6th July Comoros Independence Day

Comoros celebrates Independence from France on this date in 1975.

1. Comoros consists of three main islands Ngazidja, Mwali and Nzwani, located off the East coast of Africa. The islands are officially known by their Comorian language names, though international sources still use their French names, Grande Comore, Mohéli and Anjouan respectively. A fourth island, Mayotte, voted against independence and is still administered by France. The Comoros also lays claim to the Glorioso Islands and Banc du Geyser, an island once annexed by Madagascar but now submerged.
2. According to pre-Islamic mythology, a jinni (spirit) dropped a jewel, which formed a great circular inferno. This became the Karthala volcano, which created the island of Comoros.
3. Mount Karthala, an active shield volcano located on Ngazidja, is the country's highest point, at 2,361 m or 7,748 ft (2,362 m). It is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, having erupted in 2006, 2005 and 1991.
4. The name "Comoros" derives from the Arabic word qamar, which means "moon". Comorian residents call their Country Masiwa, "the islands."
5. At 2,034 km2 (785 sq mi), it is one of the smallest countries in the world. It is also one of the smallest in terms of population, with less than a million people living there. However, it is one of the most densely populated countries with an average of 275 inhabitants per square kilometre (710/sq mi).
6. Its capital is Moroni, on Grande Comore.
7. Comoros is the world's largest producer of ylang-ylang, and the second-largest producer of vanilla after Madagascar. Cloves and copra are also produced there. Comoros has therefore been nicknamed "The Perfume Islands".
8. There are three official languages - Comorian, or Shikomor, a Bantu language similar to Swahili; French, which is used in government and formal education; and Arabic, which is the language used for religious instruction. 98% of the people are Muslims.
9. Comoros is a matrilineal society which means the women own the land and property and pass it to their daughters. Men are still the rulers in society, though. Descendants of the ancient sultans trace their lineage back to Arab immigrants who married into local leaders' matrilineal families. The title of sharif, meaning descendant of Muhammad, is handed down through the male line.
10. The current Flag was officially adopted in 2002. It consists of a white crescent with four white stars in a Green triangle. The flag has four stripes, representing the four islands of the nation: Yellow for Mohéli, white for Mayotte (even though it is administered by France - Mayotte gets a mention in the National Anthem, too), red for Anjouan, and blue for Grande Comore. The star and crescent symbol stands for Islam.