a republic consisting of three volcanic islands in the Indian Ocean, off the NW coast of Madagascar; a French territory from 1947; became independent in 1976 except for Mayotte, the fourth island in the group, which chose to remain French. Official languages: Comorian, French, and Arabic. Religion: Muslim. Currency: franc. Capital: Moroni. Pop: 813 912 (2017 est). Area: 1862 sq km (719 sq miles)