cn.json

{"code":"cn","name":"Comoros","region":"Africa","background":"Comoros has endured more than 20 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 Col. 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 legitimate 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.","geo":{"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 coordinates":{"S":{"deg":12,"min":10},"E":{"deg":44,"min":15}},"Map references":{},"Area":{"total":{"quantity":2235,"unit":"sq km"},"country comparison to the world":"","land":{"quantity":2235,"unit":"sq km"},"water":{"quantity":0,"unit":"sq km"}},"Area - comparative":"slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC","Land boundaries":{"quantity":0,"unit":"km"},"Coastline":{"quantity":340,"unit":"km"},"Maritime claims":{"territorial sea":{"quantity":12,"unit":"nm"},"exclusive economic zone":{"quantity":200,"unit":"nm"}},"Terrain":"volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills","Elevation extremes":{"lowest point":"Indian Ocean 0 m","highest point":"Karthala 2,360 m"},"Land use":{"arable land":{"quantity":35.87,"unit":"%"},"permanent crops":{"quantity":23.32,"unit":"%"},"other":{"quantity":40.81,"unit":"%"}},"Irrigated land":"NA","Total renewable water resources":{"quantity":1.2,"unit":"cu km"},"Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)":{"total":{"quantity":0.01,"unit":"cu km/yr"},"per capita":{"quantity":13,"unit":"cu m/yr"}},"Natural hazards":{"Natural hazards":"cyclones possible during rainy season (December to April); volcanic activity on Grand Comore","volcanism":"Karthala (elev. 2,361 m) on Grand Comore Island last erupted in 2007; a 2005 eruption forced thousands of people to be evacuated and produced a large ash cloud"},"internationalEnvironmentAgreements":{"signed, but not ratified":"none of the selected agreements","partyTo":["Biodiversity","Climate Change","Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol","Desertification","Endangered Species","Hazardous Wastes","Law of the Sea","Ozone Layer Protection","Ship Pollution","Wetlands"]},"naturalResources":["NEGL"],"environmentalIssues":["soil degradation and erosion results from crop cultivation on slopes without proper terracing","deforestation"],"climate":["tropical marine","rainy season (November to May)"],"geographyNote":["important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel"]},"people":{"Population":794683,"Age structure":{"0-14 years":{"quantity":41.6,"unit":"%"},"15-64 years":{"quantity":55.3,"unit":"%"},"65 years and over":"3.1% (male 11,053/female 13,562) (2011 est.)"},"Median age":{"total":{"quantity":19,"unit":"years"},"male":{"quantity":18.7,"unit":"years"},"female":{"quantity":19.3,"unit":"years"}},"Population growth rate":{"quantity":2.696,"unit":"%"},"Birth rate":{"quantity":34.19,"unit":"births/1,000 population"},"Death rate":{"quantity":7.23,"unit":"deaths/1,000 population"},"Net migration rate":{"quantity":0,"unit":"migrant(s)/1,000 population"},"Urbanization":{"urban population":{"quantity":28,"unit":"% of total population"},"rate of urbanization":{"quantity":2.8,"unit":"% annual rate of change"}},"Major cities - population":"MORONI (capital) 49,000 (2009)","Sex ratio":{"at birth":{"quantity":1.03,"unit":"male(s)/female"},"under 15 years":{"quantity":1.01,"unit":"male(s)/female"},"15-64 years":{"quantity":0.98,"unit":"male(s)/female"},"65 years and over":{"quantity":0.83,"unit":"male(s)/female"},"total population":{"quantity":0.98,"unit":"male(s)/female"}},"Infant mortality rate":{"total":{"quantity":62.63,"unit":"deaths/1,000 live births"},"country comparison to the world":"","male":{"quantity":70.3,"unit":"deaths/1,000 live births"},"female":{"quantity":54.73,"unit":"deaths/1,000 live births"}},"Life expectancy at birth":{"total population":{"quantity":64.2,"unit":"years"},"country comparison to the world":"","male":{"quantity":61.76,"unit":"years"},"female":{"quantity":66.72,"unit":"years"}},"Total