City Africa
Moroni
Moroni is the capital of the Comoros. It is on an island in the Indian Ocean.
Moroni is the capital and largest town of the Comoros, a country of islands in the Indian Ocean. It lies on the southwest coast of the island of Grande Comore. In the 2017 census, 74,749 people were counted there.
Moroni, capital and largest agglomeration of the Comoros, on the southwest coast of Grande Comore (Ngazidja), was probably founded by Arab traders in the 10th century and became the administrative capital in 1958. Census of 15 December 2017: 74,749.
Photo: Woodlouse, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Discover Moroni
Moroni is the capital city of the Comoros. The Comoros is a country made of islands.
Moroni is on the island of Grande Comore, by the sea.
Moroni is the capital of the Comoros and its largest town, Universalis says. It lies on the southwest coast of Grande Comore, also called Ngazidja, an island in the Indian Ocean.
In the census of December 2017, 74,749 people were counted in Moroni, according to the Comoros' national statistics institute. That is almost three times as many as in Mutsamudu, the second-largest town.
Universalis: capital and largest agglomeration of the Comoros, on the southwest coast of Grande Comore (Ngazidja), an island in the Indian Ocean; 41,557 inhabitants in 2003.
City Population, from the census offices of the Comoros: Moroni 17,267 (1980), 29,916 (1991), 40,050 (2003) and 74,749 (15 December 2017), rank 1 among urban localities, ahead of Mutsamudu (26,313) and Fomboni (17,291). The island of Njazidja (Grande Comore) had 379,367 people in 2017.
- Country
- the Comoros (the capital)
- People in Moroni (census 2017)
- 74,749
- Island
- the southwest coast of Grande Comore (Ngazidja)
- Ocean
- the Indian Ocean
A harbor wall and an old town
Look at the stone wall by the water! People walk along it. Behind are old white houses, palm trees and a green mountain.
This photo shows the harbor of Moroni on 2 July 2008. A thick wall of dark stone runs beside the water, and people walk along the top of it. Behind it are cars, palm trees and old houses, some white and some gray and weathered, with a white tower topped by a pale blue dome on the left.
A steep, green slope rises behind the town under gray clouds. Universalis says Moroni has kept its traditional Arab architecture, even though it also has modern office buildings.
Commons: Flickr photo by Woodlouse, 2 July 2008, CC BY-SA 2.0 (FlickreviewR passed), uploaded in 2010 by another user with the caption 'Moroni harbour, Grande Comore'; a category added in 2016 by a later user identifies the building with the tower as Moroni's Old Friday mosque.
In the picture: dark water at left; a curving stone harbor wall with a whitewashed parapet; a few walkers; parked cars and palm trees; multi-story stone houses, some with balconies and satellite dishes; a white tower with a pale blue dome; a forested slope under heavy cloud. Universalis: the port lies in a cove, has only a small quay and lacks natural protection for ships.
- Photo
- the harbor of Moroni, 2 July 2008
- Architecture
- traditional Arab architecture kept beside modern office buildings (Universalis)
- Port
- in a cove, with only a small quay and little natural shelter for ships
A trading town that became a capital
Long ago, traders probably started a town here by the sea. Today it is the capital.
Universalis says Moroni was probably founded by Arab traders in the 10th century, more than a thousand years ago.
In 1958 Moroni became the administrative capital of the Comoros. The town has grown fast: the census counted 17,267 people in 1980, about 40,000 in 2003 and 74,749 in 2017.
Universalis: its founding by Arab merchants probably goes back to the 10th century; in 1958 it was raised to the rank of administrative capital of the Comoros. Moroni has kept a traditional Arab architecture alongside modern office buildings, and the town has many mosques.
Census counts via City Population: 17,267 (1980), 29,916 (1991), 40,050 (2003), 74,749 (2017), so the population nearly doubled between 2003 and 2017.
- 10th century
- probably founded by Arab traders (Universalis)
- 1958
- becomes the administrative capital of the Comoros
- 2017
- census: 74,749 people
Roads along the coast and an airport nearby
Roads go along the coast from Moroni to other towns. Planes land at an airport not far away.
Universalis says roads link Moroni with the coastal towns of Hahaia to the north and Mitsoudje to the south. An international airport lies close by; on Wikidata it is about 18.7 kilometers north of the city's center point.
