The 1990 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

stations—413 AM, no FM, 33 TV, 28 shortwave 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations with 2 antennas and 11 domestic satellite stations

      - Defense Forces

       Branches: armed forces include Police (Policia Nacional) and

       military—Army (Ejercito Nacional), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea de Colombia),

       Navy (Armada Nacional)

      Military manpower: males 15–49, 8,768,072; 5,953,729 fit for military service; 354,742 reach military age (18) annually

      Defense expenditures: 1.9% of GDP, or $700 million (1990 est.)

      ——————————————————————————

       Country: Comoros

       - Geography

       Total area: 2,170 km2; land area: 2,170 km2

      Comparative area: slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC

      Land boundaries: none

      Coastline: 340 km

      Maritime claims:

      Extended economic zone: 200 nm;

      Territorial sea: 12 nm

      Disputes: claims French-administered Mayotte

      Climate: tropical marine; rainy season (November to May)

      Terrain: volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills

      Natural resources: negligible

      Land use: 35% arable land; 8% permanent crops; 7% meadows and pastures; 16% forest and woodland; 34% other

      Environment: soil degradation and erosion; deforestation; cyclones possible during rainy season

      Note: important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel

      - People

       Population: 460,188 (July 1990), growth rate 3.5% (1990)

      Birth rate: 48 births/1,000 population (1990)

      Death rate: 12 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

      Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

      Infant mortality rate: 89 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

      Life expectancy at birth: 54 years male, 58 years female (1990)

      Total fertility rate: 7.0 children born/woman (1990)

      Nationality: noun—Comoran(s); adjective—Comoran

      Ethnic divisions: Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava

      Religion: 86% Sunni Muslim, 14% Roman Catholic

      Language: Shaafi Islam (a Swahili dialect), Malagasy, French

      Literacy: 15%

      Labor force: 140,000 (1982); 80% agriculture, 3% government; 51% of population of working age (1985)

      Organized labor: NA

      - Government

       Long-form name: Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros

      Type: independent republic

      Capital: Moroni

      Administrative divisions: 3 islands; Anjouan, Grande Comore,

       Moheli; note—there may also be 4 municipalities named Domoni, Fomboni,

       Moroni, and Mutsamudu

      Independence: 6 July 1975 (from France)

      Constitution: 1 October 1978, amended October 1982 and January 1985

      Legal system: French and Muslim law in a new consolidated code

      National holiday: Independence Day, 6 July (1975)

      Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

      Legislative branch: unicameral Federal Assembly (Assemblee Federale)

      Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

      Leaders:

       Chief of State and Head of Government—President Said

       Mohamed DJOHAR (since 11 March 1990)

      Political parties: Comoran Union for Progress (Udzima), Said

       Mohamed Djohar, president; National Union for Democracy (UNDC),

       Mohamed Taki

      Suffrage: universal at age 18

      Elections:

       President—last held 11 March 1990 (next to be held March 1996);

       results—Said Mohamed Djohar (Udzima) 55%; Mohamed Taki Abdulkarim

       (UNDC) 45%;

      Federal Assembly—last held 22 March 1987 (next to be held March 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(42 total) Udzima 42

      Member of: ACP, AfDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, IDA, IDB—Islamic Development Bank,

       IFAD, ILO, IMF, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

      Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Amini Ali MOUMIN; Chancery (temporary) at the Comoran Permanent Mission to the UN, 336 East 45th Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10017; telephone [phone]; US—Ambassador Howard K. WALKER, resides in Antananarivo (Madagascar); Embassy at address NA, Moroni (mailing address B. P. 1318, Moroni); telephone 73–12-03

      Flag: green with a white crescent placed diagonally (closed side of the crescent points to the upper hoist-side corner of the flag); there are four white five-pointed stars placed in a line between the points of the crescent; the crescent, stars, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam; the four stars represent the four main islands of the archipelago—Mwali, Njazidja, Nzwani, and Mayotte (which is a territorial collectivity of France, but claimed by the Comoros)

      - Economy Overview: One of the world's poorest countries, Comoros is made up of several islands that have poor transportation links, a young and rapidly increasing population, and few natural resources. The low educational level of the labor force contributes to a low level of economic activity, high unemployment, and a heavy dependence on foreign technical assistance. Agriculture, including fishing and forestry, is the leading sector of the economy. It contributes about 40% to GDP, employs 80% of the labor force, and provides most of the exports. The country is not self-sufficient in food production, and rice, the main staple, accounts for 90% of imports. During the period 1982–86 the industrial sector grew at an annual average rate of 5.3%, but its contribution to GDP was less than 4% in 1986. Despite major investment in the tourist industry, which accounts for about 25% of GDP, growth has stagnated since 1983.

      GDP: $207 million, per capita $475; real growth rate 0.1% (1988 est.)

      Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.3% (1986)

      Unemployment rate: over 16% (1988 est.)

      Budget: revenues $75.2 million; expenditures $77.9 million, including capital expenditures of $4.8 million (1988 est.)

      Exports: $12 million (f.o.b., 1987); commodities—vanilla, cloves, perfume oil, copra; partners—US 53%, France 41%, Africa 4%, FRG 2%

      Imports: $52 million (c.i.f., 1987); commodities—rice and other foodstuffs, cement, petroleum products, consumer goods; partners—Europe 62% (France 22%, other 40%), Africa 5%, Pakistan, China

      External debt: $238 million (December 1988)

      Industrial production: growth rate 3.4% (1988 est.)

      Electricity: 16,000 kW capacity; 24 million kWh produced, 55 kWh per capita (1989)

      Industries: perfume distillation

      Agriculture: accounts for 40% of GDP; most of population works in subsistence agriculture and fishing; plantations produce cash crops for export—vanilla, cloves, perfume essences, and copra; principal