Comoros
Country Guide

Explore Comoros

Comoros with its capital Moroni is located in Africa (Southern Africa, group of islands at the northern mouth of the Mozambique Channel). It covers some 2,236 square kilometers (slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC) with a population of 808,080. Arabic and French are some of the languages spoken by the majority in Comoros. There are no land based border this country shares with any other country.

The Comoros are an island nation off the coast of East Africa, in the Indian Ocean between northern Mozambique and northern Madagascar. Everyone requires a visa to visit to the Comoros. A normal visa costs USD$10. It can be payed in Comorian francs, US dollars, or Euros. A visa lasts 2 weeks; it can be extended, but ordinarily the authorities will not do so unless you have a good reason. Malaria, including cerebral malaria, is prevalent in the Comoros. Sleep under a permethrin-treated mosquito net and take an anti-malarial. The climate is tropical marine, rainy and hot season is from November to May.

Popular Destinations in Comoros

Administrative regions of Comoros

• Grande Comore
• Moheli
• Ndzuwani

About the country

The terrain is volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills. The average density of population is about 362 per km². The climate in Comoros can be described as tropical marine with rainy season (November to May). Possible natural disasters include cyclones possible during rainy season (December to April), Karthala (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 and volcanic activity on Grand Comore.

To reach someone Comoros dial +269 prior to a number. The local cellular networks are operated on 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 4G. Websites typically end with the top level domain ".km". If you want to bring electric appliances (e.g. battery chaarger), keep in min the local 220 V - 50 Hz (plugs: C, E). The sign for the locally used currency Franc is KMF.

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, Ndzuwani, and Mahore (Mayotte - department of France, but claimed by Comoros).

The archipelago of the Comoros in the Indian Ocean, composed of the islands of Mayotte, Anjouan, Moheli, and Grand Comore declared independence from France on 6 July 1975. France did not recognize the independence of Mayotte, which remains under French administration. Since independence, Comoros has endured political instability through realized and attempted coups. In 1997, the islands of Anjouan and Moheli declared independence from Comoros. In 1999, military chief Col. AZALI Assoumani seized power of the entire government in a bloodless coup; he initiated the 2000 Fomboni Accords, a power-sharing agreement in which the federal presidency rotates among the three islands, and each island maintains its local government. AZALI won the 2002 federal presidential election as president of the Union of the Comoros from Grand Comore Island, which held the first five-year term. AZALI stepped down in 2006 and President Ahmed Abdallah Mohamed SAMBI was elected to office as president from Anjouan. In 2007, Mohamed BACAR effected Anjouan's de-facto secession from the Union of the Comoros, refusing to step down 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 to Anjouan, but in March 2008 the AU and Comoran soldiers seized the island. The island's inhabitants generally welcomed the move. In May 2011, Ikililou DHOININE won the presidency in peaceful elections widely deemed to be free and fair. In closely contested elections in 2016, former President AZALI Assoumani won a second term, when the rotating presidency returned to Grande Comore.

Geography

Area
Total (World Rank: 180)	2,235	sq km
Land (World Rank: 178)	2,235	sq km
Forest (World Rank: 139)	8.10	%
Comparative	slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC
Coastline
340
Elevation
Highest point (World Rank: 109)	2,360	m
Agricultural land
Total (World Rank: 5)	84.40	%
Arable (World Rank: 10)	46.70	%
Permanent crops (World Rank: 7)	29.60	%
Permanent pastures (World Rank: 139)	8.10	%
Irrigated land (World Rank: 178)	1	sq km
Map reference
Africa
Environment
Issues	- deforestation - soil degradation and erosion results from crop cultivation on slopes without proper terracing
Agreement party	- Biodiversity - Climate Change - Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol - Desertification - Endangered Species - Hazardous Wastes - Law of the Sea - Ozone Layer Protection - Ship Pollution - Wetlands
Hazzards	- cyclones possible during rainy season (December to April) - Karthala (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 - volcanic activity on Grand Comore
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
Climate
tropical marine; rainy season (November to May)
Terrain
volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills

