton Coldfield, 26 June, 2007

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