Comoros

For centuries prior to colonization in the 19th century, the Comoros archipelago in the Indian Ocean served as a key node in maritime trade networks that connected the Middle East, India, and eastern African regions. Composed of the islands of Anjouan, Mayotte, Moheli, and Grande Comore, Comoros spent most of the 20th century as a colonial outpost until it declared independence from France on 6 July 1975. Residents of Mayotte, however, voted to remain in France, and the French Government has since classified it as a French Overseas Department. <br><br>Since independence, Comoros has weathered approximately 20 successful and attempted coups, mostly between 1975 and 2000, resulting in prolonged political instability and stunted economic development. In 2002, President AZALI Assoumani became the first elected president following the completion of the Fomboni Accords, in which the islands of Grande Comore, Anjouan, and Moheli agreed to rotate the presidency among the islands every five years. This power-sharing agreement also included provisions allowing each island to maintain its local government. In 2007, Mohamed BACAR effected Anjouan's de-facto secession from the Union of the Comoros, refusing to step down when Comoros' other islands held legitimate elections. The African Union (AU) initially attempted to resolve the political crisis with sanctions and a naval blockade of Anjouan, but in 2008, the AU and Comoran soldiers seized the island. The island's inhabitants generally welcomed the move. In 2011, Ikililou DHOININE won the presidency in peaceful elections widely deemed to be free and fair. In closely contested elections in 2016, AZALI won a second term, when the rotating presidency returned to Grande Comore. In 2018, a referendum -- which the opposition parties boycotted -- approved a new constitution that extended presidential term limits and abolished the requirement for the presidency to rotate between the three main islands. AZALI formed a new government later that year, and he subsequently ran and was reelected in 2019. AZALI was reelected again in January 2024 in an election that the opposition disputed but the Supreme Court validated.

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

12 10 S, 44 15 E

Africa

slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, D.C.

340 km

tropical marine; rainy season (November to May)

volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills

fish

1.3 sq km (2012)

the capital city of Maroni, on the western side of the island of Grande Comore, is the country's largest city; however, Anjouan is the most densely populated of the three islands that comprise Comoros, as shown in this population distribution map

cyclones possible during rainy season (December to April); volcanic activity on Grand Comore <br><br><strong>volcanism:</strong> Karthala (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

important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel; the only Arab League country that lies entirely in the Southern Hemisphere

Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava

Arabic (official), French (official), Shikomoro (official; similar to Swahili), Comorian

Muslim 98.1% (overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim, small Shia Muslim and Ahmadiyya Muslim populations), ethnic religionist 1.1%, Christian 0.6%, other 0.3% (2020 est.)

1.26% (2025 est.)

21.12 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

6.38 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

-2.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

the capital city of Maroni, on the western side of the island of Grande Comore, is the country's largest city; however, Anjouan is the most densely populated of the three islands that comprise Comoros, as shown in this population distribution map

62,000 MORONI (capital) (2018)

23 years (2012 est.)

179 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

2.52 children born/woman (2025 est.)

1.24 (2025 est.)

0.42 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

7.8% (2016)

9.1% (2022 est.)

63.1% (2022 est.)

deforestation; soil degradation and erosion from forest loss and crop cultivation on slopes without proper terracing; silting of coral reefs

tropical marine; rainy season (November to May)

14.5 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

1.2 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

federal presidential republic

3 islands; Anjouan (Ndzuwani), Grande Comore (N'gazidja), Moheli (Mwali)

mixed legal system of Islamic religious law, the French civil code of 1975, and customary law

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

Convention for the Renewal of the Comoros or CRC<br>Juwa Party (Parti Juwa) or PJ<br>Orange Party (2020)

ACP, AfDB, AMF, AOSIS, AU, CAEU (candidates), COMESA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

6 July 1975 (from France)

Independence Day, 6 July (1975)

<strong>description:</strong> four equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), white, red, and blue, with a green isosceles triangle based on the left; a vertical white crescent moon is centered in the triangle, with four five-pointed white stars placed vertically in a line between the points of the crescent<br><br><strong>meaning:</strong> the horizontal bands and the stars represent the four main islands of the archipelago -- Mwali, N'gazidja, Ndzuwani, and Mahore (Mayotte is a department of France, but claimed by Comoros)

four five-pointed stars and crescent moon

green, white

the coat of arms is in the national colors of green and white; was adopted in 1978; the crescent and stars represent Islam, with the four stars also symbolizing the archipelago&rsquo;s four main islands: Grande Comore, Moh&eacute;li, Anjouan, and Mayotte (the last of which is a French department claimed by Comoros); above and below the sun&rsquo;s rays is the name of the nation written in French and Arabic; two olive branches, representing peace, are connected by a banner with the national motto in French, which translates as "Unity, Solidarity, Development"

small trade-based island economy; declining remittances; new structural and fiscal reforms; adverse cyclone and COVID-19 impacts; manageable debts; fragile liquidity environment; large foreign direct investment; state-owned enterprises suffering

$1.546 billion (2024 est.)

bananas, coconuts, cassava, yams, maize, taro, milk, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, pulses (2023)

fishing, tourism, perfume distillation

3.8% (2024 est.)

276,400 (2024 est.)

44.8% (2020 est.)

Indonesia 25%, India 23%, Turkey 16%, UAE 11%, USA 3% (2023)

cloves, ships, essential oils, vanilla, scrap iron (2023)

China 24%, UAE 21%, Tanzania 12%, France 7%, India 6% (2023)

refined petroleum, poultry, rice, flavored water, additive manufacturing machines (2023)

national state-owned TV station and a TV station run by Anjouan regional government; national state-owned radio; regional governments on the islands of Grande Comore and Anjouan each operate a radio station; a few independent and small community radio stations operate on the islands of Grande Comore and Moheli, and these two islands have access to Mayotte Radio and French TV

.km

D6

3 (2025)

National Army for Development (l'Armee Nationale de Developpement, AND): Comoran Defense Force (Force Comorienne de Defense or FCD; includes Comoran National Gendarmerie); Ministry of Interior: Coast Guard, Federal Police, National Directorate of Territorial Safety (customs and immigration) (2024)

estimated 600 Defense Force; estimated 500 Federal Police (2023)

the AND is lightly armed and equipped with small arms, a few light aircraft, and utility vehicles (2024)

18-25 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2023)

the focus for the security forces is search and rescue operations and maintaining internal security; a defense treaty with France provides naval resources for the protection of territorial waters, training of Comoran military personnel, and air surveillance; France maintains a small maritime base and a Foreign Legion contingent on neighboring Mayotte (2024)