{
"Introduction": {
"Background": {
"text": "For centuries prior to colonization in the 19th century, the Comoros archipelago in the Indian Ocean served as a key node in maritime trade networks that connected the Middle East, India, and eastern African regions. Composed of the islands of Anjouan, Mayotte, Moheli, and Grande Comore, Comoros spent most of the 20th century as a colonial outpost until it declared independence from France on 6 July 1975. Residents of Mayotte, however, voted to remain in France, and the French Government has since classified it as a French Overseas Department.
Since independence, Comoros has weathered approximately 20 successful and attempted coups, mostly between 1975 and 2000, resulting in prolonged political instability and stunted economic development. In 2002, President AZALI Assoumani became the first elected president following the completion of the Fomboni Accords, in which the islands of Grande Comore, Anjouan, and Moheli agreed to rotate the presidency among the islands every five years. This power-sharing agreement also included provisions allowing each island to maintain its local government. 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. The African Union (AU) initially attempted to resolve the political crisis with sanctions and a naval blockade of Anjouan, but in 2008, the AU and Comoran soldiers seized the island. The island's inhabitants generally welcomed the move. In 2011, Ikililou DHOININE won the presidency in peaceful elections widely deemed to be free and fair. In closely contested elections in 2016, AZALI won a second term, when the rotating presidency returned to Grande Comore. In 2018, a referendum -- which the opposition parties boycotted -- approved a new constitution that extended presidential term limits and abolished the requirement for the presidency to rotate between the three main islands. AZALI formed a new government later that year, and he subsequently ran and was reelected in 2019. AZALI was reelected again in January 2024 in an election that the opposition disputed but the Supreme Court validated."
}
},
"Geography": {
"Location": {
"text": "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": {
"text": "12 10 S, 44 15 E"
},
"Map references": {
"text": "Africa"
},
"Area": {
"total ": {
"text": "2,235 sq km"
},
"land": {
"text": "2,235 sq km"
},
"water": {
"text": "0 sq km"
}
},
"Area - comparative": {
"text": "slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC"
},
"Land boundaries": {
"total": {
"text": "0 km"
}
},
"Coastline": {
"text": "340 km"
},
"Maritime claims": {
"territorial sea": {
"text": "12 nm"
},
"exclusive economic zone": {
"text": "200 nm"
}
},
"Climate": {
"text": "tropical marine; rainy season (November to May)"
},
"Terrain": {
"text": "volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills"
},
"Elevation": {
"highest point": {
"text": "Karthala 2,360 m"
},
"lowest point": {
"text": "Indian Ocean 0 m"
}
},
"Natural resources": {
"text": "fish"
},
"Land use": {
"agricultural land": {
"text": "84.4% (2018 est.)"
},
"agricultural land: arable land": {
"text": "arable land: 46.7% (2018 est.)"
},
"agricultural land: permanent crops": {
"text": "permanent crops: 29.6% (2018 est.)"
},
"agricultural land: permanent pasture": {
"text": "permanent pasture: 8.1% (2018 est.)"
},
"forest": {
"text": "1.4% (2018 est.)"
},
"other": {
"text": "14.2% (2018 est.)"
}
},
"Irrigated land": {
"text": "1.3 sq km (2012)"
},
"Population distribution": {
"text": "the capital city of Maroni, located on the western side of the island of Grande Comore, is the country's largest city; however, of the three islands that comprise Comoros, it is Anjouan that is the most densely populated as shown in this population distribution map"
},
"Natural hazards": {
"text": "
cyclones possible during rainy season (December to April); volcanic activity on Grand Comore
volcanism: 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
" }, "Geography - note": { "text": "important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel; the only Arab League country that lies entirely in the Southern Hemisphere" } }, "People and Society": { "Population": { "total": { "text": "900,141" }, "male": { "text": "435,758" }, "female": { "text": "464,383 (2024 est.)" } }, "Nationality": { "noun": { "text": "Comoran(s)" }, "adjective": { "text": "Comoran" } }, "Ethnic groups": { "text": "Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava" }, "Languages": { "text": "Arabic (official), French (official), Shikomoro (official; similar to Swahili), Comorian" }, "Religions": { "text": "Muslim 98.1% (overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim, small Shia Muslim and Ahmadiyya Muslim populations), ethnic religionist 1.1%, Christian 0.6%, other 0.3% (2020 est.)", "note": "note: Sunni Islam is the state religion" }, "Demographic profile": { "text": "Comoros’ population is a melange of Arabs, Persians, Indonesians, Africans, and Indians, and the much smaller number of Europeans that settled on the islands between the 8th and 19th centuries, when they served as a regional trade hub. The Arab and Persian influence is most evident in the islands’ overwhelmingly Muslim majority – about 98% of Comorans are Sunni Muslims. The country is densely populated, averaging nearly 350 people per square mile, although this varies widely among the islands, with Anjouan being the most densely populated.
