island, and others are former presidents
of the republic)

Political parties and leaders: Front National pour la Justice or FNJ
(Islamic party in opposition) [Ahmed Abdallah MOHAMED, Ahmed ABOUBACAR,
Soidiki M'BAPANOZA]; Rassemblement National pour le Development or RND
(party of the government) [Ali Bazi SELIM]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL,
CCC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS
(associate), ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU,
NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO,
WMO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission:
Ambassador-designate Ahmed DJABIR (ambassador to the US and Canada and
permanent representative to the UN) telephone: [1] (212)
[1] (212) 983-4712 and 715-0699 chancery: Republic of the Comoros to
the United Nations, 420 East 50th Street,
New York, NY 10022

Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy
in Comoros; the ambassador to Mauritius is accredited to Comoros

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 white crescent 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,
Njazidja, Nzwani, and Mayotte (a territorial collectivity of France, but
claimed by Comoros); the crescent, stars, and color green are traditional
symbols of Islam

Economy Comoros

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, 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,