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.

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

slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC

tropical marine; rainy season (November to May)

volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills

cyclones possible during rainy season (December to April); Le Karthala on Grand Comore is an active volcano

soil degradation and erosion results from crop cultivation on slopes without proper terracing; deforestation

important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel

752,438 (July 2010 est.)

35.23 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

7.57 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

4.78 children born/woman (2010 est.)

less than 0.1% (2007 est.)

Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava

Sunni Muslim 98%, Roman Catholic 2%

Arabic (official), French (official), Shikomoro (a blend of Swahili and Arabic)

3 islands and 4 municipalities*; Grande Comore (N'gazidja), Anjouan (Ndzuwani), Domoni*, Fomboni*, Moheli (Mwali), Moroni*, Moutsamoudou*

6 July 1975 (from France)

Independence Day, 6 July (1975)

French and Islamic law in a new consolidated code; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

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);

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)

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]

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AMF, AOSIS, AU, COMESA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, 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, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

the US does not have an embassy in Comoros; the ambassador to Madagascar is accredited to Comoros

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)

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 a three-year $21 million loan for Comoros.

$765.8 million (2009 est.)

$752.3 million (2008 est.)

$744.8 million (2007 est.)

$532 million (2009 est.)

5.36% (31 December 2008)

5.36% (31 December 2007)

7% (31 December 2008)

10.5% (31 December 2007)

$100.6 million (31 December 2008)

$96.01 million (31 December 2007)

$41.74 million (31 December 2008)

$37.48 million (31 December 2007)

$79.52 million (31 December 2008)

$45.09 million (31 December 2007)

vanilla, cloves, ylang-ylang, perfume essences, copra, coconuts, bananas, cassava (tapioca)

fishing, tourism, perfume distillation

22 million kWh (2007 est.)

20.46 million kWh (2007 est.)

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

1,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

766 bbl/day (2007 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)

$8 million (2007 est.)

vanilla, ylang-ylang (perfume essence), cloves, copra

Turkey 25.2%, France 20.44%, Singapore 17.44%, Algeria 8.02%, Italy 6.09%, Saudi Arabia 5% (2009)

rice and other foodstuffs, consumer goods, petroleum products, cement, transport equipment

France 15.5%, China 14.66%, India 10.55%, UAE 7.88%, Pakistan 5.69%, Kenya 4.51% (2009)

$232 million (2000 est.)

Comoran francs (KMF) per US dollar - 361.4 (2007), 391.8 (2006), 395.6 (2005), 396.21 (2004), 435.9 (2003)

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)

Army of National Development (AND): Comoran Security Force, Comoran Coast Guard, Comoran Federal Police (2010)

18 years of age for 2-year voluntary military service; no conscription; women first inducted into the Army in 2004 (2010)

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