Comoros
Comoros
Centre of the Capital of the Comoros. With Central Mosque and Harbor Bay. Source:
| Topics: |  Geography |
Comoros is a nation of 800,000 people composed of three islands (Ngazidja or "Grande Comore", Mwali or "Mohéli" and Nzwani or "Anjouan" in the Indian Ocean, at the northern mouth of the Mozambique Channel, about two-thirds of the way between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique.
It also claims a fourth island Mayotte or "Mahoré" which is under French administration.
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 country is not self-sufficient in food production. Rice, the main staple, accounts for the bulk of imports.
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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.
Comoros's major environmental issues include:
- soil degradation and erosion results from crop cultivation on slopes without proper terracing; and,
- deforestation.
It is susceptible to cyclones during the rainy season (December to April) and Le Kartala on Grand Comore is an active volcano.
Comoros has endured more than 20 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 in a bloodless coup, and helped negotiate the 2000 Fomboni Accords power-sharing agreement in which the federal presidency rotates among the three islands, and each island maintains its own local government.
Azali won the 2002 presidential election, and each island in the archipelago elected its own president.
Azali stepped down in 2006 and President Sambi was elected to office.
In 2007, Mohamed Bacar effected Anjouan's de-facto secession from the Union, refusing to step down in favor of fresh Anjouanais elections when Comoros' other islands held legitimate elections in July.
The African Union (AU) initially attempted to resolve the political crisis by applying sanctions and a naval blockade on Anjouan, but in March 2008, AU and Comoran soldiers seized the island. The move was generally welcomed by the island's inhabitants.
Geography
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 Coordinate: 12 10 S, 44 15 E
Area: 2,170 km2 (2,170 km2 land and 0 km2 water)
arable land: 35.87%
permanent crops: 23.32%
other: 40.81% (2005)
Coastline: 340 km
Maritime Claims:
territorial sea:12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Natural Hazards: cyclones possible during rainy season (December to April); Le Kartala on Grand Comore is an active volcano.
Volcanism: Karthala (elev. 2,361 m) on Grand Comore Island last erupted in 2007; a 2005 eruption forced thousands of people to be evacuated and produced a large ash cloud
Terrain: Volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills. Its lowest point is the Indian Ocean (0 metres) and its highest point is Le Kartala (2,360 metres).
Climate:Tropical marine; rainy season (November to May)
Villagers on the island of Grand Comore are returning home to ash-tainted water after the Karthala volcano stopped erupting on April 19, 2005. The volcano began spewing ash and gas on April 17, forcing as many as 10,000 people to flee.
The Karthala volcano is notoriously active, having erupted more than 20 times since the 19th century. The volcano rises to a height of 2,361 meters on the southern end of Grand Comore, the largest island in the nation of Comoros. Frequent eruptions have shaped the volcano’s 3 by 4 kilometer summit caldera, which is shown in these Ikonos images.
The top image shows the summit caldera on April 19, 2005, just as the eruption was ending. The bright white cloud on left of center, near the edge of the caldera may be steam from the eruption. The lower image shows the summit caldera on August 4, 2002. Some of the differences between the two images are caused by differences in season and time of day. The top image was taken early in the morning when the eastern sun cast long shadows over the eastern side of the crater. The sun was more directly overhead in the lower image.
Beyond differences in lighting, the crater has clearly been changed by the recent eruption. A grey field of ash surrounds the crater and the caldera itself seems larger and deeper. The crater lake that dominates the caldera in the 2002 image is gone entirely. The lake formed after Karthala’s last eruption in 1991. In its place are rough, dark grey rocks, possibly cooling lava or rubble from the collapsed crater. Source: NASA.
Ecology and Biodiversity
The Cormoros forests are situated on the four Comoros Islands, which are distinctive in size, shape, and topography, with a variety of habitat types.
The two larger islands, Grande Comoro and Anjouan have significant topographic relief and support lowland and montane rainforests. Mangrove habitats are present along the coasts and areas of sparse herbaceous vegetation exist on Grande Comore where lava flows have left little soil.
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| Comoros coral reef. Source: Derek Keats/Flickr. |
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| Comoros Beach. Source: Juergen Kurlvink |
The flora and fauna has biogeographical affinities to Madagascar and to a lesser degree to the African continent.
Like many Indo-Pacific islands, the Comoros host a diverse array of endemic species, including more than 500 species of plants, 21 species of birds, nine species of reptiles, and two species of fruit bats.
However, forest cover is rapidly declining and less than 30 percent of the original area is left today; many of the endemic species are severely threatened from habitat loss and invasive species, and others have already gone extinct.
Frequent cyclones and volcanic activity pose further risks to the surviving species.
Conservation of the remaining forested areas, particularly on Mount Karthala on Grande Comore, Mount Ntringui on Anjouan, and Mount Koukoule on Moheli, is a priority for the conservation of endemic species.
