People and Society of Comoros

Nationality

Comoran(s)

Ethnic Groups

Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava

Population

773,407

Population in Major Urban Areas

MORONI (capital) 54,000

Medical care is substandard throughout the country including Grande Comore. Adequate evacuation insurance coverage for all travelers is a high priority. Travelers should carry their own supplies of prescription drugs and preventive medicines. Malaria is prevalent in Comoros. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises that travelers to Comoros should take one of the following antimalarial drugs: mefloquine (Lariam™), doxycycline, or atovaquone/proguanil (Malarone™). Other protective measures, such as the use of bed nets and insect repellants, help to reduce malaria risk. Travelers who become ill with a fever or flu-like illness while traveling in a malaria-risk area, and up to one year after returning home, should seek prompt medical attention, and tell the physician their travel history and what antimalarials they have been taking. For additional information on malaria, protection from insect bites, and antimalarial drugs, please visit the CDC Travelers' Health web pages. The East African Indian Ocean islands have seen a rise in the cases of chikungunya, a viral dengue-like ailment, and dengue itself. As with malaria, chikungunya and dengue are transmitted by mosquitoes. Every effort should be made to use bed nets, repellants, proper clothing, and other barriers that discourage/prevent mosquito bites. The CDC has further information on chikungunya and dengue on its website. Rabies vaccines should be considered for shorter stays for adventure travelers, hikers, backpackers, or rural travelers who are staying more than 24 hours away from a reliable source of human rabies immune globulin and rabies vaccine for post-exposure treatment. Take seriously all bat, carnivore, and other mammal bites or scratches, and seek post-exposure prophylaxis even if already immunized. There is a high risk of marine hazards (jellyfish, coral, and sea urchins) as well as traveler’s diarrhea throughout the country. Food and beverage precautions are essential in order to reduce chances of illness. Travelers should carry loperamide (Imodium®) and/or a quinolone (Ciprofloxacin) antibiotic for presumptive self-treatment, if diarrhea occurs.

Literacy Definition

age 15 and over can read and write

Education Culture

The government provides free primary school education for children up to the age of 10 and this tends to increase enrollment in schools. However the schools are greatly hampered with lack of facilities, equipment, qualified personnel to teach as well as important materials like text books. School buildings often lack washrooms and toilet facilities. There In some of the islands the local governments have had to suspend payment of fees because many parents could not afford to pay fees for their children, and they instead opted to send their kids to Quranic schools which are usually free. The educational system in Comoros is mirrored on the French school system and primary schools last up to five years. The percentage of girls enrolling in school is lower than that of boys and the ration between teachers and students is about one teacher for every fifty students.

Learning

The teachers will always be present during the assembly before the children break into the various classes. Classes run throughout the day until 3:30 p.m. when the school breaks for the day and the children go back home. Children get to school by walking because there is nothing like organized school transport since the schools are not usually too far from their homes. After the normal school day there will be about an hour for extra curricula activities where children will play ball or participate in any club activities that are available in each individual school they attend When it comes to schooling, all children from the age of three must attend Quranic School where they are taught the tenets of Islam and some form of classical Arabic. In the rural areas when children attend these schools, they may be at times forced to stay with the teacher and help out with work at the school and also assist in working on the teacher’s farm during the free times.

• Sunni Muslim98.0%
• Roman Catholic2.0%

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

Even though, Arabic and French are the official languages, most people speak Comoran, a mixture of Arabic and Swahili.

• Arabic
• French

Crime Information

You should be vigilant against pickpocketing and other forms of petty crime when visiting crowded market areas, parks, and at the beaches. Violent crime is uncommon; Moheli, for example, has not reported a homicide in decades. The most commonly reported crime is home break-ins. Most reported crimes are crimes of opportunity. Don’t buy counterfeit and pirated goods, even if they are widely available. Not only are the bootlegs illegal in the United States, if you purchase them you may also be breaking local law.

Criminal Penalties

While you are traveling in another country, you are subject to its laws even if you are a U.S. citizen. Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different than our own. In some places you may be taken in for questioning if you don’t have your passport with you. In some places driving under the influence could land you immediately in jail. These criminal penalties will vary from country to country. There are also some things that might be legal in the country you visit, but still illegal in the United States, and you can be prosecuted under U.S. law if you buy pirated goods. Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime prosecutable in the United States. If you break local laws in your host country, your U.S. passport won’t help you avoid arrest or prosecution. It’s very important to know what’s legal and what’s not where you are going. Persons violating the laws of Comoros, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned. Penalties for possession, use or trafficking in illegal drugs in Comoros are strict, with convicted offenders receiving a mandatory minimum five-year jail sentence and heavy fines. Arrest notifications in host country: While some countries will automatically notify the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate if a U.S. citizen is detained or arrested in a foreign country, that might not always be the case. To ensure that the United States is aware of your circumstances, request that the police and prison officials notify the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate as soon as you are arrested or detained overseas. Please note that there is no official permanent U.S. presence in Comoros – such official notification to U.S. authorities must be made to the U.S. Embassy in Madagascar, and may therefore be extremely slow.