The
Comoro Islands (Shikomori
Komori; Arabic جزر القمر
Juzur al-Qamar;
FrenchFrench is a Romance language globally spoken by about 65 million people as a first language , by 50 million as a second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired foreign language, with significant speakers in 57 countries. Most native speakers of the language live in France,...
Les Comores) form an
archipelagoAn archipelago is a chain or cluster of islands that are formed tectonically. The word archipelago is directly derived from the Greek arkhon and pelagos...
of volcanic islands situated off the south-east coast of Africa, to the east of
TanzaniaThe United Republic of Tanzania is a country in central East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.The United...
and north-west of
MadagascarMadagascar, or Republic of Madagascar , is an island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa. The main island, also called Madagascar, is the fourth-largest island in the world, and is home to 5% of the world's plant and animal species, of which more than 80% are endemic to...
. They are divided into an independent nation, the Union of the Comoros (Union des Comores), and the island of
MayotteMayotte , officially the Departmental Collectivity of Mayotte , is an overseas collectivity of France consisting of a main island, Grande-Terre , a smaller island, Petite-Terre , and several islets around these two.Mayotte is very densely populated...
, a de facto French Overseas Community. According to different sources, the islet of
Banc du GeyserBanc du Geysir is a mostly submerged reef in the Mozambique Channel's northeastern part, 125 km northeast from Mayotte, 112 km southwest of the Îles Glorieuses, and 200 km off the northwestern coast of Madagascar, at .The Banc is a dangerous oval-shaped reef 8 km long and...
and the
Glorioso IslandsThe Glorieuses or Glorioso Islands are a group of French islands and rocks totalling , at , in the northern Mozambique channel, about northwest of Madagascar. The Glorieuses have an Exclusive Economic Zone of...
may or may not form a part of this archipelago.
Geography
The Comoros are located in the Mozambique Channel to the north-west of Madagascar and facing Mozambique. These four volcanic islands, covering a total area of 2236 km², are:
- Grande Comore (or Ngazidja in Shikomori): the largest island, with the capital of the Republic of the Comoros, Moroni
- Anjouan
Anjouan is an autonomous island of the Union of Comoros. The island is located in the Indian Ocean. Its capital is Mutsamudu and its population as of 2006 is about 277,500. The total area of the island is 424 sq. kilometers Anjouan (also known as Ndzuwani or Nzwani) is an autonomous island of the...
(or Ndzwani): an island in the Comoros that has a strong separatist movement
- Mohéli
Mohéli, also known as Mwali, is one of the three islands which make up the nation of Comoros. Mohéli is located in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa. It is by far the smallest of the Comoros islands. Its population, as of 2006, is about 38,000. Its capital city is Fomboni...
(or Mwali): part of the Comoros but would also like to secede
- Mayotte
Mayotte , officially the Departmental Collectivity of Mayotte , is an overseas collectivity of France consisting of a main island, Grande-Terre , a smaller island, Petite-Terre , and several islets around these two.Mayotte is very densely populated...
(or Maore): an island under French administration
- Pamanzi
Pamanzi, known as Petite-Terre in French, is an island just off Mayotte, and is the second largest island after Mayotte itself. It was once the most important island, with Mayotte's only airport and the capital Dzaoudzi, until 1977 when Mamoudzou was chosen as the new capital. The communes of...
, Mayotte's second-largest island. Supports Mayotte's only airport in DzaoudziDzaoudzi is a commune in the French overseas collectivity of Mayotte, in the Indian Ocean. The commune of Dzaoudzi , made up of the twin towns of Dzaoudzi and Labattoir, is located on the small island of Petite-Terre...
- Banc Vailheu
Banc Vailheu is a submerged volcano in the Comoro Islands group. It is located 12 knots west of Grand Comoro and extends for nine miles underwater. Banc Vailheu is a wall diving location....
, north-west of Grande Comore, is within 7 m of the surface at low tide. It is quickly reaching surface point and may one day become a volcanic Island or drying sand cay.
