style="font-size:15px;"> 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:
Exclusive 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:
arable land 35%; permanent crops 8%; meadows and pastures 7%; forest and
woodland 16%; other 34%
Environment:
soil degradation and erosion; deforestation; cyclones possible during rainy
season
Note:
important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel
:Comoros People
Population:
493,853 (July 1992), growth rate 3.5% (1992)
Birth rate:
47 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
12 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
84 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
55 years male, 59 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
6.9 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Comoran(s); adjective - Comoran
Ethnic divisions:
Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava
Religions:
Sunni Muslim 86%, Roman Catholic 14%
Languages:
official languages are Arabic and French but majority of population speak
Comoran, a blend of Swahili and Arabic
Literacy:
48% (male 56%, female 40%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
Labor force:
140,000 (1982); agriculture 80%, government 3%; 51% of population of working
age (1985)
Organized labor:
NA
:Comoros Government
Long-form name:
Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros
Type:
independent republic
Capital:
Moroni
Administrative divisions:
three islands; Njazidja, Nzwani, and Mwali, formerly Grand Comore, Anjouan,
and Moheli respectively; note - there are also four municipalities named
Domoni, Fomboni, Moroni, and Mutsamudu
Independence:
31 December 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); coordinator of National
Unity Government (de facto prime minister) - Mohamed Taki ABDULKARIM (1
January 1992)
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
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
President:
last held 11 March 1990 (next to be held March 1996); results - Said Mohamed
DJOHAR (Udzima) 55%, Mohamed TAKI Abdulkarim (UNDC) 45%
Member of:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, ILO, IMF,
ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador
