Comoros Location:
11°41'S, 43°16'E
Comoros People:
Population
- 2005 estimate 798,000 (159th)
- Density 275 /km2 (25th)
/sq mi
Comoros Government:
At independence in 1975 the Comoros was a multiparty democracy led by President Ahmed Abdallah. However, he was overthrown in a coup a year later. A constitution was written in 1978, but a 1979 coup bringing Abdallah back to power set back the competitive process. The constitution was revised in 1982 and 1985, but it has never really taken seed as there have been at least 20 coups or coup attempts in the Comoros in its 25 years of independence. A new constitution was approved by referendum in 2001.
Typically, the president is to be elected by direct universal suffrage to a five-year term and is limited to two terms. Suffrage is extended to all citizens over the age of 18 who still possess full civil and political rights. The president nominates ministers to form a cabinet called the Council of Government and he nominates governors for each of the three islands. These governors each serve a five-year term. If the presidency becomes vacant for any reason the president of the Supreme Court serves as interim president until an election can be held.
The judiciary is independent of the executive and legislature. It is charged with supervising elections and examining constitutional issues. There are seven members in the Supreme Court, two chosen by the president, two chosen by the Assembly and one chosen by each of the three island councils.
The legislature is bicameral. Assembly (lower house) representatives are elected to four-year terms through a popular vote. An electoral college chooses senators. The leader of the party with the most number of seats in the Assembly holds the post of prime minister.
Each of the islands, under the new 2001 constitution, holds a great amount of autonomy, each with its own council. The council, which is elected by an island-level popular vote, is expected to serve as a local legislature and the (appointed) governor is expected to serve as the local executive.
Government Federal republic
- President Ahmed Abdallah M. Sambi
Comoros Economy:
Comoros is one of the poorest countries in the world. Economic growth and poverty reduction are major priorities for the government. With a rate of 14.3%, unemployment is considered very high. Agriculture, including fishing, hunting, and forestry, is the leading sector of the economy, and 38.4% of the working population is employed in the primary sector. High population densities, as much as 1000 per square kilometer in the densest agricultural zones, for what is still a mostly rural, agricultural economy may lead to an environmetal crisis in the near future, especially considering the high rate of population growth. The Comoros' real GDP growth was a low 1.9% in 2004 and real GDP per capita was continuing declining annually in 2004. These declines are explained by factors like declining investment, a drop in consumption, rising inflation, and an increase in trade imbalance in part due to lowered cash crop prices, especially vanilla.[26]
Comoros has inadequate transportation system, 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 contributes 40% to GDP, employs 80% of the labor force, and provides most of the exports. Comoros is the world's largest producer of ylang-ylang, and a large producer of vanilla.
The government is struggling to upgrade education and technical training, to privatize commercial and industrial enterprises, to improve health services, to diversify exports, to promote tourism, and to reduce the high population growth rate.
The Comoros claims the Banc du Geyser and the Glorioso Islands as part of its exclusive economic zone.
Comoros Information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comoros | 
