| location | |
 | |
| flag | |
 | |
| Short dates | |
| Capital | Moroni |
|---|---|
| Form of government | republic |
| currency | Comoros Franc (KMF) |
| surface | 2,170 km² |
| population | 652.000 |
| languages | Arabic, French |
| Religions | Sunni Muslim 98%, Roman Catholic 2% |
| power grid | 220 V / 50 Hz |
| Phone code | 269 |
| Internet TLD | .km |
| Time zone | CET 2h |
The Islamic Federal Republic of Comoros is an island state in the Indian Ocean which consists of three of the four main islands of the Comoros. The fourth main island Mayotte is from France administered, but claimed by the Comoros Republic. The Comoros belong geographically to East Africa and lie between Madagascar Nordspitze and the African Mainland.
Regions
The Comoros are made up of the four main islands Grande Comore or Nyazidja, Anjouan or Nzwani, Mohéli or Mwali and the French overseas department Mayotte.
Cities
- Moroni - Capital on Grande Comore
- Mutsamudu - second largest city on Anjouan
background
The first people migrated here a little over a thousand years ago. From the 11th century onwards, Muslim sultanates emerged, which were administered as French protectorates from 1841/66 and then as colony from 1912.
There have been over 20 coups since independence in 1975. The accompanying shootings usually pass quickly. The separatist efforts on Anjouan relaxed after the statute of autonomy.
getting there
As an archipelago, the Comoros can naturally only be reached by air or water.
Entry requirements
A visa is required for everyone to enter the country. For Germans, the Comoros embassy is in Brussels responsible.
A tourist visa can also be obtained at the international airport Moroni to be granted on Grande Comore. This is valid for 45 days and is only issued if a valid return ticket and sufficient funds are available for the stay. It is paid in cash in euros (2019: € 30 or US $ 50). The visa can be extended on site. In addition to the visa, a valid passport or children's passport is required. Travel documents must be valid for at least six months at the time of entry.
Customs regulations
The importation of weapons, alcohol and pornographic material of any kind is strictly prohibited. (According to IATA, you can bring 1 bottle of schnapps with you.)
Allowances for tobacco are: 400 cigarettes or 500 g tobacco, or 100 cigars.
"From January 1, 2020, proof of vaccinations against yellow fever and meningococcal ACWY will be required upon entry. An official confirmation of these vaccination regulations by the responsible authorities is still pending. "[1]
By plane
The only international airport is that Prince Said Ibrahim International Airport on Grande Comore. You can get here every day from Madagascar out. There are no direct flights to the Comoros from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. There are flight connections via Paris, Nairobi, Addis Ababa or Dubai.
By boat
Arriving with your own yacht is possible without any problems. It is recommended to first complete all customs formalities in the port of Moroni or Mutsamudu (Anjouan) (visa fees € 50 port fee € 20 police; 2017). Before arriving, you have to report to the harbor master (“brigade du port”), in front of whose office you can and should moor, preferably in French on VHF 16. Sunday is the day off.
A mooring permit for Mohéli (= Mwali) can be obtained free of charge when registering.
mobility
language
Communication is open for the traveler French (Official language) the best way of communication. Without it it will be difficult. In addition, is still Arabic and Comorian (also an official language) are spoken.
shop
Vanilla pods or ylang-ylang oil.
Apart from a few supermarkets in Moroni, there are only corner shops. Shops open Monday to Saturday until 5.30 p.m. Office hours are: Monday to Thursday 7.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays are shorter.
Credit cards can only be used in better hotels. ATMs can be found in Moroni.
currency
1 Comorian franc (KMF, Franc Comorien) = 100 centimes. The rate is linked to the euro 1 € = 491 KMF (9.9.20)
There are notes for 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10000 KMF and coins for 25, 50, 100, 250.
kitchen
The cuisine shows Malagasy and French influences. But one also finds chapattis, brought by Indian migrant workers. Freshly caught fish can be obtained unrefrigerated at the markets. Otherwise there is a lot of chicken in terms of meat. Plantains, breadfruit, yams, and taro are the main sources of starch. Almost all dishes contain onions.
Despite the prohibition, the still numerous turtles on Mohéli are poached and also eaten on other islands.
Small snacks are available at street stalls. Most of the cooking is done over a wood fire.
Typical dishes are:
- Madaba: Pureed cassava leaves, slowly cooked in flavored coconut milk.
- Chicken Pilaf (Pilaou au poulet): Chicken rice with tomatoes and spices.
- Chicken in coconut milk with lots of spices.
- Pigeon peas in curry or tomato sauce.
- Samoussa: Indian puff pastry balls with various fillings, mostly vegetables.
