idja, Nzwani, and Mayotte (a territorial collectivity of France,
but claimed by Comoros); the design, the most recent of several, is
described in the constitution approved by referendum on 7 June 1992

@Comoros:Economy

Economy-overview: One of the world's poorest countries, Comoros is
made up of three islands that have inadequate transportation links, 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,
including fishing, hunting, and forestry, is the leading sector of the
economy. It contributes 40% to GDP, employs 80% of the labor force,
and provides most of the exports. The country is not self-sufficient
in food production; rice, the main staple, accounts for the bulk of
imports. 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.
Continued foreign support is essential if the goal of 4% annual GDP
growth is to be maintained in the late 1990s.

GDP: purchasing power parity-$400 million (1997 est.)

GDP-real growth rate: 3.5% (1997 est.)

GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$685 (1997 est.)

GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 40%
industry: 14%
services: 46% (1996 est.)

Inflation rate-consumer price index: 3.5% (1996 est.)

Labor force:
total: 144,500 (1996 est.)
by occupation: agriculture 80%, government 3%

Unemployment rate: 20% (1996 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $55 million
expenditures: $71 million, including capital expenditures of $15
million (1995 est.)

Industries: tourism, perfume distillation, textiles, furniture,
jewelry, construction materials, soft drinks

Industrial production growth rate: -6.5% (1989 est.)

Electricity-capacity: 9,750 kW (1996)

Electricity-production: 31 million kWh (1996)

Electricity-consumption per capita: 38 kWh (1996)

Agriculture-products: vanilla, cloves, perfume essences, copra,
coconuts, bananas, cassava (tapioca)

Exports:
total value: $11.4 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities: vanilla, ylang-ylang, cloves, perfume oil, copra
partners: France 54%, Germany 18%, US 18%

Imports:
total value: $70 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities: