Union of the Comoros (French: Union des Comores; Arabic: جمهورية القمر المتحدة), commonly known as the Comoros (French: Comores; Arabic: جزر القمر), is an African Island of Arab States, located in the northern part of the Mozambique Strait in the Indian Ocean, between Mozambique and Madagascar. The main territories are three volcanic islands: Grande Comoros, Mohéli and Anjouan. In addition, the Government of the Union of the Comoros claims that the French-ruled island of Mayotte also belongs to the Comoros. The territory of the Comoros also includes many other small islands. The name Comoros comes from the Arabic القمر (al-qamar), which means moon, and the symbol of the moon can be seen on the flag of the Comoros.
The first to discover the Comoros islands may have been the Phoenicians, while archaeological excavations have shown that the first inhabitants of the Austronesian language family from Madagascar were the first to settle in the Comoros. Then came the Bantu people from the African continent, Arabs and immigrants from Indonesia. In 1505, Portuguese explorers visited the archipelago. Between 1841 and 1912, France established a colony in the Comoros, under the Governor-General of Madagascar. In 1946, it became a French "overseas territory". Internal autonomy was achieved through parliamentary voting in 1961. An agreement with France was signed in 1973, and France was forced to recognize the independence of the Comoros. On 6 July 1975, the Comoros Parliament adopted a resolution declaring independence. [3] However, the representative from Mayotte abstained in the vote on the resolution and decided to continue to accept French rule. In the two referendums that followed, in 1974 and 1976, Mayotte remained opposed to independence from France, with 63.8 per cent and 99.4 per cent opposing independence in the two referendums, respectively.
In 1997, Anjouang and Mohli declared their independence from the Comoros, and attempts by the Comorian government to maintain unity by force were unsuccessful. The African Union mediated the parties under the auspices of South African President Mbeki, who agreed that each island would have an autonomous government and a coalition government of the three islands above. In early 2005, the Comoros adopted a law defining the responsibilities of the three self-governments and the coalition Government, which is currently in force.
On 16 May 2006, the Comorian National Electoral Commission announced that, in the second round of balloting for the presidential elections held on 14 May, Ahmed Abdullah Mohammed Sambi received 58.14 per cent of the vote and was elected as the new President of the Union of the Comoros. The Comoros archipelago consists of four main islands, three of which form the Union of the Comoros, and Mayotte remains under French rule. The Comoros islands are located in the Indian Ocean, between the African coast and Madagascar. There are several low or steep volcanoes on the archipelago, mostly extinct, and the only island on the island of Greater Comore, The 2,316-metre (7,598-foot) high Le Karthala, is an active volcano. Multi-forest.