| AREA: 1862 sq km (719 sq miles).
POPULATION: 485,000 (official estimate 1994).
POPULATION DENSITY: 261.0 per sq km.
CAPITAL: Moroni. Population: 23,400
(1990).
GEOGRAPHY: The Comoro archipelago is situated in
the Indian ocean north of Madagascar and consists of four
main islands of volcanic origin, surrounded by coral
reefs: Ngazidja (formerly Grande Comore), Nzwani (formerly
Anjouan), Mwali (formerly Mohéli) and Mayotte. The latter
is administered by France but is claimed by the Federal
Islamic Republic of the Comoros. Land can only support
subsistence agriculture but the surrounding seas are rich
in marine life.
LANGUAGE: The official languages are French and
Arabic. However, the majority speak Comorian, a blend of
Arabic and Swahili.
RELIGION: Muslim with Roman Catholic minority.
TIME: GMT + 3.
ELECTRICITY: 220 volts AC, 50Hz.
COMMUNICATIONS: Telephone: Outgoing
international calls must be made through the international
operator. Country code: 269. Post: Mail to Western
Europe takes at least a week. Press: There are no
English-language newspapers. The two main weekly papers
are Al Watwan (state-owned) and L'Archipel
(independent). |
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