fertility rate":{"quantity":4.72,"unit":"children born/woman"},"HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate":{"quantity":0.1,"unit":"%"},"HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS":"fewer than 500 (2009 est.)","HIV/AIDS - deaths":"fewer than 100 (2009 est.)","Drinking water source":{},"Sanitation facility access":{},"Nationality":{"noun":"Comoran(s)","adjective":"Comoran"},"Literacy":{"definition":"age 15 and over can read and write","total population":{"quantity":56.5,"unit":"%"},"male":{"quantity":63.6,"unit":"%"},"female":{"quantity":49.3,"unit":"%"}},"School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)":{"total":{"quantity":11,"unit":"years"},"male":{"quantity":12,"unit":"years"},"female":{"quantity":10,"unit":"years"}},"Education expenditures":{"quantity":7.6,"unit":"% of GDP"},"ethnicGroups":["Antalote","Cafre","Makoa","Oimatsaha","Sakalava"],"religions":["Sunni Muslim 98%","Roman Catholic 2%"],"languages":["Arabic (official)","French (official)","Shikomoro (a blend of Swahili and Arabic)"]},"government":{"Country name":{"conventional long form":"Union of the Comoros","conventional short form":"Comoros","local long form":"Udzima wa Komori (Comorian); Union des Comores (French); Jumhuriyat al Qamar al Muttahidah (Arabic)","local short form":"Komori (Comorian); Comores (French); Juzur al Qamar (Arabic)"},"Government type":"republic","Capital":{"name":"Moroni","geographic coordinates":{"S":{"deg":11,"min":42},"E":{"deg":43,"min":14}},"time difference":"UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)"},"Independence":"6 July 1975 (from France)","National holiday":"Independence Day, 6 July (1975)","Legal system":"mixed legal system of Islamic religious law, the French civil code of 1975, and customary law","International law organization participation":"has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction","Suffrage":"18 years of age; universal","Executive branch":{"chief of state":"President Ikililou DHOININE (since 26 May 2011)","head of government":"President Ikililou DHOININE (since 26 May 2011)","cabinet":"Council of Ministers appointed by the president","elections":"as defined by the 2001 constitution, the presidency rotates every four years among the elected presidents from the three main islands in the Union; election last held on 7 November and 26 December 2010 (next to be held in 2014)","election results":"Ikililou DHOININE elected president; percent of vote - Ikililou DHOININE 61.1%, Mohamed Said FAZUL 32.7%, Abdou DJABIR 6.2%"},"Legislative branch":{"Legislative branch":"unicameral Assembly of the Union (33 seats; 15 deputies are selected by the individual islands' local assemblies and 18 by universal suffrage to serve for five years);","elections":"last held on 6 and 20 December 2009 (next to be held in 2014)","election results":"percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - pro-union coalition 19, autonomous coalition 4, independents 1; note - 9 additional seats are filled by deputies from local island assemblies"},"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":"Camp of the Autonomous Islands or CdIA (a coalition of parties organized by the islands' presidents in opposition to the Union President); Convention for the Renewal of the Comoros or CRC [AZALI Assowmani]; Front National pour la Justice or FNJ [Ahmed RACHID] (Islamic party in opposition); Mouvement pour la Democratie et le Progress or MDP-NGDC [Abbas DJOUSSOUF]; Parti Comorien pour la Democratie et le Progress or PCDP [Ali MROUDJAE]; Rassemblement National pour le Development or RND [Omar TAMOU, Abdoulhamid AFFRAITANE]","Political pressure groups and leaders":{"other":"environmentalists"},"Diplomatic representation in the US":{"chief of mission":"Representative to the UN and Ambassador to the US Mohamed TOIHIRI","chancery":"Mission to the US, 