Comoros (Juzur al-Qumur) is an island nation off the coast of East Africa, in the Indian Ocean between northern Mozambique and northern Madagascar. It is known that it’s one of the world's poorest countries.

Comoros is made up of four (Grande Comore, Mohéli, Anjouan, and Mayotte) islands that have inadequate transportation links, a young and rapidly increasing population, and natural resources. Comoros is also the smallest nation in the Arab World by population.

Comoros has some natural resources for tourism, such as its beaches and marine environment, but it does not have as strong a tourist industry as its regional competitors Réunion, Mauritius, and Seychelles. Its weak tourist industry is mainly because of its uncertain political climate, and the main reason for its poverty is that the country is found in an isolated region and has few natural resources. Some of the major natural resources of Comoros are arable land, water, forests, beautiful landscapes, and biodiversity.

Arable Land:

In Comoros, the islands have significant sizes of arable land. It is estimated that 45% of land in the island country is suitable for agriculture, which is the biggest industry in the country. Only 20% of agricultural producers in the Comoros Islands do it on a large scale. Large-scale producers apply modern techniques in farming. The big agricultural producers export their produce to neighboring countries. The crops largely grown in Comoros are bananas, corn, rice, sweet potatoes, coconuts, peppers, coffee, sugarcane, jasmine, cloves, and vanilla. Comoros is one of the largest exporters of the vanilla plant.

Water:

The islands have plenty of water resources all around them. Since the late 20th century, the Comoros government permitted international fishing vessels to conduct industrial fishing in their maritime territory. The big fishing vessels harvest fish for the international markets. The fish mainly found in the Comoros waters include tuna, mackerel, cuttlefish, anchovies, and swordfish. The island country lacks fish-processing facilities, and as a result, fish caught by the big fishing companies is processed outside the Comoros Islands. The country is constructing a tuna-processing facility to boost the fishing industry. Despite the water resource, fishing is a largely unexploited industry in Comoros.

Forests:

Comoros has large unexploited forests as part of its natural resource. Comoros forests are important resources in the country, and they provide a safe habitat for the numerous wild animals in the island country. The forests also accommodate rare plant species, which are endemic to the islands. Comoros forests are also useful for their medicinal plants. Timber is another commodity obtained from Comoros forests. The trees in these forests are harvested to supply timber to Comoros and neighboring countries. The trees are also useful in the papermaking factories, and the local communities in Comoros collect firewood from the large forests.

Beautiful Landscapes:

Comoros Islands are endowed with many beautiful scenes. The country has a wide variety of geographical features such as mountain ranges, flat plains, sandy beaches, and volcanic regions. All these beautiful landscapes make Comoros a wonderful place to visit. The country’s beauty is a key tourist attraction. Visitors could take a hike up the Karthala Volcano or a walk on Chomoni Beach. Nonetheless, a few tourists still visit the island country and contribute foreign income to the nation. Some Comoros residents who guide the tourists also earn a living from the industry.

Biodiversity:

The biodiversity in Comoros is part of its natural resource. Comoros has a wealth of unique plants and animals. The islands of Comoros exist in a relatively isolated region, and as a result, these places have preserved their indigenous plants and animals. The country has over 820 marine animal species and about 100 bird species. More than one thousand insect species are found in Comoros. However, the biodiversity of Comoros is threatened by changing climatic conditions and the rising human population on the island. Conservation groups have established systems to protect and preserve the rare plants and animal species found in the country.

Management of Natural Resources in Comoros:

The natural resources in Comoros contribute to the economic development of the country. The scarce natural resources in the country are difficult to manage. Comoros lacks the technology and infrastructure needed to exploit its resources. As a result, the country does not reap the full benefits of its natural resources. Instead, foreign nations with advanced technologies benefit from these resources. Comoros is a relatively young nation and therefore does not have proper policies on the management of natural resources, and this often leads to mismanagement of resources. Additionally, the natural resources in Comoros face the threat of changing climate.

1.     Grande Comore

Conveniently nestled on the Western coast of Grand Comoros island, the resort boasts spectacular views of the endless Indian ocean and direct access to a magnificent private beach. The resort is merely 15 minutes drive from Prince Said Ibrahim International Airport and just 5 minutes drive from Moroni (the largest city on the island).

-        15 minutes drive from Prince Said Ibrahim International Airport

2.     Mohéli

Moheli Island is also largely appreciated by visitors. Located at a distance of 30 kilometers from the airport, lodges and most tourist facilities are available at Nioumachoua Town to engross visitors. Tourists can also engage here in shopping and buy products like carpets, potteries, and embroidery works created by local artisans.

