$232 million (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
$10 million (2001 est.)
Currency (code):
Comoran franc (KMF)
Currency code:
KMF
Exchange rates:
Comoran francs (KMF) per US dollar - 396.21 (2004), 435.9 (2003),
522.74 (2002), 549.78 (2001), 533.98 (2000)
note: the Comoran franc is pegged to the euro at a rate of 491.9677
Comoran francs per euro
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Comoros
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)
Radios:
90,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
NA
Televisions:
1,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.km
Internet hosts:
11 (2003)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)
Internet users:
5,000 (2003)
Transportation Comoros
Highways: total: 880 km paved: 673 km unpaved: 207 km (1999 est)
Ports and harbors:
Mayotte, 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.)
Military Comoros
Military branches:
Comoran Security Force
Manpower available for military service:
males age 18–49: 138,940 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18–49: 98,792 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$11.6 million (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3% (2004)
Transnational Issues Comoros
Disputes - international: claims French-administered Mayotte
This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005
======================================================================
@Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Introduction Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Background:
Established as a Belgian colony in 1908, the Republic of the Congo
gained its independence in 1960, but its early years were marred by
political and social instability. Col. Joseph MOBUTU seized power
and declared himself president in a November 1965 coup. He
subsequently changed his name - to MOBUTU Sese Seko - as well as
that of the country - to Zaire. MOBUTU retained his position for 32
years through several subsequent sham elections as well as through
the use of brutal force. Ethnic strife and civil war, touched off by
a massive inflow of refugees in 1994 from fighting in Rwanda and
Burundi, led in May 1997 to the toppling of the MOBUTU regime by a
rebellion led by Laurent KABILA. He renamed the country the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DROC), but in August 1998 his
regime was itself challenged by an insurrection backed by Rwanda and
Uganda. Troops from Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia, Chad, and Sudan
intervened to support the Kinshasa regime. A cease-fire was signed
in July 1999 by the DROC, Zimbabwe, Angola, Uganda, Namibia, Rwanda,
and Congolese armed rebel groups, but sporadic fighting continued.
Laurent KABILA was assassinated in January 2001 and his son Joseph
