65 per cent of the world's perfume essence comes from here; some of the fragrances being processed are from the blossoms of from ylang-ylang, jasmine and orange. Spices, including nutmeg, cloves, pepper, basil and vanilla. The islands are of volcanic origin and are surrounded by coral reefs. The more energetic travellers will be eager to climb to the top of Mount Karthala, an active volcano on Ngazidja, or enjoy a vast range of water sports. There is excellent diving in the archipelago. There are many excellent beaches on all the islands and Galawa Beach on Grande Comore has a diving school. Other good beaches include Bouni, Chomoni (near a sheltered bay), Galawa, Itsandra and the palm-fringed Planet Plage. Pirogue (canoe) races are occasionally staged in the lagoon that surrounds Mahore. Sailing boats and canoes are available for hire in many ports.

The islands possess a variety of animal life with several species unique to the Comoros or rarely found elsewhere. The famous Coelacanth, a fish once thought to be extinct for millions of years, is found very much alive in Comorian waters. Livingstone's flying fox, a giant fruit bat with a wing span over four feet, is found nowhere else in the world. Several varieties of insects, and over a dozen species of birds are unique to the islands.

Understanding the Geography

The Comoros, officially the Union of the Comoros, and until 2002 known as the Islamic Federal Republic of the Comoros, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, or more specifically, the northern end of the Mozambique Channel between northern Madagascar and northeastern Mozambique, off the southeast African coast. The Comoros has no land neighbours; the nearest countries to it are Mozambique, Tanzania, Madagascar, and Seychelles.

The country consists of the four islands in the volcanic Comoros archipelago: Ngazidja, Mwali, Nzwani, and Mahoré.

The islands of the Comoros Archipelago were formed by volcanic activity. Mount Karthala, an active shield volcano located on Ngazidja, is the country's highest point, at 2,361 m or 7748 ft. It contains the Comoros' largest patch of its disappearing rainforest. The Karthala is currently one of the most active volcanoes in the world, with a minor eruption in May 2006, and prior eruptions as recently as April 2005 and 1991. In the 2005 eruption from April 17 to 19, 40,000 citizens were evacuated, and the crater lake previously residing in the volcano's 3 by 4 km. caldera was destroyed.

Climate Conditions

The climate is tropical and very warm. Coastal areas are hot and very humid, interspaced with rains and seasonal cyclones (January to April). The upland areas are cooler, particularly at night, and have higher rainfall. The rainy season is from November to April.

Understanding the Culture

The Comoros is notable for its diverse culture and history, as a nation formed at the crossroads of many civilizations. It has three official languages—Comorian, Arabic, and French, and it is the only state to be a member of each of the African Union, Francophone, Organization of the Islamic Conference, Arab League, and Indian Ocean Commission, among other international organizations. However it has had a troubled history since independence in 1975, marked for its inordinate amount of coups.