Union des Comores
Udzima wa Komori
الإتّحاد القمريّ
Al-Ittiḥād
Al-Qumuriyy
Union of the
Comoros
|
|
 |
 |
|
Flag |
Coat of arms |
|
Motto: "Unité
- Solidarité -
Développement" (French)
"Unity - Solidarity
- Development" |
Anthem: Udzima
wa ya Masiwa (Comorian)
"The Union of the
Great Islands" |
|
|
 |
|
Location
of Comoros |
|
Capital
(and largest city) |
Moroni
 11°41′S,
43°16′E |
|
Official languages |
Arabic,
French |
|
Demonym |
Comorian |
|
Government |
Federal republic |
|
- |
President |
Ahmed Abdallah M.
Sambi |
|
Independence |
from
France |
|
- |
Date |
July 6,
1975 |
|
Area |
|
- |
Total |
2,235 km² (178th)
863 sq mi |
|
- |
Water (%) |
negligible |
|
|
Population |
|
- |
2005 estimate |
798,000 (159th) |
|
- |
Density |
275/km² (25th)
712.2/sq mi |
|
GDP (PPP) |
2004 estimate |
|
- |
Total |
$1.049 billion (171st) |
|
- |
Per capita |
$1,660 (156th) |
|
HDI (2007) |
▲ 0.561 (medium) (134th) |
|
Currency |
Comorian franc (KMF) |
|
Time zone |
EAT
(UTC+3) |
|
- |
Summer (DST) |
not observed (UTC+3) |
|
Internet TLD |
.km |
|
Calling code |
+269 |
|
The
Comoros (pronounced /ˈkɒməroʊz/,
listen (help·info); Arabic:
جزر القمر, Juzur al-Qumur),
officially the Union of the
Comoros (French: Union des
Comores, Arabic: الإتّحاد
القمريّ, Al-Ittiḥād al-Qumuriyy)
is an island nation in the
Indian Ocean, located off
the eastern coast of Africa
on the northern end of the
Mozambique Channel between
northern Madagascar and
northeastern Mozambique. The
nearest countries to the
Comoros are Mozambique,
Tanzania, Madagascar, and
the Seychelles. At 2,235 km²
(863 sq mi)[1] the Comoros
is the third smallest
African nation by area; and
with a population estimated
at 798,000 it is the sixth
smallest African nation by
population (though it has
one of the highest
population densities in
Africa), and is the southern
most member state of the
Arab League. Its name
derives from the Arabic word
qamar ("moon").
The country officially
consists of the four islands
in the volcanic Comoros
archipelago: Ngazidja
(French: Grande Comore),
Mwali (French: Mohéli),
Nzwani (French: Anjouan),
and Mahoré (French: Mayotte),
as well as many smaller
islands. However, the
government of the Union of
the Comoros (or its
predecessors since
independence) has never
administered the island of Mayotte, which France
considers an overseas
community and still
administers. Since Mayotte
was the only island in the
archipelago that voted
against independence from
France, and France has
vetoed United Nations
Security Council resolutions
that would affirm Comorian
sovereignty over the
island, control was
never passed to the Comoros.
The country is notable for
its diverse culture and
history, as a nation formed
at the crossroads of many
civilizations. It has three
official languages—Comorian
(Shikomor), Arabic, and
French, and it is the only
state to be a member of each
of the African Union,
Francophonie, Organisation
of the Islamic Conference, Arab
League, and Indian Ocean
Commission, among other
international organizations.
However it has had a troubled
history since independence in
1975, marked by an inordinate
number of coups d'état.