Given the large share of land dedicated to agriculture and Comoros’ growing population, habitable land is becoming increasingly crowded. The combination of increasing population pressure on limited land and resources, widespread poverty, and poor job prospects motivates thousands of Comorans each year to attempt to illegally migrate using small fishing boats to the neighboring island of Mayotte, which is a French territory. The majority of legal Comoran migration to France came after Comoros’ independence from France in 1975, with the flow peaking in the mid-1980s.
At least 150,000 to 200,000 people of Comoran citizenship or descent live abroad, mainly in France, where they have gone seeking a better quality of life, job opportunities, higher education (Comoros has no universities), advanced health care, and to finance elaborate traditional wedding ceremonies (aada). Remittances from the diaspora are an economic mainstay, in 2013 representing approximately 25% of Comoros’ GDP and significantly more than the value of its exports of goods and services (only 15% of GDP). Grand Comore, Comoros’ most populous island, is both the primary source of emigrants and the main recipient of remittances. Most remittances are spent on private consumption, but this often goes toward luxury goods and the aada and does not contribute to economic development or poverty reduction. Although the majority of the diaspora is now French-born with more distant ties to Comoros, it is unclear whether they will sustain the current level of remittances.
" }, "Age structure": { "0-14 years": { "text": "32.6% (male 146,480/female 146,626)" }, "15-64 years": { "text": "62.8% (male 271,139/female 294,231)" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "4.6% (2024 est.) (male 18,139/female 23,526)" } }, "Dependency ratios": { "total dependency ratio": { "text": "74.1" }, "youth dependency ratio": { "text": "66.6" }, "elderly dependency ratio": { "text": "7.5" }, "potential support ratio": { "text": "13.3 (2021 est.)" } }, "Median age": { "total": { "text": "22.7 years (2024 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "22.1 years" }, "female": { "text": "23.3 years" } }, "Population growth rate": { "text": "1.3% (2024 est.)" }, "Birth rate": { "text": "21.6 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)" }, "Death rate": { "text": "6.4 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)" }, "Net migration rate": { "text": "-2.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)" }, "Population distribution": { "text": "the capital city of Maroni, located on the western side of the island of Grande Comore, is the country's largest city; however, of the three islands that comprise Comoros, it is Anjouan that is the most densely populated as shown in this population distribution map" }, "Urbanization": { "urban population": { "text": "30.1% of total population (2023)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "2.97% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)" } }, "Major urban areas - population": { "text": "62,000 MORONI (capital) (2018)" }, "Sex ratio": { "at birth": { "text": "1.03 male(s)/female" }, "0-14 years": { "text": "1 male(s)/female" }, "15-64 years": { "text": "0.92 male(s)/female" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "0.77 male(s)/female" }, "total population": { "text": "0.94 male(s)/female (2024 est.)" } }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "23 years (2012 est.)", "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "217 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)" }, "Infant mortality rate": { "total": { "text": "54.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "64.9 deaths/1,000 live births" }, "female": { "text": "44.7 deaths/1,000 live births" } }, "Life expectancy at birth": { "total population": { "text": "67.8 years (2024 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "65.5 years" }, "female": { "text": "70.2 years" } }, "Total fertility rate": { "text": "2.61 children born/woman (2024 est.)" }, "Gross reproduction rate": { "text": "1.28 (2024 est.)" }, "Contraceptive prevalence rate": { "text": "19.4% (2012)" }, "Drinking water source": { "improved: urban": { "text": "urban: 97.4% of population" }, "improved: rural": { "text": "rural: 88.5% of population" }, "improved: total": { "text": "total: 91% of population" }, "unimproved: urban": { "text": "urban: 2.6% of population" }, "unimproved: rural": { "text": "rural: 11.5% of population" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: 8.9% of population (2017 est.)" } }, "Current health expenditure": { "text": "5.4% of GDP (2020)" }, "Physician density": { "text": "0.26 physicians/1,000 population (2018)" }, "Sanitation facility access": { "improved: urban": { "text": "urban: 62.4% of population" }, "improved: rural": { "text": "rural: 43.6% of population" }, "improved: total": { "text": "total: 49% of population" }, "unimproved: urban": { "text": "urban: 37.6% of population" }, "unimproved: rural": { "text": "rural: 56.4% of population" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: 51% of population (2017 est.)" } }, "Obesity - adult prevalence rate": { "text": "7.8% (2016)" }, "Alcohol consumption per capita": { "total": { "text": "0.18 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "beer": { "text": "0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "wine": { "text": "0.07 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "spirits": { "text": "0.07 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "other alcohols": { "text": "0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" } }, "Tobacco