Introduction
Unstable Comoros has endured 19 coups or attempted coups since gaining independence from France in 1975. In 1997, the islands of Anjouan and Moheli declared their independence from Comoros. In 1999, military chief Col. AZALI seized power. He pledged to resolve the secessionist crisis through a confederal arrangement named the 2000 Fomboni Accord. In December 2001, voters approved a new constitution and presidential elections took place in the spring of 2002. Each island in the archipelago elected its own president and a new union president was sworn in on 26 May 2002.
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
Geographic coordinates
12 10 S, 44 15 E
Area
total: 2,170 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 2,170 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC
Terrain
volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Le Kartala 2,360 m
Natural hazards
cyclones possible during rainy season (December to April); Le Kartala on Grand Comore is an active volcano
Environment - current issues
soil degradation and erosion results from crop cultivation on slopes without proper terracing; deforestation
Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
Population
651,901 (July 2004 est.)