866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 418, New York, NY 10017","telephone":"[1] (212) 750-1637"},"Diplomatic representation from the US":"the US does not have an embassy in Comoros; the ambassador to Madagascar is accredited to Comoros","Flag description":{"Flag description":"four equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), white, red, and blue, with a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist; centered within the triangle is a white crescent with the convex side facing the hoist and four white, five-pointed stars placed vertically in a line between the points of the crescent; the horizontal bands and the four stars represent the four main islands of the archipelago - Mwali, N'gazidja, Nzwani, and Mahore (Mayotte - territorial collectivity of France, but claimed by Comoros)"},"National anthem":{"name":"\"Udzima wa ya Masiwa\" (The Union of the Great Islands)","lyrics/music":"Said Hachim SIDI ABDEREMANE/Said Hachim SIDI ABDEREMANE and Kamildine ABDALLAH"},"internationalOrganizations":["ACP","AfDB","AMF","AOSIS","AU","COMESA","FAO","FZ","G-77","IBRD","ICAO","ICRM","IDA","IDB","IFAD","IFC","IFRCS","ILO","IMF","IMO","IMSO","InOC","Interpol","IOC","IPU","ITSO","ITU","ITUC","LAS","NAM","OIC","OIF","OPCW","UN","UNCTAD","UNESCO","UNIDO","UPU","WCO","WHO","WIPO","WMO","WTO (observer)"],"administrativeDivisions":["3 islands and 4 municipalities*","Grande Comore (N'gazidja)","Anjouan (Ndzuwani)","Domoni*","Fomboni*","Moheli (Mwali)","Moroni*","Moutsamoudou*"]},"economy":{"Economy - overview":"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. Agriculture, including fishing, hunting, and forestry, contributes 40% to GDP, employs 80% of the labor force, and provides most of the exports. Export income is heavily reliant on the three main crops of vanilla, cloves, and ylang-ylang and 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 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 has averaged only about 1% in 2006-09. Remittances from 150,000 Comorans abroad help supplement GDP. In September 2009 the IMF approved Comoros for a three-year $21 million loan. The IMF gave generally positive reports of the country's program performance as of October 2010. The African Development Bank approved a $34.6 million debt-relief package loan for Comoros in September 2010, and Comoros will attempt to qualify for debt relief in 2012 under the IMF and World Bank's Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative.","GDP (purchasing power parity)":{"GDP (purchasing power parity)":{"usd":800000000},"country comparison to the world":""},"GDP (official exchange rate)":{"usd":534000000},"GDP - real growth rate":{"quantity":2.1,"unit":"%"},"GDP - per capita (PPP)":{"GDP - per capita (PPP)":{"usd":null},"country comparison to the world":""},"GDP - composition by sector":{"agriculture":{"quantity":40,"unit":"%"},"industry":{"quantity":4,"unit":"%"},"services":{"quantity":56,"unit":"%"}},"Labor force":268500,"Labor force - by occupation":{"agriculture":{"quantity":80,"unit":"%"},"industry and services":{"quantity":20,"unit":"%"}},"Unemployment rate":{"quantity":20,"unit":"%"},"Population below poverty line":{"quantity":60,"unit":"%"},"Household income or consumption by percentage share":{"lowest 10%":{"quantity":0.9,"unit":"%"},"highest 10%":{"quantity":55.2,"unit":"%"}},"Budget":{"revenues":{"usd":27600000},"expenditures":"$NA (2001 est.)"