History of Comoros:
The islands that now make up the tiny island nation of Comoros were conquered and ruled by various groups from the surrounding region, including Persians, Indonesians and Africans. Comoros was first discovered by Europeans in 1505. The first to arrive were the Portuguese, but it was the French who colonized the island from 1841.
The islands were used for agriculture and many of the crops were exported to other countries. In 1975 several islands declared independence from France. Mayotte decided to maintain relations with France. Since then, the country of Comoros has experienced a series of coups and riots in its short history.
Information about Comoros:
Capital | Moroni |
Population | 854,816 (Source: 2023 worldometer) |
Major Cities | Moroni (capital), Moutsamoudou, Fomboni, Domoni, Tsimbeo, Adda-Douéni, Sima, Ouani, Mirontsi |
Borders | no land borders |
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) | $1,242,519,407 (2022 worldometer) |
Currency | Comoran franc (KMF) |
Flag of Comoros:
Comoros Economy Key Industries:
Comoros Major Industries: tourism, perfume distillation
Comoros Agricultural Products: vanilla, cloves, perfume essences, copra, coconuts, bananas, cassava (tapioca)
Comoros Natural Resources: NEGL
Comoros Major Exports: vanilla, ylang-ylang (perfume essence), cloves, copra
Comoros Major Imports: rice and other foodstuffs, consumer goods, petroleum products, cement, transport equipment
The Geography of Comoros:
Total Size of Comoros: 1,861 km2 (source: wikipedia)
Geographical Low Point of Comoros: Indian Ocean 0 m
Geographical High Point of Comoros: Le Kartala 2,360 m
Climate of Comoros: Tropical marine; rainy season (November to May)
General Terrain of Comoros: Indian Ocean 0 m
World Region or Continent of Comoros: Africa
Geographical Coordinates: 12 10 S, 44 15 E
The People of Comoros & Culture
Comoros Government Type: republic
Comoros Nationality: Comoran(s)
Comoros National Holiday: Independence Day, 6 July (1975)
Comoros Independence: 6 July 1975 (from France)
Comoros National Symbol: four stars and crescent
Comoros National Anthem or Song: Udzima wa ya Masiwa (The Union of the Great Islands)
Comoros Languages Spoken: Arabic (official), French (official), Shikomoro (a blend of Swahili and Arabic)
Comoros Religions: Sunni Muslim 98%, Roman Catholic 2%
Interesting Facts about Comoros:
Comoros is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean. The Comoros Islands she consists of three main islands and numerous smaller islands.
The name of the country comes from the Arabic word for “moon” and is pronounced “kamal”. As seen above, the moon is also depicted on the flag of the Comoros.
The African country of Comoros is located off the coast of Tanzania and Mozambique, northwest of Madagascar, in the Mozambique Channel.
The three main islands are called Ngazija (Grandal Comoa Island), Mwari (Moheli Island) and Nzwani (Anjouan Island). The largest island is Grande Comoa and the most densely populated is Anjouan.
The capital of the Comoros is Moroni, which is also the country’s largest city with a population of approximately 62,000. Moroni is located on Gran Comor Island.
Once a French colony, the Comoros also included the island of Mayotte until independence from France in 1975.
About 864,000 people live in the Comoros, the majority of whom are Sunni Muslims.
The national languages of Comoros are French, Arabic and Comorian, known locally as Cicomoro. Sicomoro is a mixture of Arabic and Swahili.
Comoros is one of the poorest countries in Africa, with over 40% of the population living below the poverty line. 20% of Comoros are unemployed and only around 60% are literate.
The Comoros Islands are of volcanic origin. The highest mountain in the Comoros is Kalutara Peak at 2361 m/7746 ft on the island of Gran Comoa.
The country is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna, and the ylang-ylang or spice tree is also endemic to the island. Yang Ylang is used in the production of essential oils and perfumes. Major agricultural products include various spices such as vanilla, coconut, banana, cassava and cloves.
The main export partners are France, India and Germany, while the United Arab Emirates, France and China are Comoros main import partners.
The main industries are fishing, tourism and perfume distillation.
Comoros has a tropical rainforest climate, mainly he has two seasons. Monsoon winds bring rain and high temperatures from December to April, while May to November are cool and dry.