See also: Agulhas Current large marine ecosystem
Government
Government Type: Republic
Capital: Moroni - 49,000 (2009)
Administrative Divisions: 3 islands and 4 municipalities*; Grande Comore (N'gazidja), Anjouan (Ndzuwani), Domoni*, Fomboni*, Moheli (Mwali), Moroni*, Moutsamoudou*
Independence Date: 6 July 1975 (from France)
Legal System: mixed legal system of Islamic religious law, the French civil code of 1975, and customary law. Comoros has not submitted an International Court of Justice (ICJ) jurisdiction declaration. It accepts International criminal court (ICCt) jurisdiction.
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
International Environmental Agreements
Comoros is party to international agreements on: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, and Wetlands.
People and Society
Population: 794,683 (July 2011 est.)
Ethnic groups: Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava
Age Structure:
0-14 years: 41.6% (male 166,141/female 164,788)
15-64 years: 55.3% (male 217,046/female 222,093)
65 years and over: 3.1% (male 11,053/female 13,562) (2011 est.)
Population Growth Rate: 2.696% (2011 est.)
Birthrate: 34.19 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)
Death Rate: 7.23 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)
Net Migration Rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)
Life Expectancy at Birth: 64.2 years (2011 est.)
Total Fertility Rate: 4.72 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Language: Arabic (official), French (official), Shikomoro (a blend of Swahili and Arabic)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 56.5%
male: 63.6%
female: 49.3% (2003 est.)
Urbanization: 28% of total population (2010) growing at an annual rate of change of 2.8% (2010-15 est.)
Water
Total Renewable Water Resources: 1.2 cu km (2003)
Freshwater Withdrawal: Total: 0.01 cu km/yr (48% domestic, 5% industrial, 47% agriculture).
Per Capita Freshwater Withdrawal: 13 cu m/yr (1999)
Access to improved sources of drinking water: 95% of population
Access to improved sanitation facilities: 36% of population
Energy
| Production | Consumption | Exports | Imports | Reserves | |
| Electricity |
20 million kWh (2005) |
18.6 million kWh (2005) |
0 kWh (2005) |
0 kWh (2005) |
|
| Oil |
0 bbl/day (2005) |
700 bbl/day (2005 est.) |
0 bbl/day (2004) |
709.1 bbl/day (2004) |
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.) |
| Natural Gas |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
0 cu m (2005) |
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.) |
| Source: CIA Factbook | |||||
International Disputes:
Comoros claims French-administered Mayotte and challenges France's and Madagascar's claims to Banc du Geyser, a drying reef in the Mozambique Channel;=.
In May 2008, African Union forces are called in to assist the Comoros military recapture Anjouan Island from rebels who seized it in 2001
Economy
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.
Export income is heavily reliant on the three main crops of vanilla, cloves, and ylang-ylang and Comoros' export earnings are easily disrupted by disasters such as fires.
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 - lacks a comprehensive strategy to attract foreign investment and 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.
Political problems have inhibited growth, which averaged only about 1% in 2006-09, but more than 2% per year in 2010-11.
Remittances from 150,000 Comorans abroad help supplement GDP.
In September 2009 the IMF approved Comoros for a three-year $21 million loan, but the government has struggled to meet program targets, such as restricting spending on wages, strengthening domestic revenue collection, and moving forward on structural reforms.
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $816 million (2011 est.)
GDP (Official Exchange Rate): $600 million (2011 est.)
GDP-per capita (PPP): $1,200 (2011 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 41.8%
industry: 8.6%
services: 49.6% (2010 est.)
Population Below Poverty Line: 60% (2002 est.)
Agricultural Products: vanilla, cloves, ylang-ylang, perfume essences, copra, coconuts, bananas, cassava (tapioca)
Industries: fishing, tourism, perfume distillation
Exports: vanilla, ylang-ylang (perfume essence), cloves, copra
Imports: rice and other foodstuffs, consumer goods, petroleum products, cement, transport equipment
Economic Aid Recipient: $25.23 million (2005 est.)
Currency: Comoran franc (KMF)
Ports and Terminals: Mayotte, Mutsamudu
Citation
Central Intelligence Agency (Lead Author);CIA World Factbook (Content Source);Lakhdar Boukerrou, Peter Saundry (Topic Editor) "Comoros". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth May 30, 2009; Last revised Date February 6, 2012; Retrieved February 9, 2012 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Comoros>
The Author
The Central Intelligence Agency was created in 1947 with the signing of the National Security Act by President Harry S. Truman. The act also created a Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) to serve as head of the United States intelligence community; act as the principal adviser to the President for intelligence matters related to the national security; and serve as head of the Central Intelligence Agency. The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 amended the National Securit ... (Full Bio)
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