Comoros
Union des Comores
Union of the Comoros
الاتّحاد القمريّ al-Ittiḥād al-Qumuriyy
Flag
Coat of arms
Motto: "Unité - Solidarité -
Développement" (French)
"Unity - Solidarity - Development"
Anthem: Udzima wa ya Masiwa (Comorian)
"The Union of the Great Islands"
Capital
(and largest city)
Moroni
11°41′S 43°16′E / 11.683°S
43.267°E / -11.683; 43.267
Official
languages
French (de jure), Arabic
(de jure), Swahili
(Comorian)
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)
2008 estimate
-
Total
$753 million[1]
-
Per capita
$1,155[1]
GDP (nominal)
2008 estimate
-
Total
$532 million[1]
-
Per capita
$816[1]
HDI (2007)
▲ 0.561 (medium) (135th)
Currency
Comorian franc (KMF)
Time zone
EAT (UTC+3)
-
Summer (DST) not observed (UTC+3)
Drives on the
right
Internet TLD
.km
Calling code
269
The Comoros (pronounced /ˈkɒməroʊz/,
listen ; Arabic: ??? ?????
, Juzur al-Qumur),
officially
the Union of
the Comoros
(French: Union
des Comores,
Arabic:
???????? ???????
, al-Ittiḥād al-Qumuriyy) is
an island nation in the Indian Ocean, located
off the eastern coast of Africa on the north-
ern end of the Mozambique Channel between
northern Madagascar
and northeastern
Mozambique. The nearest countries to the
Comoros are Mozambique, Tanzania, Mada-
gascar, and the Seychelles. At 1,862 km²
(863 sq mi)[2] the Comoros is the third smal-
lest African nation by area; and with a popu-
lation 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 southernmost member
state of the Arab League. Its name derives
from the Arabic word qamar ("moon").[3]
The country officially consists of the four
islands in the volcanic Comoros archipelago:
Ngazidja (French: Grande Comore), Mwali
(French: Mohéli), Nzwani (French: Anjouan),
and M