Comoros

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
• important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel; the only Arab League country that lies entirely in the Southern Hemisphere

Population

Notable Population Centers

City	Population	Note
Moroni	74,749	Capital
Moutsamoudou	26,313
Fomboni	17,291

Size

• 838 square miles
• 2,170 square kilometers
• slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, D.C.

History

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.

Climate

tropical marine; rainy season (November to May)

Terrain

volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills

Languages

Arabic (official), French (official), Shikomoro (official; similar to Swahili), Comorian

Religions

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: Sunni Islam is the state religion

Government

federal presidential republic

• Constitution: history: previous 1996, 2001; newest adopted 30 July 2018amendment process: 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
• Political Parties and Leaders: n/a
• Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
• Legal System: mixed legal system of Islamic religious law, the French civil code of 1975, and customary law
• Executive Branch: chief of state: President AZALI Assoumani (since 26 May 2016)head of government: President AZALI Assoumani (since 26 May 2016)cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the presidentelection/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year termmost recent election date: 14 January 2024election results: 2024: AZALI Assoumani reelected president in first round - AZALI Assoumani (CRC) 63%, SALIM ISSA Abdallah (PJ) 20.3%, DAOUDOU Abdallah Mohamed (Orange Party) 5.9%, Bourhane HAMIDOU (independent) 5.1%2019: AZALI Assoumani elected president in first round - AZALI Assoumani (CRC) 60.8%, Ahamada MAHAMOUDOU (PJ) 14.6%, Mouigni Baraka Said SOILIHI (independent) 5.6%, other 19%expected date of next election: 2029note: the president is both chief of state and head of government
• Judicial Branch: highest court(s): Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of 7 judges)judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges - selection and term of office NAsubordinate courts: Court of Appeals (in Moroni); Tribunal de première instance; island village (community) courts; religious courts
• Legislative Branch: legislature name: Assembly of the Union (Assemblée de l'Union)legislative structure: unicameralnumber of seats: 33 (all directly elected)electoral system: plurality/majorityscope of elections: full renewalterm in office: 5 yearsmost recent election date: 1/12/2025 to 2/16/2025parties elected and seats per party: Convention for the Renewal of the Comoros (CRC) (31); Other (2)percentage of women in chamber: 15.2%expected date of next election: January 2030note: opposition parties, which claimed there was "gross fraud" during the most recent election, boycotted the elections in 2020 and 2025

Demographic Profile

n/a

Economy

• small trade-based island economy; declining remittances; new structural and fiscal reforms; adverse cyclone and COVID-19 impacts; manageable debts; fragile liquidity environment; large foreign direct investment; state-owned enterprises suffering
• Budget: revenues: $212.551 million (2023 est.)expenditures: $230.338 million (2023 est.)note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
• Credit Rating: n/a
• Natural Resources: fish
• Industries: fishing, tourism, perfume distillation
• Agricultural Products: bananas, coconuts, cassava, yams, maize, taro, milk, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, pulses (2023)note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
• Land Use: agricultural land: 71.5% (2022 est.)arable land: 34.9% (2022 est.)permanent crops: 28.5% (2022 est.)permanent pasture: 8.1% (2022 est.)forest: 17.2% (2022 est.)other: 11.3% (2022 est.)
• Labor Force by Occupation: n/a
• Imports
• Imported Commodities: refined petroleum, poultry, rice, flavored water, additive manufacturing machines (2023)note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
• Import Partners: China 24%, UAE 21%, Tanzania 12%, France 7%, India 6% (2023)note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
• Exports
• Exported Commodities: cloves, ships, essential oils, vanilla, scrap iron (2023)note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
• Export Partners: Indonesia 25%, India 23%, Turkey 16%, UAE 11%, USA 3% (2023)note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports