Comoros Island - Lanka Island Trails | Best Escape in 2025

Capital island

Moroni

Time

UTC+3 (EAT)

Population

1,008,246

Currency

Comorian franc (KMF)

Area

1,659 km²

Languages

Comorian, French, Arabic

Comoros, an independent state comprising three of the Comoro Islands in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of East Africa. A fourth island of the Comorian archipelago, Mayotte, is claimed by the country of Comoros but administered by France.

The volcanic islands of the Comorian archipelago have been called the “perfumed islands” for their fragrant plant life and are known for their great scenic beauty. The four main islands of the archipelago—“four small effervescent stones, wedged between the nearby large red island [Madagascar] and the Mozambican coast,” in the words of the Comorian writer Sitti Saïd Youssouf—combine African, Arabic, Malagasy, and French influences and were once important in the significant Indian Ocean trade between East Africa and Asian ports such as India and Japan.

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Although the early history of the islands is uncertain, they are thought to have been explored by Arab and Persian traders in antiquity and, like Madagascar, settled by small numbers of Malayo-Indonesian peoples, gaining a sizable population only when Bantu-speaking peoples from the African mainland settled there. Shīrāzi Persians are thought to have arrived later, establishing Sunni Islam as the dominant religion. The ensuing Shīrāzi sultanates established trade relations with other countries along the Indian Ocean and developed a thriving economy based on the sale of spices and slaves. The opening of the Suez Canal substantially lessened the islands’ importance as an entrepôt, though not their strategic value. European colonial powers agreed that the Comorian archipelago would come under French rule in 1886–87, and it became an overseas territory of France in 1947. Three of the islands gained independence in 1975.

Grande Comore is the largest and loftiest island. It rises near its southern end in an active volcano, Mount Karthala, which, at 7,746 feet (2,361 metres), is the country’s highest point. Karthala has erupted more than a dozen times in the past two centuries. The capital, Moroni, lies in the shadow of the volcano along the island’s west coast; the town of Mitsamiouli lies on the north coast. North of Mount Karthala is a wide plateau averaging 2,000 feet (600 metres) in elevation. The surface is generally rocky and the soils shallow. There are no perennial streams, and the coast, without large inlets, is ill suited for shipping.

Mohéli is the smallest island of the group. Composed largely of a plateau that averages about 1,000 feet (300 metres) in elevation, the island ends in the west in a ridge reaching more than 2,600 feet (790 metres) above sea level. The valleys are generally fertile, and the hillsides are covered with thick forests. A strong sea swell hampers shipping. Mohéli’s chief towns are Fomboni on the northern coast and Nioumachoua in the southwest.

Anjouan is a triangular island rising centrally in a volcanic massif (Mount Ntingui) that reaches an elevation of about 5,200 feet (1,580 metres). Although the soil cover is good, much erosion has occurred, and many areas are no longer arable. There are no good natural harbours. Moutsamoudou, on the northwest coast, is the chief town; its port facilities were modernized in the mid-1980s.

Southeast of Anjouan lies Mayotte, the oldest of the four islands. It is claimed by Comoros (a claim recognized by the United Nations General Assembly), but its status is unsettled, and it continues to be administered by France.

Map

pngguru.com

Visa Information

Irrespective of nationality, all tourists will receive a 30 day visa free of charge on arrival in the Maldives.

A tourist visa will be issued at Malé International Airport provided that the visitor satisfies all of the following conditions:

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Health Information

After independence in 1975, the French withdrew their medical teams, leaving the three islands' already rudimentary health care system in a state of severe crisis. French assistance was eventually resumed, and other nations also contributed medical assistance to the young republic. Despite improvements in life expectancy and the infant mortality rate, the Comoros in 1993 continued to face public health problems characteristic of developing countries.

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Weather & When To Go

Comoros experiences a tropical maritime climate with a hot and humid season, and a dry season. The islands are prone to cyclones in the dry season. The best time to visit Comoros would be between August and October. This is the time when the weather remains more or less dry, and the beaches are least crowded.

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Flights

Flight stats for Comoros - did you know?

There are 4 airports in Comoros and the 3 biggest are

Prince Said Ibrahim In Airport (Moroni, Comoros)
Right now, 7 airlines operate out of Prince Said Ibrahim In Airport.
Prince Said Ibrahim In Airport offers nonstop flights to 6 cities.
*Every week, at least 13 domestic flights and 10 international flights depart from Prince Said Ibrahim In Airport.

**Ouani Airport (Anjouan, Comoros)
Right now, 3 airlines operate out of Ouani Airport.
Ouani Airport offers nonstop flights to 2 cities.
*Every week, at least 11 domestic flights and 4 international flights depart from Ouani Airport.

**Moheli Bandar Es Salam Airport (Moheli, Comoros)
Right now, 2 airlines operate out of Moheli Bandar Es Salam Airport.
Moheli Bandar Es Salam Airport offers nonstop flights to 2 cities.
*Every week, at least 2 domestic flights and 1 international flight depart from Moheli Bandar Es Salam Airport.

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