Comoros

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 1,066 (2020 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.1 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

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

Internet country code

.km

Internet users

total: 221,400 (2021 est.) percent of population: 27% (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

general assessment: Comoros launched a special program for the construction of a wireless network to inter connect the 3 islands of the archipelago; telephone service limited to the islands' few towns (2020) domestic: fixed-line connections less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage about 104 per 100 persons (2021) international: country code - 269; landing point for the EASSy, Comoros Domestic Cable System, Avassa, and FLY-LION3 fiber-optic submarine cable system connecting East Africa with Europe; HF radiotelephone communications to Madagascar and Reunion (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 7,431 (2021 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 853,449 (2021 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 104 (2021 est.)

Agricultural products

coconuts, cassava, rice, bananas, pulses nes, milk, taro, sweet potatoes, maize, cloves

Budget

revenues: $223 million (2018 est.) expenditures: $228 million (2018 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-6.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Current account balance

$6.145 million (2021 est.) -$22.048 million (2020 est.) -$39.814 million (2019 est.)

Debt - external

$199.8 million (31 December 2017 est.) $132 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Economic overview

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

Exchange rates

Comoran francs (KMF) per US dollar - 415.956 (2021 est.) 430.721 (2020 est.) 439.463 (2019 est.) 416.585 (2018 est.) 435.493 (2017 est.)

Exports

$139.575 million (2021 est.) $68.937 million (2020 est.) $142.21 million (2019 est.) note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.

Exports - commodities

cloves, tug boats, essential oils, scrap vessels, vanilla (2021)

Exports - partners

France 32%, India 23%, Germany 10%, Turkey 9%, Madagascar 7% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.186 billion (2019 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 92.6% (2017 est.) government consumption: 20.4% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 20% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: -3.1% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 17.2% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -47.1% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 47.7% (2017 est.) industry: 11.8% (2017 est.) services: 40.5% (2017 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

45.3 (2014 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 0.9% highest 10%: 55.2% (2004)

Imports

$407 million (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars $344 million (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars $353 million (2019 est.)

Imports - commodities

rice, chicken products, refined petroleum, cement, cars (2019)

Imports - partners

China 22%, United Arab Emirates 16%, France 11%, Pakistan 9%, India 6% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

-0.25% (2021 est.)

Industries

fishing, tourism, perfume distillation

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1% (2017 est.) 1.8% (2016 est.)

Labor force

219,900 (2021 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 80% industry: 20% (1996 est.) industry and services: 20% (1996 est.)

Population below poverty line

42.4% (2013 est.)

Public debt

32.4% of GDP (2017 est.) 27.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$2.653 billion (2021 est.) $2.598 billion (2020 est.) $2.603 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP growth rate

2.11% (2021 est.) -0.2% (2020 est.) 1.76% (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita

$3,200 (2021 est.) $3,200 (2020 est.) $3,300 (2019 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$329,671,800 (31 December 2021 est.) $294,339,900 (31 December 2020 est.) $202,031,700 (31 December 2019 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

25.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

9.45% (2021 est.) 9.22% (2020 est.) 8.08% (2019 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 21.7% (2021 est.) male: 21.8% female: 21.5%

Carbon dioxide emissions

326,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 326,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.) from consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.) consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.) exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.) imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.) proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 35,000 kW (2020 est.) consumption: 96.248 million kWh (2019 est.) exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.) imports: 0 kWh (2019 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 6.048 million kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

population without electricity: (2020) less than 1 million electrification - total population: 87.9% (2021) electrification - urban areas: 100% (2021) electrification - rural areas: 82.8% (2021)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) solar: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

5.346 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.) consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.) exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.) imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.) proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.) refined petroleum consumption: 2,200 bbl/day (2019 est.) crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.) crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.) crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

1,241 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Air pollutants

particulate matter emissions: 14.37 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 0.2 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 0.19 megatons (2020 est.)

Climate

tropical marine; rainy season (November to May)

Environment - current issues

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: 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: none of the selected agreements

Land use

agricultural land: 84.4% (2018 est.) arable land: 46.7% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 29.6% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 8.1% (2018 est.) forest: 1.4% (2018 est.) other: 14.2% (2018 est.)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

1.39% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

1.2 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

municipal: 4.8 million cubic meters (2017 est.) industrial: 500,000 cubic meters (2017 est.) agricultural: 4.7 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 30.1% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.97% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually: 91,013 tons (2015 est.)

