Comoros

The Comoros archipelago, located in the Indian Ocean off the coast of East Africa, is made up of three volcanic islands. The largest island is Grande Comore, also known as Ngazidja. The other two islands are Mohéli, also known as Mwali, and Anjouan, also known as Nzwani. The Comoros islands were first inhabited by Arabs and Austronesians in the 8th century CE. The Comoros were a French colony from 1886 to 1975. In 1997, the islands became an independent nation. The Comoros have a tropical climate, with average temperatures ranging from 21 to 32 degrees Celsius. The rainy season is from November to April. The Comoros are prone to cyclones and earthquakes. The economy of the Comoros is based on agriculture, fishing and tourism. The main crops grown are vanilla, cloves and ylang-ylang. Fishing and tourism are the main sources of foreign currency. The Comoros have a population of about 800,000 people. The official languages are Comorian, French and Arabic. The majority of the population is Sunni Muslim. The Comoros are a member of the African Union, the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.