| GEOGRAPHY |
| Country name: |
conventional long
form: Union of the Comoros
conventional short form: Comoros
local long form: Union des Comores
local short form: Comores |
| Capital: |
Moroni |
| 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 |
| Geographic
Coordinates: |
12 10 S, 44 15 E |
| Area: |
total: 2,170 sq km
land: 2,170 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area
Comparative: |
slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC |
| Land
Boundaries: |
0 km |
| Coastline: |
340 km |
| Maritime
Claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| Climate: |
tropical marine; rainy season (November to May) |
| Terrain: |
volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills |
| Elavation
Extremes: |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Le Kartala 2,360 m |
| Natural
Resources: |
NEGL |
| GOVERNEMENT |
| Governement
Type: |
independent republic |
| Administratives
Divisions: |
3 islands; Grande Comore (Njazidja), Anjouan (Nzwani), and Moheli (Mwali); note - there are also four municipalities named Domoni, Fomboni, Moroni, and Moutsamoudou |
| Independence |
6 July 1975 (from France) |
| National
Holiday: |
Independence Day, 6 July (1975) |
| Constitution: |
23 December 2001
note: a Transitional National Unity Government (GUNT) was formed on 20 January 2002 following passage of a new constitution; the GUNT governed until the presidential elections on 14 April 2002 |
| Legal
System; |
French and Sharia (Islamic) law in a new consolidated code |
| Suffrage |
18 years of age; universal |
| 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 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 |
| 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 NA 2009)
election results: 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) |
| 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] |
| PEOPLE |
| Population: |
671,247 (July 2005 est.) |
| Age structure: |
0-14 years: 42.8% (male 144,075/female 143,175)
15-64 years: 54.2% (male 179,541/female 184,488)
65 years and over: 3% (male 9,407/female 10,561) (2005 est.) |
| Median age: |
total: 18.61 years
male: 18.35 years
female: 18.87 years (2005 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun: Comoran(s)
adjective: Comoran |
| Ethnic groups: |
Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava |
| Religions: |
Sunni Muslim 98%, Roman Catholic 2% |
| Languages: |
Arabic (official), French (official), Shikomoro (a blend of Swahili and Arabic) |
| COMUNICATIONS |
| Telephones - main
lines in use: |
13,200 (2003) |
| Telephones - mobile
cellular: |
2,000 (2003) |
| 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 |
| Radio broadcast
stations: |
AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001) |
| Television broadcast
stations: |
NA |
| Internet country
code: |
.km |
| Internet hosts: |
11 (2003) |
| Internet users: |
5,000 (2003) |
| TRANSPORT |
| Railways: |
|
| Highways: |
total: 880 km
paved: 673 km
unpaved: 207 km (1999 est) |
| Waterways: |
|
| Pipelines: |
|
| Ports and harbors: |
Fomboni, Moroni, Moutsamoudou |
| Merchant marine: |
total: 79 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 452,801 GRT/681,343 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 9, cargo 55, chemical tanker 1, container 1, livestock carrier 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 5, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 1
foreign-owned: 35 (Bulgaria 1, Germany 1, Greece 7, India 1, Jordan 1, Kenya 1, Lebanon 3, Nigeria 1, Norway 1, Pakistan 1, Philippines 1, Russia 2, Syria 3, Turkey 6, Ukraine 4, United Kingdom 1) (2005) |
| Airports: |
4 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with
paved runways: |
total: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with
unpaved runways: |
|
| Heliports: |
|
