30 Facts About Comoros

The Comoros are a volcanic archipelago off the east coast of Africa, in the warm Indian Ocean waters of the Mozambique Channel.

Grande Comore (Ngazidja), the nation state's largest island, is surrounded by beaches and old lava from the active Mt. Karthala volcano.

In the capital, Moroni, there are carved doors and the Ancienne Mosquée du Vendredi, a white colonnaded mosque that recalls the islands' Arab heritage.

Moroni is Comoros' capital city.

Comoros is known as the "Perfume Isles" because of its fragrant plant life, especially the ylang-ylang flower.

Comoros is the world's largest producer of ylang-ylang, accounting for roughly 80% of the ylang-ylang flowers used in the famous perfume Chanel No 5.

Comoros' first confirmed human inhabitants are thought to be of Malayo-Polynesian descent, arriving in the 5th or 6th century CE.

The Portuguese are thought to have been the first Europeans to visit the Comoros in the late 16th century.

France officially took possession of the Comoros Islands in 1843, and the archipelago became a French protectorate in 1886.

Comoros was granted autonomy in 1961, and after a referendum in 1974, the islands gained independence in 1975.

The Comoros archipelago consists of four main islands and numerous smaller ones: Grande Comore, Moheli, Anjouan, and Mayotte. Mayotte, on the other hand, voted against independence and is still governed by France.

Comoros' flag consists of four horizontal yellow, white, red, and blue stripes, as well as a green triangle with a white crescent and four white stars. The four stripes and stars represent the four major islands, and the green and crescent symbolise Islam.

Comoros is one of 27 countries that lacks a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It does, however, have four properties on the Tentative List of sites to be nominated.

Comoros is one of the world's least visited countries, with only about 28,000 tourists in 2017. (the latest available data).

The 2,361m (7,746ft)-high Karthala volcano, located on the island of Grande Comore, is one of the world's most active. It last erupted in 2007, with eruptions occurring every 11 years on average, but rarely causing significant damage. The mountain, which is also Comoros' highest point, is a popular trekking destination.

The two smaller Comoros islands, Moheli and Anjouan, declared independence in 1997, claiming resentment of Grande Comore's dominance. They requested recolonization from France, but France refused, and they rejoined the union in 2001.

The name Comoros originates from the Arabic "Juzur al Qamar" meaning "Islands of the Moon".

Moroni, the capital city of the Comoros, gets its name from the word "mroni," which means "at the river" in Shingazidja, the language spoken on the island of Grande Comore.

Comoros is Africa's third-smallest country in terms of land area and fourth-smallest in terms of population.

Comoros' national dish is Langouste a la Vanille, which is grilled lobster in a creamy vanilla sauce.

Comoros qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in 2021 after drawing 0-0 with Togo at home. Until 2016, when they defeated Botswana 1-0, the country had never won a major game.

The Comorian islands of Anjouan and Mohéli are the only places on the planet where the endangered Livingstone fruit bats can be seen. They have a wingspan of 1.5m (4.9ft) and live in small colonies high up in the mountains.

Because natural resources are scarce in Comoros, the islands' main exports are cloves, vanilla, cloves, and essential oils used in perfume.

Mohéli National Park, which opened in 2001, was Comoros' first protected area. The park, which includes several marine reserves, is co-managed by village communities and aims to protect the region's rich biodiversity.

Mohéli Island is an important turtle nesting site. Villagers used to eat turtles, but now they participate in scientific monitoring and turtle protection to promote ecotourism.

Comoros has a diverse range of endemic animal species, including 21 bird species, nine reptile species, and two fruit bat species, as well as over 500 endemic plant species.

More than 20 coups and secession attempts have occurred in Comoros since independence. On average, a coup is attempted in Comoros every two years which has led the islands to be nicknamed "the coup-coup islands".

From 2007 to 2013, the entire 700,000-person Comoros population was given three doses of a malaria drug derived from an ancient Chinese drug. Malaria had been declared eradicated in the Comoros by 2014.

Three former Comoros presidents were involved in an unusual scheme to sell Comoros passports to fund development. The plan was to grant Comoros citizenship to stateless people in the UAE and Kuwait in exchange for cash to help develop the impoverished Indian Ocean archipelago. The scheme failed, and an estimated $100 million went missing.

The Petit Mariage and Grand Mariage are the two types of marriage practised in Comoros. A Grand Mariage can consist of a slew of elaborate rituals, last two weeks, and cost tens of thousands of dollars.