Two islets, have been considered part of this archipelago, by various sources, and at different times:
- The Banc du Geyser
Banc du Geysir is a mostly submerged reef in the Mozambique Channel's northeastern part, 125 km northeast from Mayotte, 112 km southwest of the Îles Glorieuses, and 200 km off the northwestern coast of Madagascar, at .The Banc is a dangerous oval-shaped reef 8 km long and...
, a reef measuring 8 by 5 km in area, submerged at high tide, situated 130 km Northe North-East of Mayotte. It is claimed by both France and Madagascar.
- The Glorioso Islands
The Glorieuses or Glorioso Islands are a group of French islands and rocks totalling , at , in the northern Mozambique channel, about northwest of Madagascar. The Glorieuses have an Exclusive Economic Zone of...
(French Îles Glorieuses) were administratively attached to the archipelago before 1975, and, geologically speaking, form a part of the archipelago.
In addition, between Madagascar and Mayotte, there is the Banc du Leven, a former island which is submerged these days.
"The affinity between the Comorian flora and the Madagascan flora is certain. The presence of the Banc du Leven, along about one hundred kilometres to the extreme north-west of Madagascar between the Montagne d'Ambre and the archipelago could partly explain this affinity. In fact, this bank with a tabular appearance presents coralligenous sediments which can be attributed to the presence of a
coral reefCoral reefs are aragonite structures produced by living organisms, found in marine waters containing few nutrients. In most reefs, the predominant organisms are stony corals, colonial cnidarians that secrete an exoskeleton of calcium carbonate...
during the Würm glaciation."
— Callmander, M.W. 2002. Biogéographie et systématique des Pandanaceae de l’Océan Indien occidental. Doctoral Thesis, University of Neuchâtel, 253 p.
PoliticallyPolitical geography is the field of human geography that is concerned with the study of both the spatially uneven outcomes of political processes and the ways in which political processes are themselves affected by spatial structures...
, the islands are currently divided into two entities:
- The Comoros, a sovereign
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
stateA sovereign state is a political association with effective internal and external sovereignty over a geographic area and population which is not dependent on, or subject to any other power or state...
- Mayotte
Mayotte , officially the Departmental Collectivity of Mayotte , is an overseas collectivity of France consisting of a main island, Grande-Terre , a smaller island, Petite-Terre , and several islets around these two.Mayotte is very densely populated...
, an overseas collectivity of France
The Union of the
ComorosThe Comoros , officially the Union of the Comoros is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, located off the eastern coast of Africa, on the northern end of the Mozambique Channel, between northern Madagascar and northeastern Mozambique...
is recognized as including the three northernmost islands.
AnjouanAnjouan is an autonomous island of the Union of Comoros. The island is located in the Indian Ocean. Its capital is Mutsamudu and its population as of 2006 is about 277,500. The total area of the island is 424 sq. kilometers Anjouan (also known as Ndzuwani or Nzwani) is an autonomous island of the...
and
MohéliMohéli, also known as Mwali, is one of the three islands which make up the nation of Comoros. Mohéli is located in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa. It is by far the smallest of the Comoros islands. Its population, as of 2006, is about 38,000. Its capital city is Fomboni...
declared their independence in 1997, however these unilateral declarations of independence received no international recognition and were later rescinded.
Grande Comore is the youngest of the islands, and has a massive active volcano on it, which scientists predict is likely to erupt in the near future.
History
The first traces of inhabitation date back to the 6th century. Since then, numerous ethnicities have crossed over and mixed, among which are populations of
BantuBantu is a large category of African languages. It also is used as a general label for over 400 ethnic groups in Sub-Saharan Africa, from Cameroon across Central Africa and Eastern Africa to Southern Africa...
,
MalagasyMalagasy is the name of the people who live in Madagascar. Malagasy is also the name of the national and official language spoken in Madagascar.It may refer to*anything pertaining to or characteristic of the island of Madagascar*the Malagasy Republic...
