te (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

Overview: One of the world's poorest countries, Comoros is made up of
several islands that have poor 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 90% 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, and to reduce the high
population growth rate. Continued foreign support is essential if the
goal of 4% annual GDP growth is to be reached in the late 1990s.

National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $370 million (1994
est.)

National product real growth rate: 0.9% (1994 est.)

National product per capita: $700 (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 15% (1993 est.)

Unemployment rate: 15.8% (1989)

Budget:
revenues: $83 million
expenditures: $92 million, including capital expenditures of $32
million (1992)

Exports: $13.7 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities: vanilla, ylang-ylang, cloves, perfume oil, copra
partners: US 44%, France 40%, Germany 6%, Africa 5% (1992)

Imports: $40.9 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities: rice and other foodstuffs, petroleum products, cement,
consumer goods
partners: France 34%, South Africa 14%, Kenya 8%, Japan 4% (1992)

External debt: $160 million (1992 est.)

Industrial production: growth rate -6.5% (1989 est.); accounts for 6%
of GDP

Electricity:
capacity: 16,000 kW
production: 17 million kWh
consumption per capita: 27 kWh (1993)

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

Agriculture: accounts for 40% of GDP; most of population works in
subsistence agriculture and fishing; plantations produce cash crops
for