would work to produce wealth according
to their abilities. Everyone would
share in this wealth according to their
needs.
Communist Governments
The Russian Revolution of 1917
brought the first Communist government
into power. Vladimir Lenin set up
a political party to put Marx’s ideas into
practice. This party, later called the
Communist Party, organized a new
country named the Soviet Union.
AfterWorldWar II ended in 1945, the
Soviet Union forced many countries in
eastern Europe to set up Communist
governments. The United States and its
allies opposed the spread of Communism.
A rivalry called the ColdWar
developed between the two sides.
Communists took control of China in
1949. Communism then spread to other
parts of Asia (Vietnam, Cambodia,
North Korea), Africa (Ethiopia and
Angola), and Central America (Cuba
and Nicaragua).
None of these countries ever achieved a
true Communist society like Marx had
described. Instead of having no government,
they all had very strong, strict
governments. Plus, their governmentrun
economies did poorly. Between
1989 and 1991 the Communist governments
in the Soviet Union and eastern
Europe collapsed. China’s Communist
government ruled into the 21st century.
But China also took some steps toward a
capitalist system.
#More to explore
Capitalism • China • ColdWar
• Economics • Lenin, Vladimir Ilich
• Russian Revolution • Socialism
• Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Karl Marx did
not like religion.
This
prejudice
made many
religious
people dislike
Communism.
Karl Marx is often called the Father of Communism.
168 Communism BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Comoros
Three volcanic islands make up the
Union of the Comoros, a tropical country
off the east coast of Africa. The capital
is Moroni, located on the island of
Ngazidja.
Geography
Comoros includes the islands of
Ngazidja (Grande Comore), Mwali
(Moheli), and Nzwani (Anjouan). The
island of Mayotte, to the southeast, is a
French territory. The islands lie in the
Indian Ocean between Mozambique, a
country in southeastern Africa, and
Madagascar, a much larger island country.
Volcanoes formed the islands, which
are all mountainous. The climate is hot,
with dry and humid seasons.
Plants and Animals
The islands contain lush tropical rain
forests. Coconut palms and mangrove
trees grow along the beaches. Among
Comoros’ animals are rare bats, birds,
and lemurs. In the waters live coelacanths,
fish that scientists once thought
were extinct.
People
Most Comorans have a mixture of African,
Arab, Malay, and Indonesian roots.
The majority of people are Muslims.
The official languages are Comorian,
Arabic, and French. Comorian is similar
to Swahili, a language spoken in East
Africa. About two thirds of the population
lives in rural areas.
Economy
Comoros is a poor country. Agriculture
and fishing are the most important parts
of the economy. Crops include coconuts,
bananas, cassava, rice, cloves,
vanilla, and ylang-ylang (blossoms used
in perfume). Trade and tourism are also
important. Small manufacturers make
perfume, cement, soaps, wood products,
and clothing.
History
People have lived on the islands since
about AD 500. Arab traders later settled
there. The Comorans grew rich by selling
slaves, sugar, and cloves. France took
control of the islands in the 1800s.
Comoros gained independence in 1975,
but its government was not stable for
many years. In 2001 a new constitution
gave each island more power to govern
its own people.
..More to explore
Madagascar • Moroni
Facts About
COMOROS
Population
(2008 estimate)
645,000
Area
719 sq mi (1,862
sq km)
Capital
Moroni
Form of
government
Federal republic
Major cities
Moroni, Mutsamudu,
Domoni,
Fomboni
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Comoros 169
directions. To use a compass, a person
lines up the needle with the marking
for north. Then the person can figure
out all the other directions.
A compass works because Earth is a
huge magnet. A magnet has two main
centers of force, called poles—one at
each end. Lines of magnetic force connect
these poles. Bits of metal near a
magnet always arrange themselves along
these lines. A compass needle acts like
these bits of metal. It points north
because it lines up with Earth’s lines of
magnetic force.
Earth’s magnetic poles are not the same
as the geographic North and South
poles. The geographic poles are located
at the very top and bottom of a globe.
The magnetic poles are nearby but not
at exactly the same places. A compass
points to the magnetic North Pole, not
the geographic North Pole. Therefore, a
compass user has to make adjustments
to find true north.
A special kind of compass called a gyrocompass
does point to true north. The
gyrocompass uses a device called a gyroscope,
which always points in the same
direction. Today large ships carry both
magnetic compasses and gyrocompasses.
People in China and Europe first learned
how to make magnetic compasses during
the 1100s. They discovered that
when a magnetized bit of iron floated in
water, it pointed north. Sailors soon
began to use compasses to navigate, or
find their way, at sea.
#More to explore
Gyroscope • Magnet and Magnetism
• Navigation
Computer