, Indonesian, Arab, Portuguese, French and Indian origin. Islam arrived here in the 10th Century. These islands formed with
ZanzibarZanzibar is a semi-autonomous part of the United Republic of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba...
,
PembaPemba may refer to:* Pemba Island, an island in Tanzania* Pemba, Mozambique, the capital of Cabo Delgado Province* Pemba, Zambia, a small town in Zambia...
,
LamuLamu town is the largest town on Lamu Island, which in turn is a part of the Lamu Archipelago in Kenya.Lamu town is also the headquarters of Lamu District and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.-History:...
... and the towns along the Kenyan and Tanzanian coast a united and prosperous area with Swahili culture, living by trading slaves, ivory and other African goods destined for markets in the Middle East and India. During this period, power was in the hands of a number of local rulers. During their explorations of all this region, the Portuguese discovered and landed on the Islands of the Moon (qamar in Arabic means ‘moon’) in 1505.
Between 1841 and 1912, the French subdued the islands in a series of a number of incredible moves mixing, just like in
MadagascarMadagascar, or Republic of Madagascar , is an island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa. The main island, also called Madagascar, is the fourth-largest island in the world, and is home to 5% of the world's plant and animal species, of which more than 80% are endemic to...
, acts of war, treachery and love stories. They succeeded in establishing protectorates and then a colony administered by the Governor General of Madagascar. Since the workforce on
RéunionRéunion is an island located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas départements of France...
was becoming increasingly more expensive, the Comoro Islands, forgotten by the central administration, offered the colonists and colonial societies (like la Bambao) various perspectives and a workforce in plantations of aromatic plants and
vanillaVanilla is a flavoring derived from orchids of the genus Vanilla native to Mexico. Etymologically, vanilla derives from the Spanish word "", little pod. Originally cultivated by Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican peoples, Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés is credited with introducing both the spice and...
. In 1946, the islands were no longer administratively attached to Madagascar and for the first time in their history formed a united and recognized administrative entity, an Overseas Territory of France (Territoire d'outre-mer or TOM).
In 1974, France organized a referendum for self-determination in the archipelago: three of the four islands opted for independence (Grande Comore, Mohéli and Anjouan) and formed a Comoran Sovereign State. Only
MayotteMayotte , officially the Departmental Collectivity of Mayotte , is an overseas collectivity of France consisting of a main island, Grande-Terre , a smaller island, Petite-Terre , and several islets around these two.Mayotte is very densely populated...
wished to remain united with France, as a result of which it obtained a statute as a département d'outre-mer (DOM) (Overseas Department) following the referendum held on the island on the 29th March 2009.
On June 30 2009,
Yemenia Flight 626Yemenia Flight 626 was a scheduled commercial flight operated by Yemenia en route from Sana'a, Yemen, to Moroni, Comoros that crashed on 30 June 2009 at around 1:50 a.m. local time with 153 aboard. One passenger, 12-year-old Bahia Bakari, was found alive...
crashed off the Comoros Islands. Out of 153 people, one survived.
Geology
The Comoro Archipelago consists of volcanic islands. These volcanic islands like some of the high mountains in the north of Madagascar were formed in the Tertiary and Quaternary Eras. The island of Mayotte is the oldest one still above sea level and underwent three volcanic phases between 15 million and 500,000 years ago. The ages progressively decrease from east to west. The most recent island is that of Grande Comore, and its volcano, Karthala, is still active, and has one of the largest calderas in the world.
Climate
The Comoro Archipelago enjoys a tropical maritime climate, characterized by slight daytime temperature variations throughout the year of around 26°C at sea-level and by abundant precipitation: 2679 mm a year. The average temperature of the sea water is 25°C.
There are two seasons in the Comoros: the hot and humid season flowing in from the north-west from November to April and the dry season from May to October. The climate on Mayotte is, nevertheless, noticeably warmer and drier. The climate is also characterized by important local variations in temperature and precipitation according to altitude, relief and the degree of exposure to the elements. Annual precipitation therefore varies in the region of 1,000 to 6,000 mm and the absolute minimum of 0°C is reached on the summit of Karthala.