- Rougail de tomates: Spicy stew from Madagascar. Side dish rice.
- Mardouf (Mkatra foutra): unleavened flatbread, made in the pan with coconut water.
- Ntrovi ya nazi: cooked or fried fish with plantains and coconut. Is similar M'tsolola, where you cook green bananas in coconut milk.
- Poutou: hot sauce made from chilli, tomatoes, onions and lemon.
- Ntibé: pieces of meat cooked or briefly fried in oil.
- Goudrou-godrou: Rice and coconut spice cake.
More like a feast would be lobster in vanilla sauce.
nightlife
Nightlife in the western sense doesn't exist.
Beer and wine are only served in better (hotel) restaurants. There are actually only in Moroni. Officially, the minimum age for alcohol, which is not always available in smaller places, is 18 years. Take-away is available in shops run by Indians or Chinese in Moroni.
accommodation
High-priced resorts are mainly found on Grande Comore on the southwest coast. On Anjouan are better hotels in Mutsamudu.
Learn
The Comorian language is related to Swahili. The official and educational languages are also Arabic and French.
Work
Most Comoros dream of working abroad, preferably in France. The transfers and souvenirs of those je viens contribute a lot to the economic performance of the country, whose primary sector still generates 40% of GDP and ties up 80% of the workforce.
security
“It is forbidden to photograph uniformed people, military facilities and public buildings (airports, bridges, etc.). Same-sex acts are punishable by law. Offenses against the Narcotics Act are punishable by several years' imprisonment. The consumption of alcohol in public places, in parks etc. is regulated by municipalities and in some municipalities is completely or partially prohibited. It is forbidden to criticize the government. "[2]
health
Waste disposal is not a high priority.
It can be useful to try to get to Mayotte if you are ill. The European health insurance card is valid there.
 | These medical notices have been carefully researched, but they are made no guarantee. A conversation with the person in charge Family doctor or one travel medical or tropical medical advice center is recommended in case of health problems or uncertainties. Also note: Note on health issues |
The medical infrastructure is sometimes extremely poor. In addition to vaccinations against tetanus, diphtheria, polio and hepatitis A as well as hepatitis B in the case of long-term stays over three months (e.g. trekking, etc.), vaccination protection against typhoid may make sense.
Safe drinking water is not guaranteed. In case of doubt, boiled or packaged water should be used here. Otherwise “cook it, peel it or forget it.”
Since 2011, Chinese development aid has ensured that malaria hardly ever occurs. Regarding malaria prophylaxis, you should consult a travel or tropical medicine doctor. Plasmodium falciparum, the pathogen causing the dreaded tropical malaria occurs all over the country. Prophylaxis is recommended by the WHO. However, since there are resistances to chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine, advice should also precede this.
Chikungunya and dengue fever occur. Comoros flying foxes (Pteropus sp.) can transmit rabies.
climate
The climate is tropical with the dry season from May to October and the rainy season (monsoon) from November to April. The average daytime temperature is around 25 ° C all year round.
Get along and respect
The Comoros are 99% Islamic. Islam is also the state religion. The usual basic rules for Islamic countries therefore apply. This includes appropriate clothing (bikini in the city or shorts and hot pants, or mini-skirts are rather clumsy) and not consuming alcohol in public.
Younger men especially move to Anjouan in bachelor huts (vala), but then continue to go home to Mommy to eat. It is not uncommon for men to live together with a woman in a “small marriage” and possibly have children. But first the "garnde mariage" (anda) makes man into man. For this expensive gifts are due for the whole family of the bride. Often the groom is in debt for years. At home in the Comoros, the woman wears her pants. You own the houses, inheritance takes place in a feminine line to the daughters.
There is only one EU embassy in the Comoros, that of France. In urgent cases this is under Fon: 269-730.753 or Fax: 269-730.922 as well as in emergencies under Fon: 269-730.615 reachable.
The responsible German embassy is located in Dar-es-Salam (Umoja House, corner of Hamburg Av. / Mirambo St., 2nd Floor, Dar es Salaam.) In Tanzania. Tel. (Mon.-Thu. 7.00-14.30 h): 255 22 2212300. ONLY emergencies, after work: 255686054081.
The Swiss consulate in Moroni (Quartier Magoudjou, Mangani; Tel .: 269 333 0787) is subordinate to the embassy:
Practical advice
Power outages are common.
During the day there is silence in Ramadan, this year April 12, 2021-12. May 2021.
literature
Spinnler, Ellen; Trip through the Comoros and Mayotte; Würzburg 2018, ISBN 9783800342945
Web links
- The Comores archipelago website
- madagaskarhaus.ch in connection with the specialized Basel travel agency Priori