},"Inflation rate (consumer prices)":{"quantity":3,"unit":"%"},"Central bank discount rate":{"quantity":2.21,"unit":"%"},"Commercial bank prime lending rate":{"quantity":10.5,"unit":"%"},"Stock of narrow money":{"usd":104700000},"Stock of broad money":{"usd":168600000},"Stock of domestic credit":{"usd":79750000},"Industrial production growth rate":"NA%","Electricity - production":{"quantity":22000000,"unit":"kWh"},"Electricity - consumption":{"quantity":20460000,"unit":"kWh"},"Electricity - exports":{"quantity":0,"unit":"kWh"},"Electricity - imports":{"quantity":0,"unit":"kWh"},"Oil - production":{"quantity":0,"unit":"bbl/day"},"Oil - consumption":{"quantity":1000,"unit":"bbl/day"},"Oil - exports":{"quantity":0,"unit":"bbl/day"},"Oil - imports":{"quantity":766.2,"unit":"bbl/day"},"Oil - proved reserves":{"quantity":0,"unit":"bbl"},"Natural gas - production":{"quantity":0,"unit":"cu m"},"Natural gas - consumption":{"quantity":0,"unit":"cu m"},"Natural gas - exports":{"quantity":0,"unit":"cu m"},"Natural gas - imports":{"quantity":0,"unit":"cu m"},"Natural gas - proved reserves":{"quantity":0,"unit":"cu m"},"Current account balance":{"usd":8000000},"Exports":{"usd":32000000},"Imports":{"usd":143000000},"Debt - external":{"usd":232000000},"Exchange rates":"Comoran francs (KMF) per US dollar -","industries":["fishing, tourism, perfume distillation"],"agricultureProducts":["vanilla","cloves","ylang-ylang (perfume essence)","copra","coconuts","bananas","cassava (tapioca)"],"exportCommodities":["vanilla","ylang-ylang (perfume essence)","cloves","copra"],"exportPartners":["Turkey 25.2%","France 20.44%","Singapore 17.44%","Algeria 8.02%","Italy 6.09%","Saudi Arabia 5%"],"importCommodities":["rice and other foodstuffs","consumer goods","petroleum products","cement","transport equipment"],"importPartners":["France 15.5%","China 14.66%","India 10.55%","UAE 7.88%","Pakistan 5.69%","Kenya 4.51%"]},"communications":{"Telephones - main lines in use":25400,"Telephones - mobile cellular":100000,"Telephone system":{"general assessment":"sparse system of microwave radio relay and HF radiotelephone communication stations","domestic":"fixed-line connections only about 3 per 100 persons; mobile cellular usage about 15 per 100 persons","international":"country code - 269; HF radiotelephone communications to Madagascar and Reunion"},"Broadcast media":"national state-owned TV station and a TV station run by Anjouan regional government; national state-owned radio; regional governments on the islands of Grande Comore and Anjouan each operate a radio station; a few independent and small community radio stations operate on the islands of Grande Comore and Moheli, and these two islands have access to Mayotte Radio and French TV (2007)","Internet country code":{"quantity":null,"unit":"km"},"Internet hosts":14,"Internet users":24300},"transport":{"Airports":4,"Airports - with paved runways":{"total":4,"2,438 to 3,047 m":1,"914 to 1,523 m":3},"Roadways":{"total":{"quantity":880,"unit":"km"},"country comparison to the world":"","paved":{"quantity":673,"unit":"km"},"unpaved":{"quantity":207,"unit":"km"}},"Merchant marine":{"total":177,"country comparison to the world":"","by type":"bulk carrier 19, cargo 102, carrier 5, chemical tanker 6, container 2, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 15, refrigerated cargo 12, roll on/roll off 12","foreign-owned":"98 (Bangladesh 1, Bulgaria 8, China 1, Cyprus 2, Greece 3, Kenya 1, Kuwait 1, Latvia 1, Lebanon 3, Lithuania 3, Monaco 1, Nigeria 1, Norway 2, Pakistan 3, Russia 21, Syria 6, Turkey 16, UAE 11, UK 1, Ukraine 10, US 2) (2010)"},"Ports and terminals":"Mayotte, Mutsamudu"},"military":{"Military branches":"Army of National Development (AND): Comoran Security Force, Comoran Coast Guard, Comoran Federal Police (2011)","Military service age and obligation":"18 years of age for 2-year voluntary military service; no conscription; women first inducted into the Army in 2004 (2011)","Manpower available for military service":{"males age 16-49":184236,"females age 16-49":183363},"Manpower fit for military service":{"males age 16-49":134562,"females age 16-49":145797},"Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually":{"male":8831,"female":8809},"Military expenditures":{"quantity":2.8,"unit":"% of GDP"}},"issues":{"internationalDisputes":["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"]}}