Comoros

Located in a strategic position at the Northern end of the Mozambique Channel the archipelago of the Comoro Islands arose from the seabed of the western Indian Ocean as the result of volcanic activity.

The islands: Grande Comore, Moheli, Anjouan, and Mayotte, have distinct topographical characteristics due to their different ages. Mayotte, the oldest of the islands, is highly eroded with slow, meandering streams. Grande Comore, the youngest of the islands is dominated by a massive, active volcano. Volcanic experts are concerned that a very violent eruption may occur in the near future. The other two islands are mountainous but have no active volcanic activity. The Comoro Islands once played a major role in the world economy of the western Indian Ocean. For centuries, they were a major stopover along the mercantile routes of the Indian Ocean from Africa to the Orient.