-        Flight distance from Moroni to Moheli (Prince Said Ibrahim International Airport – Mohéli Bandar Es Eslam Airport) is 62 miles / 100 kilometers / 54 nautical miles. The estimated flight time is 37 minutes.

3.     Anjouan:

Anjouan is a triangular island rising centrally in a volcanic massif (Mount Ntingui) that reaches an elevation of about 5,200 feet (1,580 meters). Although the soil cover is good, much erosion has occurred, and many areas are no longer arable.

-        Flight distance from Moroni to Anjouan (Prince Said Ibrahim International Airport – Ouani Airport) is 89 miles / 143 kilometers / 77 nautical miles. The estimated flight time is 40 minutes.

-        Driving distance from Moroni (HAH) to Anjouan (AJN) is 122 miles / 196 kilometers and travel time by car is about 34 hours 5 minutes.

4.     Mayotte:

Mayotte is an archipelago among the East African Islands, lying in the Indian Ocean channel between Madagascar and Mozambique. It's a French overseas department with a population of 299,348 in 2022. Most live on the large island of Grande-Terre, which somewhat resembles a sea horse, used on Mayotte's coat of arms. A 2 km channel separates it from Petite-Terre, also urbanized; the other islets are tiny with only a handful of residents.

-        The nearest airport to Mayotte is Anjouan (AJN) Airport which is 109.7 km away

3 airports in Comoros have scheduled flights. One of the biggest airports in Comoros is Prince Said Ibrahim International Airport (HAH, FMCH) which is an international airport serving Moroni in Comoros. It is named after Prince Saïd Ibrahim. It is located north of the village of Hahaya. Having flights to 8 destinations in 6 countries. The two others are Anjouan Airport (FMCV, AJN) and Ouani Airport Mohéli         (FMCI, NWA) Mohéli Bandar Es Eslam Airport.

Moroni International Airport is the main airport of Comoros that only receives regular international flights. This airport is made of several buildings it has a terminal for domestic flights, a terminal for international flights, and a small cargo terminal. But Moroni International Airport has no helicopter pad. In 2018, more than 160,000 passengers passed through the international terminal at Prince Said Ibrahim Airport. It is supervised by:

1.     ADC (Aéroports Des Comores) for the functional part

2.     ASECNA (Agence pour la sécurité de la navigation aérienne en Afrique et à Madagascar) that helps in providing air traffic control, aircraft guidance, and the installation and maintenance of security organs at Comoros airports.

3.     Société Comores Hydrocarbures is in charge of the refuelling of the aircraft.

4.     Com’ Air Assistance is a company providing ground support and handling operations. They assist the passengers; ensuring the loading and unloading of the luggage and the freight.

5.     Société Comores Hydrocarbures is in charge of the refuelling of the aircraft.

Prince Said Ibrahim International Airport connects the island of Grande Comore with the other two islands of the country and Mayotte with several daily flights, as well as Madagascar, South Africa, Kenya, Reunion, Seychelles, and Turkey.

cargo flights are not served regularly by the airport. the ASTRAL company flies from Nairobi or Da-Es-Salam depending on the demand maybe once or twice a month. If cargo booking is wanted it can be done through Com’Air Assistance or with a regular cargo forwarder. The rest of the cargo arrives with conventional passenger aircraft but remains negligible.

The airport airstrip is in good condition, the ADC has a checkup service that takes care of maintenance when necessary. However, the security elements such as lightning are under the duty of ASECNA which also has a review and maintenance service.

The offices that are costumed are located at the cargo hangar from 7:30 to 14:30 (except Sundays). You can clear the container on the same day if the documents are up to date.  However, if it is late let’s say for about 15 days because of someone that has failed to submit the necessary documents for its clearance, the customs officers will add financial penalties to its original price.

Storage facilities are stored in a small warehouse which is in a cargo terminal beside the international terminal that is operated by Comair Assistance.

Airfield Costs are the navigation charges done by Moroni international airport. Payments have to be done to three different companies:

-        ASECNA: Navigation / Landing (50%)

-        ADC: Parking / Landing (50%)

-        Com’Air Assistance: Handling

The airport fuel services that they have is only JET A1. And it is organized by Comores Hydrocarbure with a capacity of 630 m3 + 2x150 m3 and is present in the airport zone.

The airport is not fully fenced although the open areas are difficult to access and are constantly monitored by the Gendarmerie, which provides security and surveillance missions throughout the airport area. the Air and Border Police are responsible for the security and surveillance of people and property inside the terminal. The entrance to the airport is controlled by a Comorian armed forces battalion based nearby and ready to intervene if needed.