Moroni (pop. 50,000) is the capital and largest city of Comoros. Moroni lies on the west coast of the island of Grande Comore.
Moroni is the nation’s center of government, trade, and tourism. It is home of the nation’s main mosque (Muslim house of worship), chief lycée (secondary school), and sole international airport. The architecture in Moroni shows an Arab influence. Arabs ruled the Comoro Islands from the 1400’s until the 1800’s, when France gained control. Moroni became the capital of Comoros after the nation declared its independence from France in 1975. Since then, the city has been the site of much political unrest (see Comoros (History)).