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People

Population
Total (World Rank: 162)	808,080
Deathrate (World Rank: 124)	0.72	%
Birthrate (World Rank: 47)	2.61	%
Growthrate (World Rank: 65)	1.64	%
Migration rate (World Rank: 135)	-0.24	%
Fertility rate (World Rank: 45)	3.34	%
Median age
Male (World Rank: 197)	19.20
Female (World Rank: 187)	20.50
Age structure
0 14 male (World Rank: 152)	158,516
0 14 female (World Rank: 152)	159,491
15 24 male (World Rank: 161)	76,425
15 24 female (World Rank: 157)	81,393
25 54 male (World Rank: 168)	126,279
25 54 female (World Rank: 164)	139,659
55 64 male (World Rank: 172)	15,375
55 64 female (World Rank: 171)	19,133
65 x male (World Rank: 169)	14,605
65 x female (World Rank: 172)	17,204
Health
Infant mortality rate (World Rank: 18)	6.00	%
Life expectancy total (World Rank: 180)	65	years
Life expectancy female (World Rank: 178)	67	years
Life expectancy male (World Rank: 184)	62	years
Hospital bed per 1000 (World Rank: 94)	2.20
Sanitation access total (World Rank: 175)	35.80	%
Obesity adult (World Rank: 157)	7.80	%
Drinking water access (World Rank: 136)	90.10	%

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Energy

Electricity
Production (World Rank: 204)	54,000,000	kWh
Consumption (World Rank: 203)	50,220,000	kWh
Source fossil (World Rank: 51)	96.20	%
Source nuclear (World Rank: 130)	3.80	%
Refined products
Consumption (World Rank: 200)	1,300	bbl / day
Import (World Rank: 195)	1,350	bbl / day
Natural gas
Consumption (World Rank: 137)	17	m³
Carbon footprint
200000

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Nation

Budget
Education (World Rank: 59)	5	% of GDP
Health (World Rank: 88)	7	% of GDP
Surplus (World Rank: 160)	-6	% of GDP
National symbol
four stars and crescent
National colours
white
Adjective
Comoran
Noun
Comoran(s)
Background
The archipelago of the Comoros in the Indian Ocean, composed of the islands of Mayotte, Anjouan, Moheli, and Grand Comore declared independence from France on 6 July 1975. France did not recognize the independence of Mayotte, which remains under French administration. Since independence, Comoros has endured political instability through realized and attempted coups. In 1997, the islands of Anjouan and Moheli declared independence from Comoros. In 1999, military chief Col. AZALI Assoumani seized power of the entire government in a bloodless coup; he initiated the 2000 Fomboni Accords, a power-sharing agreement in which the federal presidency rotates among the three islands, and each island maintains its local government. AZALI won the 2002 federal presidential election as president of the Union of the Comoros from Grand Comore Island, which held the first five-year term. AZALI stepped down in 2006 and President Ahmed Abdallah Mohamed SAMBI was elected to office as president from Anjouan. In 2007, Mohamed BACAR effected Anjouan's de-facto secession from the Union of the Comoros, refusing to step down 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 to Anjouan, but in March 2008 the AU and Comoran soldiers seized the island. The island's inhabitants generally welcomed the move. In May 2011, Ikililou DHOININE won the presidency in peaceful elections widely deemed to be free and fair. In closely contested elections in 2016, former President AZALI Assoumani won a second term, when the rotating presidency returned to Grande Comore.
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, Ndzuwani, and Mahore (Mayotte - department of France, but claimed by Comoros)

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Economy

Gdp
Purchasing power parity (World Rank: 199)	1,259,000,000	USD
Real growth rate (World Rank: 125)	2.20	%
Per capita purchasing power parity (World Rank: 217)	1,500	USD
Source agriculture (World Rank: 5)	49.70	%
Source industry (World Rank: 196)	11.90	%
Source service (World Rank: 214)	38.40	%
Labourforce
Total (World Rank: 164)	278,500
In poverty (World Rank: 32)	44.80	%
Products
Industries	- fishing - perfume distillation - tourism
Agriculture	- bananas - cassava - cloves - coconuts - manioc - perfume essence - vanilla - ylang-ylang
Exports	- cloves - vanilla - ylang-ylang (perfume essence)
Imports	- cement - construction materials - consumer goods - other foodstuffs - petroleum products - rice - transport equipment

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Communication

Phone
Landline total (World Rank: 188)	13,049
Landline per 100 (World Rank: 175)	2.00
Mobile per 100 (World Rank: 196)	57.00
Assessment	0
Internet
Users (World Rank: 182)	63,084
Population (World Rank: 212)	7.90	%

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Transport

Air
Airports paved (World Rank: 155)	4.00
Road
Total length (World Rank: 188)	880
Paved length (World Rank: 155)	673
Unpaved length (World Rank: 142)	207.00

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