The hot, dry season is caused by a vast low pressure area which extends over a large part of the Indian Ocean and Central Africa. This low pressure favours gusty winds and
cycloneIn meteorology, a cyclone is an area of closed, circular fluid motion rotating in the same direction as the Earth. This is usually characterized by inward spiraling winds that rotate counter clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere of the Earth.Large-scale...
s. The last cyclone was "Gafilo" which passed close to the Comoros on the 5th of March 2004 causing great material damage. During the hot and dry season it can rain as much as 200 mm in twenty-four hours.
The dry season is calmer. The low pressure moves towards the continent of Asia (this is the
MonsoonA pennis is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by seasonal changes in precipitation, but now is used to describe seasonal changes atmospheric circulation and precipitation The major monsoon systems of the world consist of the African and Asia-Australian monsoons...
, the wind blowing from the south-east) and an
anticycloneIn meteorology, an anticyclone is a weather phenomenon in which there is a descending movement of the air, and with surface systems, higher than average atmospheric pressure over the part of the planet's surface. Effects of surface-based anticyclones include clearing skies as well as cooler,...
forms below the Comoros. This still does not prevent the islands from having a few gusts of wind, but their intensity is a lot less than during the hot season.
The two winds that bring the two different seasons are called the Kashkasi (in November) and the Kusi.
Flora and Fauna
Several mammals are endemic to the islands. The Maki of Mayotte, a type of lemur which is only found on this island, is protected by French law, and by local tradition. A species of bat discovered by
David LivingstoneDavid Livingstone was a Scottish Baptist pioneer medical missionary with the London Missionary Society and explorer in Africa. He was the first European to see the Victoria Falls, to which he gave the English name in honour of his monarch, Queen Victoria. His meeting with H. M...
in 1863, previously abundant, has now been reduced to a population of about 120 specimens, all of which live on Anjouan. A British preservation group sent an expedition to the Comoros in 1992, with the object of transporting some specimens to Great Britain, in order to form a reproducing colony.
Twenty-two species of birds are endemic to the archipelago, and seventeen of them only live on territories controlled by the Union; especially notable examples of these are the Karthala Scops-Owl, the Anjouan Scops-Owl and the Moucherolle of Humblot.
Partly as a result of international pressure during the 1990s, the government of the Union has begun to take greater care of the environment. Measures have been taken not only to preserve the rare fauna, but also to check the destruction of the environment, especially on Anjouan, which is densely populated. More precisely, in order to minimize the felling of trees for fuel, kerosene has been subsidized, and efforts are underway to replace the lost forest cover caused by the distillation of
Ylang-ylangYlang-ylang , Cananga odorata forma genuina , is a small flower of the cananga tree. It is a fast-growing tree that exceeds 5 meters per year and attains an average height of 12 meters. It grows in full or partial sun, and prefers the acidic soils of its native rainforest habitat. The leaves are...
for perfume. The Fund for the Support of Community Development, sponsored by the International Development Association (IDA, a subsidiary of the
World BankThe World Bank is an international financial institution that provides leveraged loans to poorer countries for capital programs, tied to neoliberal market restructurings...
) and the Comorian government, is applying itself to improving the water supply on the islands.
Fauna
Like other islands in the region, these islands possess numerous endemic species; here are some of the most notable species:
- Livingstone’s Fruit Bat : a very large endemic daytime bat, which eats fruit.
- The Maki
is a native Okinawan musician in Japan who was formerly the vocalist and songwriter for the Okinawa-based band High and Mighty Color. She was the youngest member of the band. As stated in an interview, she has an older brother who introduced her into the world of music and anime...
: a type of small lemurA lemur is a member of the biological infraorder Lemuriformes, a prosimian and strepsirrhine primate that is endemic to the island of Madagascar. The term "lemur" is derived from the Latin word lemures, meaning "spirits of the night" or "haunter". This likely refers to their large, reflective eyes...
