Moroni, Comoros

Moroni is the capital and largest city of the Union of the Comoros, an Indian Ocean island nation off the eastern coast of Africa. Located on the western coast of Grande Comore Island, the city is a center for Islamic culture and ocean export, and the blend of Islamic and French colonial architecture resembles the casbahs, or fortress cities, of Northern Africa. Moroni was named the administrative capital of the nation in 1975 but has remained a traditional city in atmosphere and community structure.

Landscape

Moroni is situated on Grande Comore Island (also known as N'gazidja), which is a part of the Comoros, an island archipelago located in the Indian Ocean at the northern mouth of the Mozambique Channel near the eastern coast of South Africa. The country consists of four islands, three of which—Grande Comore, Mohéli (Mwali), and Anjouan (Ndzuwani)—are governed by the Union of the Comoros government. The fourth island, Mayotte, is administered as a French territory.

Moroni is a small city located between the coast and Mount Karthala, an active volcano that stretches to 2,360 meters (7,743 feet) above sea level. The city has an area of approximately 1,025 square kilometers (396 square miles). Rich volcanic soil and a tropical climate have made Grande Comore a productive area for vegetation. A variety of palms and tropical trees grow on the island, and soil surrounding the volcano is excellent for cultivating certain types of crops, including coffee and vanilla.

The climate of Grande Comore is divided into two seasons: a rainy period from November to April with high humidity and seasonal tropical storms arising from the monsoon system of the Indian Ocean, and a dry period, from May to December. Annual precipitation ranges from 1,100 millimeters (33 inches) to 5,500 millimeters (217 inches) across the island. In Moroni, average temperatures range from 19 to 27 degrees Celsius (66 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit) during the wet season to 24 to 31degrees Celsius (75 to 88 degrees Fahrenheit) in the dry season.

Moroni has been impacted by climate change, which has changed rainfall patterns and caused an increase in temperature. This has disrupted the natural water cycle and caused severe droughts, which created a water crisis. The scarcity of freshwater has forced many to drink water from contaminated sources.

The oldest portion of urban Moroni contains architectural features dating back more than five hundred years. Most of the earliest architecture in the city is of Islamic design, with mosques among the most prominent buildings. Since the 1970s, residential and commercial construction has accelerated in some parts of the city, creating a patchwork of modern and traditional architecture. The city is laid out in an irregular grid, and many of the streets were designed during French occupation.

People

Moroni is a small but rapidly growing city. While the Comoros had a population of approximately 852,075 people (2023). The World Population Review estimated the population of Moroni to be 82,649 in 2024. As the largest urban center in the Comoros, Moroni accounts for a large portion of the country's 1.37 percent population growth rate (2022) and 2.97 percent urbanization rate (2020–25 estimate). Native Comorans (or Comorians) are of mixed African, Malagasy, and Arab descent. There are several prominent ethnic groups on the islands, including the Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, and Sakalava. There are also native Europeans and a number of indigenous tribes in some parts of the archipelago. The population is more diverse in urban areas, such as Moroni, where Europeans and their descendants have lived since the nation's colonial period.

The official languages of the Comoran government are Arabic, French, and Shikomoro, also known as Comorian. Most urban residents are fluent in one or both of the former two languages, while Shikomoro, a Creole language blending Swahili and Arabic, is the primary language used by the general population. In Moroni, other languages are also spoken including Malagasy and English.

An estimated 98 percent of Comorians are Sunni Muslims; there are small Christian and Catholic populations in some areas. Islam is considered the official state religion, and other religious traditions were outlawed until the twenty-first century, when government reorganization allowed for limited freedom of religion in private practice. Polygamy is permitted in the Comoros, and many Comorians have more than one spouse.

There is little nightlife in Moroni, though the city has a number of restaurants and European-style cafés in the city center, and the influence of French culture is still evident. Tourists visiting Moroni often engage in water sports, scuba diving, or ocean exploration. Because the islands have lush, tropical forests, nature exploration and ecotourism have also been important to the tourism sector.

Economy

Comoros is one of the world's poorest countries. The economy is primarily based on agriculture, either through subsistence or export farming; about 80 percent of the workforce is employed in agriculture. Moroni is one of the chief ports in the islands and has become the center of the island's underdeveloped economy. Principal products include vanilla, cloves, nutmeg, bananas, cassava, and a variety of oils and extracts processed from ylang-ylang, which is a tropical Asian tree. Jasmine and orange are used for the perfume industry; in fact, a large percentage of the world's perfume essence derives from the Comoros. The islands are not self-sufficient in terms of food production, and most staple foods, including rice, are imported.

