Union of the Comoros
Eastern Africa
Volcanic · Fragrant · Remote
Comoros (officially Union of the Comoros) is a country located in Eastern Africa. Its capital city is Moroni, with other major cities including Mutsamudu and Fomboni. With a population of approximately 870,000, the main languages spoken are Comorian, Arabic, French. The country covers an area of 1,862 km². The official currency is the Comorian franc (Fr). Traffic drives on the right side.
The Comoros is the world's largest producer of ylang-ylang, the intensely fragrant flower used in Chanel No. 5 perfume — the islands are sometimes called 'the Perfume Islands'.
Moroni serves as the political, cultural and economic heart of Comoros, positioned in Eastern Africa. As the seat of government and often the most populous city, it concentrates the country's main institutions, universities and cultural landmarks. Beyond the capital, major cities include Mutsamudu, Fomboni — each a hub of regional culture, economy and history. Moroni on Grande Comore Island is one of Africa's smallest capitals, its ancient medina of narrow stone alleys and Friday mosque reflecting the island's Arab and Persian trading history — a city built in the shadow of Mount Karthala, one of the world's largest active volcanoes, whose eruptions periodically dust the capital with grey ash.
With a population of approximately 870,000, Comoros is a vibrant society with a rich mix of traditions and communities. The principal languages spoken are Comorian, Arabic, French, which reflect the country's cultural heritage and open doors to a wide international community. Internationally, Comoros is reached via the dialling code +269. Comorians occupy a cultural crossroads between Africa, Arabia, and Madagascar — the Swahili-influenced Shikomori languages, Arab dhow trading networks still active in the Indian Ocean, and the matrilineal inheritance system (in which houses pass through women) creating a society that does not fit neatly into any single African or Middle Eastern cultural category.
Comoros spans 1,862 km², in the Eastern Africa subregion of Africa. Geographically centred around 12.2°S, 44.3°E, the country offers a diverse range of landscapes shaped by its location, climate and geology. Road traffic follows the right-hand rule, in line with surrounding Africa convention.
The official currency is the Comorian franc (Fr), used for everyday transactions and commerce throughout the country. Comoros's economy is shaped by its geography, natural resources and trade relationships. Business and daily life operate under UTC+03:00, aligning the country with its regional neighbours.
Football holds a special place in the heart of Comoros's national identity. Football is Comoros's sporting passion, with the tiny island nation's Africa Cup of Nations debut in 2021 (qualifying with a population of 870,000) generating extraordinary celebrations — victories over Ghana and drawing with Morocco confirming that an island country of less than a million people could compete with continental powers through the dual-nationality rules that access diaspora players in France.
The highest point in Comoros is Karthala, rising to 2,361 metres above sea level. Mount Karthala is one of the world's most active volcanoes and contains one of the largest calderas of any active volcano — a 3-kilometre-wide summit crater that has erupted over 20 times since the 19th century, most recently in 2007 when 30,000 people were evacuated — its forested slopes sheltering unique endemic birds found only on this single island.