: NEGL

Land use: arable land: 35% permanent crops: 18% other: 47% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

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 signed, but
not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: important location at northern end of Mozambique
Channel

People Comoros

Population: 614,382 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 42.9% (male 132,013; female 131,282) 15-64
years: 54.2% (male 164,245; female 168,793) 65 years and over: 2.9%
(male 8,588; female 9,461) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.99% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 39.01 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 9.1 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: NEGL migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
0.91 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 81.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 63.09 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 5.26 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.12% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

Nationality: noun: Comoran(s) adjective: Comoran

Ethnic groups: Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava

Religions: Sunni Muslim 98%, Roman Catholic 2%

Languages: Arabic (official), French (official), Shikomoro (a blend of
Swahili and Arabic)

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total
population: 57.3% male: 64.2% female: 50.4% (1995 est.)

Government Comoros

Country name: conventional long form: Federal Islamic Republic of the
Comoros conventional short form: Comoros local short form: Comores local
long form: Republique Federale Islamique des Comores

Government type: independent republic

Capital: Moroni

Administrative divisions: 3 islands; Grande Comore (Njazidja), Anjouan
(Nzwani), and Moheli (M