Location:
Southern Africa, group of islands at the northern mouth of the Mozambique Channel, about two-thirds of the way between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique

Geographic coordinates:
12 10 S, 44 15 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 2,235 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 2,235 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 0 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 180

Area - comparative:
slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

Coastline:
340 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical marine; rainy season (November to May)

Terrain:
volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills

Elevation:
mean elevation:
[see also: Mean Elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Karthala 2,360 m

Natural resources:
fish

Land use:
agricultural land: 84.4% arable land 46.7%; permanent crops 29.6%; permanent pasture 8.1%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 1.4%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 14.2% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
1.3 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Total renewable water resources:
1.2 cu km (2011)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.01 cu km/yr (48%/5%/47%)
per capita: 16.86 cu m/yr (1999)

Natural hazards:
cyclones possible during rainy season (December to April); volcanic activity on Grand Comore
volcanism: Karthala (elev. 2,361 m) on Grand Comore Island last erupted in 2007; a 2005 eruption forced thousands of people to be evacuated and produced a large ash cloud

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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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