Comoros Country Overview
Where is Comoros located? The Comoros, or the Union of Comoros are located in the Indian Ocean between Mozambique and Madagascar. The island nation gained its independence from France towards the end of the 20th century and has seen some unrest since then. Because of its proximity to Africa, Comoros is located on the time zone map in a time zone called “East Africa Time” (EAT). In this world time zone there is a time difference of 3 hours to the coordinated world time (UTC+3). In summer, a time change to daylight saving time is unusual.
Bordering Countries of Comoros
According to abbreviationfinder, Comoros is an archipelago of four main islands located in the Indian Ocean, off the eastern coast of Africa between Mozambique and Madagascar. It is bordered by the Mozambique Channel to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east, and Tanzania to the west and south. The islands of Comoros are divided among three countries: Mayotte, an overseas department of France; Grande Comore, Anjouan and Mohéli which form part of the Union of Comoros. Mayotte is located north of Grande Comore, Anjouan lies between Grande Comore and Mohéli while Mohéli lies south of Anjouan. All four islands are volcanic in origin with lush vegetation and beautiful sandy beaches.
The Union of Comoros has a total land area of 1,862 square kilometers (718 sq mi) making it one of the smallest countries in Africa. The capital city is Moroni which is located on Grande Comore island. The country has a tropical oceanic climate with two seasons; hot humid summers from November to April followed by cooler dry winters from May to October. The official language is French although Arabic and Shikomoro are also widely spoken.
Mayotte is a small island situated between northern Mozambique and northern Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. It forms an overseas department within France with its own regional government as well as representation in both France’s National Assembly and Senate. Its total land area is 374 square kilometers (144 sq mi) making it one third larger than all three islands combined in Union of Comoros but still less than half that size compared to its neighbor Madagascar which covers 587,041 square kilometers (227,917 sq mi). Its population stands at around 250 000 people who mostly speak French as well as local languages such as Shimaoré or Mahorian.
Tanzania lies south-westwardly from Union of Comoros across Pemba Channel which separates them from each other by 125 km (78 miles). It covers an area 945 209 square kilometers (364 890 sq mi) making it almost five times larger than all four islands combined within Union Of Comoros including Mayotte which also belongs to this region but under French jurisdiction instead. Tanzania has a population estimated at around 56 million people who mostly speak Swahili or English as their official languages although there are over 120 other native languages spoken throughout this East African country too.
Population Distribution
As of 2023, the latest population of Comoros is 846,281, based on our calculation of the current data from UN (United Nations).
| Total population | 846,281 |
| Population growth rate | 1.47% |
| Birth rate | 26.10 births per 1,000 people |
| Life expectancy | |
| Overall | 63.12 years |
| Men | 60.89 years |
| Women | 65.41 years |
| Age structure | |
| 0-14 years | 38.54% |
| 15-64 years | 57.48% |
| 65 years and above | 3.98% |
| Median age | 19.40 years |
| Gender ratio (Male to Female) | 0.94 |
| Population density | 378.65 residents per km² |
| Urbanization | 35.00% |
| Ethnicities | |
| Njazidja 296.177, Nzwani 243.732, Mwali 35.751 – 97% Comorians | |
| Religions | |
| Muslims (Sunnis) 98%, Catholics (Roman Catholic) 2% | |
| Human Development Index (HDI) | 0.538 |
| HDI ranking | 156th out of 194 |
People in Comoros
Most of the residents of the Comoros live on the island of Nzwami, also called Anjouan. The Komorans – that’s the name of the people who live there – are mostly immigrants and come from all corners of the world, for example from India, Africa, the Arab region and Indonesia. Depending on which island you are on, the Arab or African influences are greater. The islands of Njazidja and Nzwami, for example, are more strongly influenced by the Islamic faith.
There is often little exchange between the residents of the islands. They mostly live in small villages right on the coast. People’s life is very simple.
A major problem in the Comoros is the lack of education. So many people there cannot read or write at all. Child mortality is high. There are many young people living on the islands.
Languages in Comoros
Comorian, Arabic and French are the official languages in the Comoros. Comorian is closely related to Swahili, a language that is widely spoken in East Africa. Comorian is spoken as a mother tongue by almost all residents. However, each island has its own dialect : on the island of Anjouan, for example, the dialect Shindzuani is spoken and on Grande Comore the dialect Shingadzija is spoken. Comorian is mostly written in Arabic script. But you can also write it with Latin letters (these are the ones you are reading right now).
Many Comorans learn Arabic when they study the Koran. However, the language of instruction in schools is French, a legacy from the colonial days.
Religions in Comoros
Most of them are of the Muslim faith and have a Sunni orientation. 99 out of 100 residents are Muslims. Only one in 100 adheres to Christianity.