Autonomous island in Comoros
Grande Comore
Ile Autonome de la Grande Comore
[1]
Ngazidja
????? ????? ?????? ??? ????? ??????
|
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|
Grande Comore
|
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Grande Comore is the largest island of the
Comoros
islands.
|
Country
| Comoros
|
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Capital
| Moroni
|
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|
?
President
| H. E.
Azali Assoumani
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? Total
| 1,025 km
2
(396 sq mi)
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? Total
| 295,700
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? Estimate
(2015)
| 399,919
|
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? Density
| 290/km
2
(750/sq mi)
|
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Time zone
| UTC+03:00
(
EAT
)
|
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Grande Comore
(
French pronunciation:
[??and
k?m??]
;
Swahili
:
Ngazidja
[2]
) is an island in
Comoros
off the coast of
Africa
. It is the largest island in the Comoros nation. Most of its population is of the Comorian ethnic group. Its population as of 2006
[update]
is about 316,600. The island's capital is
Moroni
, which is also the national capital. The island is made up of two
shield volcanoes
, with
Mount Karthala
being the country's highest point at 2,361 m (7,746 ft) above sea level. According to the 2009 revision of the constitution of 2002, it is governed by an elected Governor, as are the other islands, with the federal government being much reduced in power. The name Ngazidja is sometimes seen in the now nonstandard form Njazidja.
History
[
edit
]
For several centuries,
Grande Comore was divided into a number of sultanates
, including
Bambao
,
Itsandra
, Mitsamihuli, Mbajini, Hambuu, Washili, Hamahame, Mbwankuu, Mbude and Domba. The sultans were also known as
mfaume
. In 1886, the ruler of
Anjouan
,
Sultan
Said Ali bin Said Omar
declared a "state of Ngazidja", usurping the other sultanates and accepting a French protectorate over the island. In 1893, Sultan Said Ali was sent into exile on
Reunion
. In 1908,
France
annexed the island and the sultanates were abolished. In 1975, Grande Comore,
Anjouan
and
Moheli
declared independence as the nation of Comoros.
On 23 November 1996
Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961
was hijacked while in Ethiopian airspace en route from
Addis Ababa
to
Nairobi
. The
Boeing 767-260ER
crash-landed
in the Indian Ocean near Grande Comore after running out of fuel, killing 125 out of the 175 people on board, including 3 of the hijackers.
In 1997, the Comoros nation began to fall apart as Anjouan and Moheli seceded. Grande Comore became the only island under federal control. By 2002, however, Grande Comore was reunited with the other islands under the new constitution.
Abdou Soule Elbak
was elected President of Grande Comore in May 2002. He received only 17% of the vote in the first round, coming in first place, and received 60% of the vote in the runoff. He remained in his post until the July 2007 elections, at which point
Mohamed Abdoulwahab
won the island's presidency.
Transport
[
edit
]
Prince Said Ibrahim International Airport
serves the island.
References
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
11°35′S
43°20′E
/
11.583°S 43.333°E
/
-11.583; 43.333