History Of Comoros

The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program provides Consular Information Sheets, Travel Warnings, and Public Announcements. Consular Information Sheets exist for all countries and include information on entry requirements, currency regulations, health conditions, areas of instability, crime and security, political disturbances, and the addresses of the U.S. posts in the country. Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid travel to a certain country. Public Announcements are issued as a means to disseminate information quickly about terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions overseas that pose significant risks to the security of American travelers. Free copies of this information are available by calling the Bureau of Consular Affairs at 202-647-5225 or via the fax-on-demand system: 202-647-3000. Consular Information Sheets and Travel Warnings also are available on the Consular Affairs Int ... [Read More]

Comoros

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Background Notes

These publications include facts about the land, people, history, government, political conditions, economy, and foreign relations of independent states, some dependencies, and areas of special sovereignty.  The Notes are updated/revised by the Office of Electronic Information and Publications of the Bureau of Public Affairs as they are received from the Department's regional bureaus and are added to the database of the Department of State website you are now using. ... [Read More]

Madagascar (06/05)

Structural reforms began in the late 1980s, initially under pressure form international financial institutions. An initial privatization program (1988-1993) and the development of an export processing zone (EPZ) regime in the early 1990s were key milestones in this effort. A period of significant stagnation from 1991-96 was followed by 5 years of solid economic growth and accelerating foreign investment, driven by a second wave of privatizations and EPZ development. Although structural reforms advanced, governance remained weak and perceived corruption in Madagascar was extremely high. During the period of solid growth from 1997 through 2001, poverty levels remained stubbornly high, especially in rural areas. A six-month political crisis triggered by a dispute over the outcome of the presidential elections held in December 2001 virtually halted economic activity in much of the country in the first half of 2002. Real GDP dropped 12.7% for the year 2002, inflows of foreign investment dro ... [Read More]

Department of State Washington File: Rewards for Justice Program Has History of Success

Morton said the program had paid out nearly a total of $57 million to 43 people. Notably, about $48 million of that amount has been awarded and disbursed in just the last 16 months. Most maximum payments are for $5 million, but after the 9/11 terrorist attacks Congress raised the possible rewards amounts, at the discretion of the secretary of state. ...

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov) ... [Read More]

Frequently Asked Historical Questions

On September 15, 1789, Congress passed "An Act to provide for the safe keeping of the Acts, Records, and Seal of the United States, and for other purposes." This law changed the name of the Department of Foreign Affairs to the Department of State because certain domestic duties were assigned to the agency. These included: Receipt, publication, distribution, and preservation of the laws of the United States; Preparation, sealing, and recording of the commissions of Presidential appointees; Preparation and authentication of copies of records and authentication of copies under the Department's seal; Custody of the Great Seal of the United States; Custody of the records of the former Secretary of the Continental Congress, except for those of the Treasury and War Departments. ... [Read More]

Appendix 4: Clinton Appointments, Chief of Mission Positions (and USUN Deputies)
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South Africa (06/05)

South Africa's GDP is expected to increase gradually during the next few years, and the government recently revised upward its 2005 estimated growth to 4.3%. Annual GDP growth between 1994 and 2004 averaged 3.0%. In 2003, real GDP growth slowed to a rate of 2.8%, but increased to 3.7% in 2004. The government estimates that the economy must achieve growth at a minimum of 6% to offset unemployment, which is estimated at 28%, although unofficial sources put it as high as 41%. In an effort to boost economic growth and spur job creation, the government has launched special investment corridors to promote development in specific regions and also is working to encourage small, medium, and microenterprise development. One of the great successes of the ANC government has been to get consumer inflation, which had been running in the double digits for over 20 years, under control. By 1998, inflation had fallen to 6.9%, and in 1999 and 2000 inflation was running at less than 6.0%. The rand's rapid ... [Read More]

Daily Press Briefing for December 19 -- Transcript

MR. BOUCHER: No, no. It is one of the issues that are being worked. There are a lot of issues of composition, deployment, as well as mandate in the resolution. And, of course, coordination with the US military is an important aspect of working all this out. But I don't think there is any major stumbling block like that. ...

MR. BOUCHER: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. If I can, I would just like to briefly call your attention to the report that we have submitted to the United Nations in New York on the United States efforts to fulfill the obligations of Resolution 1373 of the Security Council. This is a report that we have talked about in New York. I think our people up there have done a press conference, but I just wanted you to be aware of this. It is a very comprehensive rundown on the steps that the United States has been taking as part of, I think, a truly extraordinary international campaign against terrorism. Other nations will be submitting their reports by the deadline at the end of the month. ... [Read More]

US Department Of State Post Report

Agriculture dominates the economic life of the 70% of the population living in rural areas - and rice paddies even dot the urban landscape of Antananarivo.  The poor performance of the traditional agricultural sector, dominated by subsistence production of staple foods, is a key factor in persistent poverty that keeps 80% of the rural population below the official poverty line.  Rice, the main staple crop, accounts for over half of farm output. However, Madagascar, which was self-sufficient in rice until the early 1970s, has since been a net importer.  Plots are inefficiently small and productivity is restrained by reliance on traditional cultivation techniques and minimal use of inputs, resulting in yields less than a third of those widely achieved elsewhere.  Other major staple crops for local consumption are cassava, corn and sweet potatoes.   Cash crops include vanilla, cloves, coffee, sugar cane, cotton, pepper and other spices.  Madagascar is tr ... [Read More]