(Kima in Shikomori)
- Scolopendra
Scolopendra is a genus of centipedes of the family Scolopendridae.-Species:* Scolopendra abnormis
* Scolopendra afer
* Scolopendra alternans
...
: venomous centipedes that can reach up to 25 centimetres long.
- The Cœlacanth: a bony fish, known from fossils over 300 million years old.
- The Gecko
Geckos are small to average sized lizards belonging to the family Gekkonidae, found in warm climates throughout the world. Geckos are unique among lizards in their vocalizations, making chirping sounds in social interactions with other geckos. An estimated 2,000 different species of geckos exist...
: a small lizard that feeds off insects, and is often found spotted on the ceilings of houses.
- The Beaked Dolphin : one colony is visible, most mornings, from the beach at Itsandra, close to Moroni, but there are also many others.
- The Green Turtle : Above all on Mohéli and Mayotte where they still come to lay eggs.
- The Tail-Less Tenrec : similar to a hedgehog but belonging to the raccoon family. (Tanrec Ecaudatus, originally from Madagascar)
No large African animals (elephants, giraffes, lions, crocodiles, zebras or antelopes) are found on the Comoros, despite the islands being relatively close to the Mainland.
Flora
On the Comoros there are numerous tropical
ecosystemAn ecosystem is a system of interdependent organisms which share the same habitat, in an area functioning together with all of the physical factors of the environment. Ecosystems can be permanent or temporary. Ecosystems usually form a number of food webs...
s that are primarily dependent on the altitude. There you can find many kinds of tropical plants, large numbers of which are endemic. Like most islands, the diversity of the local flora suffers from two pressures, on the one hand the reduction of available space caused by the reduction of
biotopeBiotope is an area of uniform environmental conditions providing a living place for a specific assemblage of plants and animals. Biotope is almost synonymous with the term habitat, but while the subject of a habitat is a species or a population, the subject of a biotope is a biological...
s due to the invasion of humans in what used to be the wildest areas and on the other hand the invasion of exotic plant species such as
guavaGuavas are plants in the myrtle family genus Psidium, which contains about 100 species of tropical shrubs and small trees. They are native to Mexico, Central America and northern South America...
trees. The flora has only been poorly studied, France has however been made attempts on Mayotte to fill in the gaps. Efforts to preserve species are still not enough to save the richest zones, and disturbances of biotopes are expected to take place for many years to come.
Politics
The Comoro Archipelago is divided between:
- The Union of the Comoros, a sovereign nation formed by the three islands of Grande Comore, Anjouan and Mohéli
- Mayotte is a French Departmental Community and will become an Overseas Department of the French Republic (département d'outre-mer) in 2011. This island is claimed by the Union of the Comoros (which considers it to form part of its territory
Irredentism is any position advocating annexation of territories administered by another state on the grounds of common ethnicity or prior historical possession, actual or alleged. Some of these movements are also called pan-nationalist movements. It is a feature of identity politics and cultural...
according to Article 1 of its Constitution), but it has chosen to remain French in numerous referenda that France has held to decide its position.
The United Nations General Assembly continued to condemn the French presence in Mayotte until 1994. France, however, used its power of veto in the UN to prevent the Security Council from passing a resolution condemning France.
The African Union judged the French presence on Mayotte to be illegal.
Mayotte forms a part of the Overseas Countries and Territories of the
European UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 Member States, located primarily in Europe. Committed to regional integration, the EU was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community...
. It should become a Special Member State Territory at the moment that it is made a French Department.
The Comoros underwent a political crisis that started off in 1997 with the separatism on Anjouan.
The political authorities on the island had turned the population of the island against the central government, advocating at first reunification with France, and later a greater autonomy bordering on independence.
Since 2006, the President of the Union of the Comoros Ahmed Abdallah Sambi, originally from the island of Anjouan has been in open conflict with the authorities of Anjouan, a conflict which ended in a military landing of the National Army of Development in order to re-establish the authority of the Union on the island.