Comoros
Comoros “a necklace of pearls set in a turquoise sea” – is an archipelago which rises abruptly from the ocean floor equidistant from the coasts of Madagascar and Africa slightly above the northern entrance to the Mozambique channel. It consists of four main islands (Grande Comore, Moheli, Andjouan and Mayotte) and numerous smaller islands and coral reefs. With a total area of 2,236 sq. miles, the islands are actually the tips of rising volcanoes. Mayotte is the only island with a barrier reef. The Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros consists of only three of the four main islands since Mayotte is still administered by France. Of particular interest to the BLAC FOUNDATION here is the sport of Mrengé (a kind of boxing), practiced in all of the four main islands with the exception of Grande Comore. For more information about Mrengé see Dr. E. Powe’s Black Martial Arts II: The African Indian Ocean and his article submitted to the Foundation.