Moroni's port sits in a cove. It has only a small quay and little natural shelter for ships, but it has many warehouses for goods coming in and going out, and for oil products.
Universalis: linked by road to the coastal towns of Hahaia (north) and Mitsoudje (south) and served by a nearby international airport; the port, in a cove, has only a small quay and lacks natural protection, but is equipped with many storage warehouses for imports, exports and petroleum products.
Wikidata: the international airport (Q653299, inception 1975) lies 18.66 km N of the city point (Q3901); Mount Karthala (Q527548), a volcano 2,361 m high, has its point 12.53 km ESE.
- Roads
- to the coastal towns of Hahaia in the north and Mitsoudje in the south
- Airport
- an international airport close by (Universalis), about 18.7 km north of the city's Wikidata point
- Port
- many warehouses for imports, exports and oil products
Warm and very wet
Moroni is warm all year. It rains a lot, most of all in January.
Moroni is warm all year. In the World Meteorological Organization's table, the average daily high stays between 27.7 °C in July and August and 30.8 °C in March and December.
It is also very wet: about 2,700 millimeters of rain fall in a year. Most of it falls from January to July. January is the wettest month, with 364 millimeters, and October the driest, with 97.
WMO World Weather Information Service, Moroni (11.73° S, 43.22° E; Direction de la Météorologie Nationale; the table states no period): mean daily maximum 27.7 °C (July, August) to 30.8 °C (March, December); mean daily minimum 18.4 °C (August) to 23.4 °C (January). Rainfall sums to 2,700 mm, of which 2,018 mm (75%) falls from January to July; January (364 mm) is the wettest month and October (97 mm) the driest. Rain days sum to 167 a year (the table gives no threshold).
- Average daily highs (WMO, Moroni; no period given)
- 27.7 °C (July and August) to 30.8 °C (March and December)
- Average daily lows (same table)
- 18.4 °C (August) to 23.4 °C (January)
- Rain in a year (sum of the monthly averages)
- about 2,700 mm
Vanilla, cocoa and coffee
Ships carry vanilla, cocoa and coffee from Moroni. Workers there make drinks, oils and cement.
Universalis says Moroni's port sends out vanilla, cocoa and coffee. In the town, factories make soft drinks, essential oils (strong-smelling oils taken from plants), things of metal and wood, and cement.
City Population lists the islands of the Comoros as Njazidja (Grande Comore), where Moroni is, Mwali (Mohéli) and Nzwani (Anjouan).
Universalis: the port exports vanilla, cocoa and coffee; Moroni's industries produce non-alcoholic drinks, essential oils, metal and wooden objects and cement; the town has many mosques and has kept its traditional Arab architecture despite modern office buildings.
City Population (census 2017): Njazidja (Ngazidja, Grande Comore) 379,367, capital Moroni; Nzwani (Anjouan) 327,382, capital Mutsamudu; Mwali (Mohéli) 51,567, capital Fomboni; Comoros total 758,316.
- Exports through the port
- vanilla, cocoa and coffee (Universalis)
- Industries
- soft drinks, essential oils, metal and wooden goods, cement
- Islands
- Njazidja (Grande Comore), Mwali (Mohéli) and Nzwani (Anjouan)
Moroni on the map
Find Africa on the globe. Look at the ocean to its east. Moroni is on a small island there.
Moroni lies at about 11.7° south and 43.2° east, on the southwest coast of Grande Comore, in the Indian Ocean.
Measured from the city's center point on Wikidata, the international airport is about 18.7 kilometers north and the point for Mount Karthala, a volcano, about 12.5 kilometers east-southeast.
Moroni lies at about 11.70° S and 43.24° E (Natural Earth point, 1.46 km W of the Wikidata point). From the Wikidata point (Q3901; 43.2536° E, 11.7036° S): Mount Karthala (2,361 m) 12.53 km ESE; the international airport 18.66 km N. The WMO station point (11.73° S, 43.22° E) is 4.69 km SW of the Wikidata point.
- Latitude
- about 11.7° south
- Longitude
- about 43.2° east
- Island
- Grande Comore (Ngazidja), southwest coast
Amazing facts
-
Ships carry vanilla, cocoa and coffee from Moroni's port.
