Comoros
Countries and Regions of the World Collection 
Comoros is a nation of 730,000 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.
Comoros also claims a fourth island Mayotte or "Mahoré" which is under French administration. One of the world's poorest countries, the islands comprising Comoros 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.
The low educational level of the labor force contributes to a subsistence level of economic activity, high unemployment, and a heavy dependence on foreign subsidies and technical assistance.
Comoros's major environmental issues include:
- Soil degradation and erosion resulting 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 twenty 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 Colonel 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 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.
Contents
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: 2170 km2 (2170 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. 2361 m) on Grand Comore Island last erupted in 2007; a 2005 eruption produced a large ash cloud, and forced thousands of people to be evacuated.
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 (2360 metres).
Climate: Tropical marine; rainy season (November to May)
Villagers on the island of Grand Comore returned home to ash-tainted water after the Karthala volcano ceased 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 twenty times since the 19th century. The volcano rises to a height of 2361 metres on the southern end of Grand Comore, the largest island in the nation of Comoros. Frequent eruptions have shaped the volcano’s three by four kilometre 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.
The flora and fauna has biogeographicalaffinities 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 alien species, and others have already become 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
People and Society
Population: 737,284 (July 2012 est.)
Ethnic groups: Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava
The Comorans, inhabiting the islands of Grande Comore (also known as Ngazidja), Anjouan, and Moheli, share African-Arab origins. Islam is the dominant religion, and Koranic schools for children reinforce its influence. The most common language is Shikomoro, a Swahili dialect. French and Arabic also are spoken. Approximately 57% of the population is literate.
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: 2.063% (2012 est.)
Birthrate: 31.49 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)
Death Rate: 8.19 deaths/1000 population (July 2012 est.)
Net Migration Rate: -2.68 migrant(s)/1000 population (2012 est.)
Life Expectancy at Birth: 62.74 years
male: 60.54 years
female: 65.01 years (2012 est.)
Total Fertility Rate: 4.09 children born/woman (2012 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.)
History
Over the centuries, the islands were chanced upon or invaded by a succession of diverse groups from the coast of Africa, the Persian Gulf, Indonesia, and Madagascar. Portuguese explorers visited the archipelago in 1505. "Shirazi" Arab migrants introduced Islam at about the same time. Between 1841 and 1912, France established colonial rule over Grande Comore, Anjouan, Mayotte, and Moheli and placed the islands under the administration of the governor general of Madagascar. Later, French settlers, French-owned companies, and wealthy Arab merchants established a plantation-based economy that used about one-third of the land for export crops. After World War II, the islands became a French overseas territory and were represented in France's National Assembly. Internal political autonomy was granted in 1961. Agreement was reached with France in 1973 for Comoros to become independent in 1978. On July 6, 1975, however, the Comoran parliament passed a resolution declaring unilateral independence. The deputies of Mayotte abstained, preferring to maintain strong ties to France. As a result, the Comoran Government has control only over Grande Comore, Anjouan, and Moheli. Mayotte remains under French administration.
Comoran politics have been plagued by political instability and civil strife, with numerous coups and secession attempts since independence from France in 1975. The most recent secession attempt was on the island of Anjouan in 1997-1999, wherein rival factions on the island of Anjouan both wanted to secede but could not agree on whether to declare independence or to join France. This disagreement erupted into violence, which eventually spread to the other islands as well. It was partially in response to this that then-Colonel Assoumani Azali took over the national government in 1999 in a bloodless coup d’etat. In May 1999, Azali decreed a constitution that gave him both executive and legislative powers. When Azali took power, he had pledged to step down in 2000 and relinquish control to a democratically elected president. Instead, in 2001, Azali resigned from the military and ran as a civilian candidate for the national presidency. He was elected in 2002 in flawed but fair elections.
In June 2007, individual island elections on Grande Comore and Moheli were held on schedule, but on Anjouan, island governor Mohamed Bacar refused to step down, held a sham election, and declared himself Island Governor for another term. In March 2008, Comoran and African Union (AU) forces restored constitutional rule on Anjouan. A new election for island governor was held peacefully in June 2008.
Government
Since 2002, Comoros has been ruled by democratically elected leaders. It has a unique system under the 2001 constitution, wherein the office of the presidency rotates every four years among the three main islands. Thus, in the most recent elections, in December 2010, only those originating from the island of Moheli were eligible to run for the presidency. In 2014, the presidency will rotate to candidates originating from Grande Comore. Ikililou Dhoinine, a vice president and the favored candidate of then-incumbent President Ahmed Abdallah Mohamed Sambi, was elected in December 2010 in elections deemed generally free and fair. Though some irregularities were noted on the island of Anjouan, they were determined not to have changed the outcome of the vote. Dhoinine officially took office in May 2011. Former Comoran President Sambi, originating from the island of Anjouan, came to power in 2006 elections that were deemed generally free and fair, taking over from President Azali, who initially came to power in a coup but was elected in 2002 after resigning his military commission.
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.
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 | 52 million kWh (2008 est.) |
48.36 million kWh (2008 est.) |
0 kWh (2009) |
0 kWh (2009) |
|
| Oil | 0 bbl/day (2010) |
1,000 bbl/day (2010 est.) |
0 bbl/day (2009) |
966.8 bbl/day (2009 est.) |
0 bbl (1 January 2011 est.) |
| Natural Gas | 0 cu m (2009 est.) |
0 cu m (2009 est.) |
0 cu m (2009 est.) |
0 cu m (2009) |
0 cu m (1 January 2011 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.
Although the quality of the land differs from island to island, much of the widespread lava-encrusted soil is unsuitable for agriculture. Comoros has only one deepwater port, and unreliable and sometimes nonexistent road connections, significantly limiting its ability to scale up its engagement in international trade. As a result, most of the inhabitants make their living from subsistence farming (where this is possible) and fishing.
Agriculture, involving more than 80% of the population and 40% of the gross domestic product, provides virtually all foreign exchange earnings. Services including tourism, construction, and commercial activities constitute the remainder of the GDP. Plantations engage a small proportion of the population, but produce the islands' major cash crops for export: vanilla, cloves, perfume essences, and copra (the dried meat of a coconut from which oil is extracted). Comoros is the world's leading producer of essence of ylang-ylang, used in manufacturing perfume. It also is the world's second-largest producer of vanilla, after neighboring Madagascar. Principal food crops are coconuts, bananas, and cassava. Foodstuffs constitute 32% of total imports. 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 country lacks the infrastructure necessary for development. Some villages are not linked to the main road system or at best are connected by tracks usable only by four-wheel-drive vehicles. The islands' ports are rudimentary, although one deepwater facility functions in Anjouan. Only small vessels can approach the existing quays in the capital Moroni on Grande Comore, despite improvements. Most long-distance, ocean-going ships must lie offshore and be unloaded by smaller boats; during the cyclone season, this procedure is dangerous, and ships are reluctant to call at the island. As a result, most freight is sent first to Mombasa, Kenya, or the French island of Reunion and transshipped from there.
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.
France, Comoros' largest trading partner, finances only small development projects. The United States receives a growing percentage of Comoros' exports but supplies only a negligible fraction of its imports (less than 1%).
Comoros has an international airport at Hahaya on Grande Comore. Comoros has its own currency, the Comoran franc, which is currently valued at approximately 390 CF = U.S. $1.00.
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
