Union of the Comoros is a sovereign archipelago island nation in the Indian Ocean east of Mozambique off the east coast of the African continent and west of the northern tip of Madagascar. Comoros is one among the smallest countries in the world and only has a total area of 1862 square kilometres.
The Comoros consists of the three main islands: Ngazidja, Mwali, and Nzwani. The Union of the Comoros has three official languages — Comorian, Arabic and French. Capital and largest city is Moroni on Grande Comore.
France colonized Mayotte in 1843 and by 1904 had annexed the remainder of the archipelago. In a 1974 referendum, 95 per cent of the population voted for independence. The exception was Mayotte. Today it remains a French overseas territory. Comoros is another one of the world’s poorest countries.