OFFICIAL NAME:

Union of Comoros

GEOGRAPHY:

Geography
Area: 2,171 sq. km. (838 sq. mi.); slightly less than half the size of Delaware. Major islands--Grande Comore (1,025 sq. km.), Anjouan (424 sq. km.), Mayotte (374 sq. km.), and Moheli (211 sq. km.).
Cities: Capital--Moroni (pop. 30,000); Mutsamudu (pop. 20,000).
Terrain: Rugged.
Climate: Tropical marine.

PEOPLE:

Nationality: Noun and adjective--Comorian(s).
Population (2001 est.): 596,202. Mayotte (1990 est.)--70,000.
Annual growth rate (2001 est.): 3.02%.
Ethnic groups: Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava.
Religions: Sunni Muslim 98%, Roman Catholic 2%.
Languages: Shikomoro (a Swahili-Arabic blend), Arabic, French.
Education: Attendance--60% primary, 34% secondary. Literacy--57.3%.
Health: Life expectancy--60 yrs. Infant mortality rate--84.07/1,000.
Work force (1996): 144,500. Agriculture--80%.

GOVERNMENT:

Type: Republic.
Independence: July 6, 1975 (Mayotte remains under French administration).
Constitution: Adopted by referendum on December 23, 2001.
Branches: Executive--national president; regional island presidents. Legislative--National Assembly. Judicial--traditional Muslim and codified law from French sources.
Political parties: 17 political parties.
Suffrage: Universal adult.

ECONOMY:

GDP (purchasing power parity): $419 million.
Annual growth rate: 0.5%.
Per capita income: $720.
Agriculture (40% of GDP): Products--vanilla, cloves, perfume essences, copra, banana, cassava, coconuts.
Services (56% of GDP): Commerce, tourism.
Industry (4% of GDP): Types--perfume distillation.
Trade: Exports (1999 est.)--$7.9 million: vanilla, cloves, perfume essences, copra. Major markets--France, Germany. Imports (1998 est.)--$35.84 million: rice, petroleum, meat, wheat flour, cotton textiles, cement. Major suppliers--France 38%, Pakistan 13%, Kenya 8%, South Africa 8%.

HISTORY:

Over the centuries, the islands were invaded by a succession of diverse groups from the coast of Africa, the Persian Gulf, Indonesia, and Madagascar. Portuguese explorers visited the archipelago in 1505. "Shirazi" Arab migrants introduced Islam at about the same time. Between 1841 and 1912, France established colonial rule over Grande Comore, Anjouan, Mayotte, and Moheli and placed the islands under the administration of the governor general of Madagascar. Later, French settlers, French-owned companies, and wealthy Arab merchants established a plantation-based economy that now uses about one-third of the land for export crops. After World War II, the islands became a French overseas territory and were represented in France's National Assembly. Internal political autonomy was granted in 1961. Agreement was reached with France in 1973 for Comoros to become independent in 1978. On July 6, 1975, however, the Comorian parliament passed a resolution declaring unilateral independence. The deputies of Mayotte abstained. As a result, the Comorian Government has effective control over only Grande Comore, Anjouan, and Moheli. Mayotte remains under French administration.

PRINCIPAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS:

President--Azali Assoumani
Minister of Foreign Affairs--Aboudou Soefou
Representative to the United States and Ambassador to the United Nations--Mahmoud M. Aboud

TRAVEL & BUSINESS INFORMATION:

Following are are the top 10 tips you need to make your trip easier:

1. Make sure you have a signed, valid passport and visas, if required. Also, before you go, fill in the emergency information page of your passport!

2. Read the Consular Information Sheets (and Public Announcements or Travel Warnings, if applicable) for the countries you plan to visit.

3. Familiarize yourself with local laws and customs of the countries to which you are travelling. While in a foreign country, you are subject to its laws.

4. Make 2 copies of your passport identification page. This will facilitate replacement if your passport is lost or stolen. Leave one copy at home with friends or relatives. Carry the other with you in a separate place from your passport.

5. Leave a copy of your itinerary with family or friends at home so that you can be contacted in case of an emergency.

6. Do not leave your luggage unattended in public areas. Do not accept packages from strangers.

7. You should register with the nearest embassy or consulate of your country. Registration will make your presence and whereabouts known in case it is necessary to contact you in an emergency. Remember to leave a detailed itinerary and the numbers or copies of your passport or other citizenship documents with a friend or relative in your own country.

8. To avoid being a target of crime, try not to wear conspicuous clothing and expensive jewelry and do not carry excessive amounts of money or unnecessary credit cards.

9. In order to avoid violating local laws, deal only with authorized agents when you exchange money or purchase art or antiques.

10. If you get into trouble, contact the nearest embassy of your country.

USEFUL LINKS:

• al-Bab - Comoros - Offers extensive links to resources about Comoros including the media and news, travel, maps, politics and government, people, economy and environment.
• Arab.net - Comoros - Background notes on history, geography, business and government.
• BBC News - Country Profile: Comoros - Provides overview, key facts and events, timelines and leader profiles along with current news.
• CIA - The World Factbook: Comoros - Features map and brief descriptions of the geography, people, government, economy, communications, transportation, military and transnational issues.
• Columbia University Libraries - African Studies: Comoros - Directory of categorized and annotated links.
• Comoro Islands - Provides news, geography, climate, population, language, music, and economy. By Martin and Harriet Ottenheimer.
• Hejlah - The Country and People of Comoros - Provides general information from a Columbia University source along with a directory of categorised web links.
• The Index on Africa - Comoros - Extensive set of categorized and annotated links to web resources from the Norwegian Council for Africa (NCA).
• NationMaster - Comoros - Profile includes information for various aspects of the country, with a special emphasis on statistics and rankings.
• Stanford University - Africa South of the Sahara: Comoro Islands (Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros) - Annotated directory of links to web resources.
• UK Foreign Office - Country Profiles: Comoros - Overview of country's geography, history, politics, economy, international relations, travel and current affairs.
• University of Pennsylvania - African Studies Center: Comoros - Annotated directory of links to resources.
• US Department of State - Comoros - Country portal offers a map and links to Background Notes, USAID page, the US embassy and the current ambassador, press releases, fact sheets, annual Human Rights Reports and other major reports including Country and Industry Market Reports.
• US Library of Congress - Country Study: Comoros - August 1994 country profile provides information about its historical setting, society and environment, economy, government and politics, and national security.
• US Library of Congress - Portals to the World: Comoro Islands - Annotated directory of selected online resources.
• Wikipedia - Comoros - Hyperlinked encyclopedia article covers the history, government and politics, geography, economy, demographics, language and culture of the African country in the Indian Ocean.