Comoros (officially calledUnion of the Comoros) is a smallisland nation in theIndian Ocean. It is betweenMadagascar and mainlandAfrica. The capital isMoroni onGrande Comore. The population (except for Mayotte) is about 798,000 people.
The Comoros Islands are in the Indian Ocean, betweenMozambique andMadagascar. It is the southernmost member state of theArab League.
Mayotte is also a territory that is claimed by Comoros but is a part ofFrance as an oversea territory. The other islands form the independent state of Comoros.
The country has a history with manycoup d'état sinceindependence in 1975. As of 2008, about half the people live below the internationalpoverty line of US$1.25 a day.[4]
Mount Karthala is the country's highest point. Karthala is an activeshield volcano on Grand Cormore. It had a minor eruption in May 2006.
The Comoros is formed by Ngazidja (Grande Comore), Mwali (Mohéli) and Nzwani (Anjouan), the three major islands in the Comoros Archipelago. There are also many minor islets. The islands are officially known by their Comorian language names. International sources still use their French names (given in parentheses above). The capital and largest city isMoroni on Ngazidja.
At 2,034km2 (785 sq mi), it is one of the smallest countries in the world. The interiors of the islands vary from steep mountains to low hills.
The climate is generally tropical and mild. The rainy season runs from December to April. It is called kashkazi/kaskazi, meaning north monsoon. The cool, dry season is from May to November. It is called kusi, meaning south monsoon.
The temperature reaches an average of 29–30 °C (84–86 °F) in March, the hottest month. The average low is 19 °C (66 °F) in the dry season. The islands are rarely subject tocyclones.
The islands have their ownecoregion, the Comoros forests.
In November 1975, the Comoros became the 143rd member of theUnited Nations. The citizens of Mayotte chose to become French citizens and keep their island as a French territory.
There is a small standing army. This includes a 500-memberpolice force and a 500-memberdefense force. Atreaty withFrance providesnavy protection for territorial waters.
The Comoros is one of the world's poorest countries.Agriculture is the leading sector of the economy. Agriculture includesfishing,hunting, andforestry.
The Comoros is the world's largest producer ofylang-ylang. It is a large producer ofvanilla.
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