Area

total: 2,235 sq km land: 2,235 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical marine; rainy season (November to May)

Coastline

340 km

Elevation

highest point: Karthala 2,360 m lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m

Geographic coordinates

12 10 S, 44 15 E

Geography - note

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

Irrigated land

1.3 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total: 0 km

Land use

agricultural land: 84.4% (2018 est.) arable land: 46.7% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 29.6% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 8.1% (2018 est.) forest: 1.4% (2018 est.) other: 14.2% (2018 est.)

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

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards

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

Natural resources

fish

Population distribution

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

Terrain

volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills

Administrative divisions

3 islands; Anjouan (Ndzuwani), Grande Comore (N'gazidja), Moheli (Mwali)

Capital

name: Moroni geographic coordinates: 11 42 S, 43 14 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: Moroni derives from "mroni," which means "at the river" in Shingazidja, the Comorian language spoken on Grande Comore (N'gazidja)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of the Comoros dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

Constitution

history: previous 1996, 2001; newest adopted 30 July 2018 amendments: 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: 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 and revises the rotating presidency within the islands

Country name

conventional long form: Union of the Comoros conventional short form: Comoros local long form: Udzima wa Komori (Comorian)/Union des Comores (French)/Al Ittihad al Qumuri (Arabic) local short form: Komori (Comorian)/Les Comores (French)/Juzur al Qamar (Arabic) former: Comorian State, Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros etymology: name derives from the Arabic designation "Juzur al Qamar" meaning "Islands of the Moon"

Diplomatic representation from the US

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Issimail CHANFI (since 23 December 2020) chancery: Permanent Mission to the UN, 866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 495, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 750-1637 FAX: [1] (212) 750-1657 email address and website: comoros@un.int https://www.un.int/comoros/

Executive branch

chief of state: President AZALI Assoumani (since 26 May 2016); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government head of government: President AZALI Assoumani (since 26 May 2016) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 24 March 2019 (next to be held in 2024) election results: 2019 : AZALI Assoumani (CRC) elected president in first round - AZALI Assoumani (CRC) 60.8%, Ahamada MAHAMOUDOU (PJ) 14.6%, Mouigni Baraka Said SOILIHI (independent) 5.6%, other 19% 2016: AZALI Assoumani (CRC) elected president in the second round; percent of vote in first round - Mohamed Ali SOILIHI (UPDC) 17.6%, Mouigni BARAKA (RDC) 15.1%, AZALI Assoumani (CRC) 15%, Fahmi Said IBRAHIM (PEC) 14.5%, other 37.8%; percent of vote in second round - AZALI Assoumani (CRC) 41.4%, Mohamed Ali SOILIHI (UPDC) 39.7%; Mouigni BARAKA (RDC) 19%

Flag description

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 vertical white crescent moon 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, Ndzuwani, and Mahore (Mayotte - department of France, but claimed by Comoros) note: the crescent, stars, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam

Government type

federal presidential republic

Independence

6 July 1975 (from France)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AMF, AOSIS, AU, CAEU (candidates), COMESA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

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 NA subordinate courts: Court of Appeals (in Moroni); Tribunal de premiere instance; island village (community) courts; religious courts

Legal system

mixed legal system of Islamic religious law, the French civil code of 1975, and customary law

Legislative branch

description: unicameral Assembly of the Union (33 seats; 24 members directly elected by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed and 9 members indirectly elected by the 3 island assemblies; members serve 5-year terms) elections: last held on 19 January 2020 with a runoff on 23 February 2020 (next to be held in 2025) election results: percent of vote by party - 1st round - CRC 60.9%, Orange Party 4.3%, Independents 30.8%, other 4%; 2nd round - CRC 54.1%, Orange Party 18.9%, Independents 26.1%, other 1%; seats by party - 1st round - CRC 16, Orange Party 1, Independents 2; 2nd round - CRC 4, Orange Party 1; note - 9 additional seats filled by the 3 island assemblies; composition for elected members as of 2022 - men 20, women 4, percent of women 16.7%

National anthem

name: "Udzima wa ya Masiwa" (The Union of the Great Islands) lyrics/music: Said Hachim SIDI ABDEREMANE/Said Hachim SIDI ABDEREMANE and Kamildine ABDALLAH note: adopted 1978

National holiday

Independence Day, 6 July (1975)

National symbol(s)

four five-pointed stars and crescent moon; national colors: green, white

Political parties and leaders

Convention for the Renewal of the Comoros or CRC [AZALI Assoumani] Orange Party [Mohamed DAOUDOU] Independents Note : only parties with seats in the Assembly of the Union included (2020)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