Moroni's port exports vanilla, cocoa and coffee, Universalis says.
Universalis: the port of Moroni exports vanilla, cocoa and coffee and has many warehouses for imports, exports and petroleum products.
-
Moroni may be more than a thousand years old.
Universalis says Moroni was probably founded by Arab traders in the 10th century.
Universalis: the town's founding by Arab merchants probably goes back to the 10th century.
-
A volcano called Mount Karthala is not far from Moroni.
Wikidata lists Mount Karthala as a volcano 2,361 meters high; its point is about 12.5 kilometers east-southeast of Moroni's center point.
Wikidata: Mount Karthala (Q527548), volcano, elevation 2,361 m, item point 12.53 km ESE of Moroni's point.
-
In January, it rains more in Moroni than in any other month.
In the WMO table, January brings Moroni 364 millimeters of rain, the most of any month.
WMO table for Moroni: January 364 mm (18 rain days) is the wettest month; October 97 mm the driest.
Words to know
- capital
- the city where a country's government meets
- harbor
- a sheltered place by the shore where ships can stay
- cove
- a small, curved bay on a coast
- quay
- a stone or concrete platform where ships tie up to load and unload
- essential oil
- a strong-smelling oil taken from plants
- volcano
- a mountain with an opening where hot melted rock can come out
Discovery challenge
-
Moroni is the capital of which country?
Moroni is the capital and largest town of which island country?
Moroni became the administrative capital of which country in 1958?
- The Comoros
- Chile
- Mongolia
Show the answer
The Comoros
The Comoros!
The Comoros.
The Comoros.
-
Which ocean is around Moroni's island?
Grande Comore, Moroni's island, is in which ocean?
Universalis places Grande Comore (Ngazidja) in which ocean?
- The Indian Ocean
- The Arctic Ocean
- The Pacific Ocean
Show the answer
The Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean!
The Indian Ocean.
The Indian Ocean.
-
Which of these is sent out from Moroni's port?
Which spice does Universalis list among the port's exports?
Besides cocoa and coffee, which export does Universalis name for the port of Moroni?
- Vanilla
- Ice
- Wool
Show the answer
Vanilla
Vanilla!
Vanilla.
Vanilla.
-
Who probably started Moroni long ago?
Universalis says who probably founded Moroni in the 10th century?
According to Universalis, Moroni's founding in the 10th century is probably owed to whom?
- Arab traders
- Gold miners
- Railway builders
Show the answer
Arab traders
Traders who came by sea!
Arab traders.
Arab merchants (Universalis: 'probably').
-
Which month is the wettest in Moroni?
In the WMO table, which month gets the most rain in Moroni?
WMO table for Moroni: which month has the highest rainfall, 364 mm?
- January
- October
- September
Show the answer
January
January!
January.
January (364 mm).
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For parents & teachers
What children will learn
- Locate Moroni on Grande Comore, in the Indian Ocean.
- Explain how sea trade helped coastal towns begin.
- Describe what a port needs to shelter ships.
- Read a rainfall table from a very wet tropical island.
Recommended ages: 3 to 17 · About 15 minutes
Talk about it
- Why would traders crossing the sea stop at an island town?
- What problems might a port with little natural shelter have?
- How can a town nearly double its population in 14 years?
Try at home or in class
- Spice smell test: smell vanilla, cocoa and coffee and say which you like best.
- Harbor model: build a small harbor wall in a tray of water and test it with waves.
- Rain bars: draw Moroni's monthly rainfall and find the wettest months.
Key vocabulary: capital, harbor, cove, quay, essential oil, volcano
Where these facts come from
- Wikidata , Wikimedia Foundation (CC0 1.0)
- Natural Earth vector data , Natural Earth (NACIS) (Public domain)
- Moroni , Encyclopaedia Universalis
- Comoros: Islands and Urban Localities , City Population (Thomas Brinkhoff), from the census offices of the Comoros
- Moroni: climatological information , World Meteorological Organization, World Weather Information Service
- File:Moroni harbour (2).jpg (Woodlouse, 2 July 2008) , Wikimedia Commons
- Wikimedia Commons , Wikimedia Foundation (Per file (public domain, CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA); see each media record)
Checked, not yet human-reviewed. Last updated November 1, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.