The 2001 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency
tropical marine; rainy season (November to May)
Terrain: volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Le Kartala 2,360 m
Natural resources: NEGL
Land use: arable land: 35%
permanent crops: 10%
permanent pastures: 7%
forests and woodland: 18%
other: 30% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: cyclones possible during rainy season (December to
April); Le Kartala on Grand Comore is an active volcano
Environment - current issues: soil degradation and erosion results from crop cultivation on slopes without proper terracing; deforestation
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous
Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: important location at northern end of Mozambique
Channel
Comoros People
Population: 596,202 (July 2001 est.)
Age structure: 0–14 years: 42.81% (male 127,955; female 127,267)
15–64 years: 54.26% (male 159,560; female 163,949)
65 years and over: 2.93% (male 8,326; female 9,145) (2001 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.02% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 39.52 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 9.35 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Net migration rate: NEGL migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 84.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 60.41 years
male: 58.2 years
female: 62.68 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.32 children born/woman (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.12% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
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), Comoran (a blend of
Swahili and Arabic)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 57.3%
male: 64.2%
female: 50.4% (1995 est.)
Comoros Government
Country name: conventional long form: Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros
conventional short form: Comoros
local long form: Republique Federale Islamique des Comores
local short form: Comores
Government type: independent republic
Capital: Moroni
Administrative 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: 20 October 1996
Legal system: French and Muslim law in a new consolidated code
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President AZALI Assoumani (since 6 May 1999); note - the interim government of President Tajiddine Ben Said MASSOUNDE, which had assumed power on 6 November 1998 upon the death of President Mohamed TAKI Abdulkarim, was overthrown in a bloodless coup on 30 April 1999
head of government: Prime Minister Hamada MADI (since late November 2000)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 6 and 16 March 1996 (next to be held NA); prime minister appointed by the president
note: President AZALI claimed a one-year term at the time of the coup; but elections, promised for spring 2000, were not held
election results: results of the last presidential election before the coup were: Mohamed TAKI Abdulkarim elected president; percent of vote - 64.3%
Legislative branch: bicameral legislature consists of the Senate (15 seats: five from each island); members selected by regional councils for six-year terms) and a Federal Assembly or Assemblee Federale (43 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms); note - the Federal Assembly was dissolved following the coup of 30 April 1999
elections: Federal Assembly - last held 1 and 8 December 1996 (next to be held NA)
election results: Federal Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RND 39, FNJ 3, independent 1
note: the constitution stipulates that only parties that win six seats in the Federal Assembly (two from each island) are permitted to be in opposition, but if no party accomplishes that, the second most successful party will be in opposition; in the elections of December 1996 the FNJ appeared to qualify as opposition
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: Front National pour la Justice or FNJ
(Islamic party in opposition) [Ahmed Abdallah MOHAMED, Ahmed
ABOUBACAR, Soidiki M'BAPANOZA]; Rassemblement National pour le
Development or RND (party of the government) [Ali Bazi SELIM]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD,
AL, CCC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS (associate), ILO, IMF, InOC, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO
(subscriber), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WHO, WMO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Deputy
Permanent Representative Mahmoud Mohamed ABOUD (acting)