Though the government has made development of private and commercial industries a priority, a turbulent political landscape punctuated by frequent military coups has limited economic development. Almost half of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP) is derived from agriculture. The service industry, including financial and tourist services, accounts for another approximately 40 percent of the GDP. According to the World Bank, in 2023 about 45 percent of population lives below the national poverty line and 44 percent face moderate or severe food insecurity. Chronic malnutrition stunts the growth of 31 out of every 100 children. Few Comorans attain education beyond basic primary school, and the nation has a relatively low level of literacy. A lack of both educated laborers and upward mobility has contributed to the stagnant economy. The Comoros's primary industries are tourism, fishing, and perfume distillation.

Grande Comore has an international airport, Prince Said Ibrahim International Airport, from which it receives tourist and business traffic, particularly from African and European nations. Moroni benefits from its proximity to the airport through the hotel and food service industries, and the city's docks also accommodate cruise ships and other ocean traffic. The nation's geographic location allows travelers to use Moroni as a base from which to travel to other African nations. The city has a small public transportation system and there are boats that travel to other islands, including Madagascar, and the African coast.

Landmarks

The most famous building in Moroni is the Badjanani Mosque, the image of which adorns much of the city's tourist literature and has come to serve as a symbol of the city. The mosque was built in the fifteenth century and though the building has deteriorated, it is still used for religious services.

The Volo Volo Market, located outside the downtown area, is one the city's chief commercial areas and a major community center. A variety of products can be obtained at the Volo Volo Market, including native art and handicrafts, clothing and food. The market and surrounding areas are also a prime location for cultural ceremonies, music and food. In the center of the urban area is an area known as the "old market," which was the city's central market area in the nineteenth century.

The dominant feature of Moroni, and the rest of Grande Comore, is Mount Karthala, which lies to the east of the city. The volcano is still active and last erupted in 2007; the minor eruption caused no casualties but forced hundreds of villagers to be evacuated from settlements at the foot of the mountain. The mountain is an important site for volcanologists, and the lush forests that surround the mountain's slopes, filled with volcanic soil, attract ecologists and other scientists because of their natural beauty and biodiversity.

History

The Comoros were first visited by sailors from Africa and Asia. The early history of the islands' colonization is poorly understood, and by the time Europeans arrived in the early sixteenth century, a mixed group of Arab and African tribes were living in communities organized around agriculture and fishing. There was little regular contact between the islands until European colonization. The first Europeans to visit the Comoros were the Portuguese, who arrived in 1503, followed by the French in 1517. The Malagasy invaded the Comoros in the seventeenth century and established control over the islands.

France set up an administrative center on the island of Mayotte in 1843 in a peaceful agreement with the Malagasy rulers, as the French already controlled Madagascar. The other islands became French protectorates in 1886 and then fell under French colonial administration in 1908. The islands were invaded by the British during World War II and then ceded to the Free French powers allied with the British.

The transition from a French territory to independence occurred without military conflict or intervention. The French transitioned the Comoros to an overseas territory in 1946 and granted the islands internal autonomy in 1961. Though France initially wanted the Comoros to remain a territory, the Comoro National Liberation Movement gathered enough public support to convince the French government to allow the transition to full independence. The population voted for autonomy in a referendum held in 1964, with the exception of the island of Mayotte, whose predominantly Christian population voted to remain part of France.

The newly formed Comoran government objected to Mayotte remaining with France and relations between the Comoros and France deteriorated, with the Comoran government claiming all former French property and expelling French officials from the country. While France wanted to keep Mayotte as a territory, the United Nations (UN) and the Comoran government disagreed, though a resolution largely supported by members of the UN Security Council was vetoed by France in 1976. The Comoran government continues to claim Mayotte.

Moroni, which was previously the seat of the French government in the Comoros, became the nation's administrative capital at the time of independence in 1975. A turbulent period of military conflict followed, with several coups in short succession preventing the development of a stable government. The names of the islands were officially changed to their African names—N'gazidja, Mwali, Mahore, and Ndzuwani—in 1977, under the leadership of President Ali Soilih, who gained power in a military coup; over the history of the nation, more than twenty coups have been attempted.

In 1997, both Mwali and Ndzuwani attempted to declare independence from the Comoran government and petitioned to rejoin France as territories, citing economic concerns and political instability. The French government did not support the independence movement and, after a military coup in 1999, both islands were brought back under the control of the Comoran government. In 2002, a new constitution was approved allowing each island to have a separate president, each of whom answers to a national president chosen by committee representing all the islands. The national presidency is rotated between representatives of the three islands, and Grand Comore took the first term with the election of President Ikililou Dhoinine in 2010. Another new constitution was adopted in 2018, making the rotating presidency eligible for two consecutive terms of five years.

As the island's primary city, Moroni has seen the most significant urban growth of any part of the archipelago, but its continued instability has prevented and postponed significant development since the 1970s. Moroni has made some progress toward technological advancement in the twenty-first century, but it is still plagued by insufficient infrastructure and widespread poverty. Environmental issues also exist, ranging from the persistent risk of volcanism on Karthala (a 2005 eruption and ash cloud forced the evacuation of thousands of people) to human-induced factors such as soil erosion that compromises cultivatable land as well as coral reefs.

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