Republic of the Comoros Republique des Comores Timeline: Differently | ||||
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Motto: Unité – Solidarité – Développement "Unity – Solidarity – Development" |
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Anthem: Udzima wa ya Masiwa "The Unity of the Great Islands" |
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Location of Comoros in Africa
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Capital (and largest city) | Njazidja | |||
Official languages | Comorian, French | |||
Religion | Christianity | |||
Demonym(s) | Comorian | |||
Government | Unitary presidential constitutional republic | |||
- | President | Azali Assoumani | ||
Legislature | Assembly of the Union | |||
Establishment | ||||
- | Independence from France | 6 July 1975 | ||
Area | ||||
- | Total | 1,861 km2 719 sq mi |
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Population | ||||
- | Estimate | 850688 (128th) | ||
Currency | Comorian franc (KMF) | |||
Drives on the | right |
The Comoros, officially the Republic of the Comoros, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel off the eastern coast of Africa. It shares maritime borders with Madagascar and Mayotte to the southeast, Tanzania to the northwest, Mozambique to the west, and the Seychelles to the northeast. Its capital and largest city is Moroni. The religion of the majority of the population, and the official state religion, is Roman Catholicism.
With a surface area of 1,861 square kilometers and a population of 850,688 inhabitants, Comoros is Africa's third-smallest and second-least populous country. Globally, it ranks only 138th by area and 128th by population among the world's sovereign states.
Comoros consists of three major islands and numerous smaller islands, all in the volcanic Comoro Islands. The major islands are commonly known by their French names: northwesternmost Grande Comore (Ngazidja), Mohéli (Mwali), and Anjouan (Ndzuani). The country also claims a fourth major island, southeasternmost Mayotte (Maore), though Mayotte voted against independence from France in 1974, since it has never been administered by an independent Comoros government, and continues to be administered by France as an overseas department. France has vetoed United Nations Security Council resolutions that would affirm Comorian sovereignty over the island. In addition, Mayotte became an overseas department and a region of France in 2011 following a referendum passed overwhelmingly.
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