For centuries prior to colonization in the 19th century, the archipelago of the Comoros in the Indian Ocean, served as a key node in the 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 now has classified it as a department of France. Since independence, Comoros has weathered approximately 20 realized and attempted coups 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 reached an agreement whereby the presidency would rotate among the islands every five years. This power-sharing agreement also included provisions allowing each island to maintain its local government. AZALI stepped down in 2006 and President Ahmed Abdallah Mohamed SAMBI was elected as president from Anjouan. 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 in July. The African Union (AU) initially attempted to resolve the political crisis by applying sanctions and a naval blockade to Anjouan, but in March 2008 the AU and Comoran soldiers seized the island. The island's inhabitants generally welcomed the move. In May 2011, Ikililou DHOININE won the presidency in peaceful elections widely deemed to be free and fair. In closely contested elections in 2016, former President AZALI Assoumani won a second term, when the rotating presidency returned to Grande Comore. A referendum held in July 2018 - boycotted by the opposition parties - overwhelmingly approved a new constitution removing presidential term limits and the requirement for the presidency to rotate between the three main islands. In August 2018, President AZALI formed a new government and subsequently ran and was elected president in March 2019.

Military - note

the security forces are limited in capabilities to performing search and rescue operations and maintaining internal security; a defense treaty with France provides naval resources for protection of territorial waters, training of Comoran military personnel, and air surveillance; France maintains a small maritime base and a Foreign Legion contingent on neighboring Mayotte (2023)

Military and security forces

National Army for Development (l'Armee Nationale de Developpement, AND): Comoran Defense Force (Force Comorienne de Defense, FCD), includes Gendarmerie); Ministry of Interior: Coast Guard, Federal Police, National Directorate of Territorial Safety (2023) note 1: when the Gendarmerie serves as the judicial police, it reports to the Minister of Justice; the Gendarmerie also has an intervention platoon that may act under the authority of the interior minister note 2: the National Directorate of Territorial Safety oversees customs and immigration note 3: the FCD is also known as the Comoran Security Force

Military and security service personnel strengths

estimated 600 Defense Force personnel; estimated 500 Federal Police (2023)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the defense forces are lightly armed with a mix of mostly older equipment originating from several countries, including France, Italy, Russia, and the US (2023)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for 2-year voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2021)

Age structure

0-14 years: 33.45% (male 148,485/female 148,651) 15-64 years: 62% (male 264,023/female 286,805) 65 years and over: 4.55% (2023 est.) (male 17,696/female 22,718)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 0.18 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0.07 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 0.07 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

22.1 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

19.4% (2012)

Current health expenditure

5.4% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

61.2% (2023 est.)

Death rate

6.5 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Demographic profile

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.

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 74.1 youth dependency ratio: 66.6 elderly dependency ratio: 7.5 potential support ratio: 13.3 (2021 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 97.4% of population rural: 88.5% of population total: 91% of population unimproved: urban: 2.6% of population rural: 11.5% of population total: 8.9% of population (2017 est.)

Education expenditures

2.6% of GDP (2015 est.)

Ethnic groups

Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava

Gross reproduction rate

1.33 (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 56 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.) male: 66 deaths/1,000 live births female: 45.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 67.5 years (2023 est.) male: 65.2 years female: 69.9 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 62% male: 67% female: 56.9% (2021)

Major urban areas - population

62,000 MORONI (capital) (2018)

Maternal mortality ratio

217 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

total: 22.3 years (2023 est.) male: 21.6 years female: 22.9 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

23 years (2012 est.) note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

Nationality

noun: Comoran(s) adjective: Comoran

Net migration rate

-2.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

7.8% (2016)

Physicians density

0.26 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Population

888,378 (2023 est.)

Population distribution

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

Population growth rate

1.34% (2023 est.)

Religions

Sunni Muslim 98%, other (including Shia Muslim, Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Protestant) 2% note: Sunni Islam is the state religion

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 62.4% of population rural: 43.6% of population total: 49% of population unimproved: urban: 37.6% of population rural: 56.4% of population total: 51% of population (2017 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 11 years male: 11 years female: 11 years (2014)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Tobacco use

total: 20.3% (2020 est.) male: 29.5% (2020 est.) female: 11.1% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.69 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 30.1% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.97% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 21.7% (2021 est.) male: 21.8% female: 21.5%

Disputes - international

claims French-administered Mayotte and challenges France's and Madagascar's claims to Banc du Geyser, a drying reef in the Mozambique Channel

Airports

4 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

4 note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the typical length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

D6

Merchant marine

total: 248 (2022) by type: bulk carrier 10, container ship 6, general cargo 108, oil tanker 38, other 86

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 2 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 9

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Moroni, Moutsamoudou

Roadways

total: 880 km (2002) paved: 673 km (2002) unpaved: 207 km (2002)