use": { "total": { "text": "20.3% (2020 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "29.5% (2020 est.)" }, "female": { "text": "11.1% (2020 est.)" } }, "Currently married women (ages 15-49)": { "text": "61.2% (2023 est.)" }, "Education expenditures": { "text": "2.6% of GDP (2015 est.)" }, "Literacy": { "definition": { "text": "age 15 and over can read and write" }, "total population": { "text": "62%" }, "male": { "text": "67%" }, "female": { "text": "56.9% (2021)" } }, "School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)": { "total": { "text": "11 years" }, "male": { "text": "11 years" }, "female": { "text": "11 years (2014)" } } }, "Environment": { "Environment - current issues": { "text": "deforestation; soil degradation and erosion results from forest loss and from crop cultivation on slopes without proper terracing; marine biodiversity affected as soil erosion leads to the silting of coral reefs" }, "Environment - international agreements": { "party to": { "text": "Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands" }, "signed, but not ratified": { "text": "none of the selected agreements" } }, "Climate": { "text": "tropical marine; rainy season (November to May)" }, "Land use": { "agricultural land": { "text": "84.4% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: arable land": { "text": "arable land: 46.7% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent crops": { "text": "permanent crops: 29.6% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent pasture": { "text": "permanent pasture: 8.1% (2018 est.)" }, "forest": { "text": "1.4% (2018 est.)" }, "other": { "text": "14.2% (2018 est.)" } }, "Urbanization": { "urban population": { "text": "30.1% of total population (2023)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "2.97% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)" } }, "Revenue from forest resources": { "text": "1.39% of GDP (2018 est.)" }, "Revenue from coal": { "text": "0% of GDP (2018 est.)" }, "Air pollutants": { "particulate matter emissions": { "text": "14.37 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)" }, "carbon dioxide emissions": { "text": "0.2 megatons (2016 est.)" }, "methane emissions": { "text": "0.19 megatons (2020 est.)" } }, "Waste and recycling": { "municipal solid waste generated annually": { "text": "91,013 tons (2015 est.)" } }, "Total water withdrawal": { "municipal": { "text": "4.8 million cubic meters (2017 est.)" }, "industrial": { "text": "500,000 cubic meters (2017 est.)" }, "agricultural": { "text": "4.7 million cubic meters (2017 est.)" } }, "Total renewable water resources": { "text": "1.2 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)" } }, "Government": { "Country name": { "conventional long form": { "text": "Union of the Comoros" }, "conventional short form": { "text": "Comoros" }, "local long form": { "text": "Udzima wa Komori (Comorian)/Union des Comores (French)/Al Ittihad al Qumuri (Arabic)" }, "local short form": { "text": "Komori (Comorian)/Les Comores (French)/Juzur al Qamar (Arabic)" }, "former": { "text": "Comorian State, Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros" }, "etymology": { "text": "name derives from the Arabic designation \"Juzur al Qamar\" meaning \"Islands of the Moon\"" } }, "Government type": { "text": "federal presidential republic" }, "Capital": { "name": { "text": "Moroni" }, "geographic coordinates": { "text": "11 42 S, 43 14 E" }, "time difference": { "text": "UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)" }, "etymology": { "text": "the name means \"at the place of fire,\" referring to the capital's location below the active volcano Mt. Karthala" } }, "Administrative divisions": { "text": "3 islands; Anjouan (Ndzuwani), Grande Comore (N'gazidja), Moheli (Mwali)" }, "Independence": { "text": "6 July 1975 (from France)" }, "National holiday": { "text": "Independence Day, 6 July (1975)" }, "Legal system": { "text": "mixed legal system of Islamic religious law, the French civil code of 1975, and customary law" }, "Constitution": { "history": { "text": "previous 1996, 2001; newest adopted 30 July 2018" }, "amendments": { "text": "proposed by the president of the union or supported by at least one third of the Assembly of the Union membership; adoption requires approval by at least three-quarters majority of the total Assembly membership or approval in a referendum" }, "note": "note: a referendum held on 30 July 2018 - boycotted by the opposition - overwhelmingly approved a new constitution that allows for 2 consecutive 5-year presidential terms while retaining the rotating presidency within the islands" }, "International law organization participation": { "text": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction" }, "Citizenship": { "citizenship by birth": { "text": "no" }, "citizenship by descent only": { "text": "at least one parent must be a citizen of the Comoros" }, "dual citizenship recognized": { "text": "no" }, "residency requirement for naturalization": { "text": "10 years" } }, "Suffrage": { "text": "18 years of age; universal" }, "Executive branch": { "chief of state": { "text": "President AZALI Assoumani (since 26 May 2016) " }, "head of government": { "text": "President AZALI Assoumani (since 26 May 2016)" }, "cabinet": { "text": "Council of Ministers appointed by the president" }, "elections/appointments": { "text": "president directly elected by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term; election last held on 14 January 2024 (next to be held in 2029)" }, "election results": { "text": "