Comoros
The Comoros also lays claim to the "Îles Éparses" or "Îles éparses de l'océan indien" (Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean) – Glorioso Islands, comprising Grande Glorieuse, Île du Lys, Wreck Rock, South Rock, Verte Rocks (three islets) and three unnamed islets – one of France's overseas districts. The Glorioso Islands were administered by the colonial Comoros before 1975, and are therefore sometimes considered part of the Comoros Archipelago. Banc du Geyser, a former island in the Comoros Archipelago, now submerged, is geographically located in the "Îles Éparses", but was annexed by Madagascar in 1976 as an unclaimed territory. The Comoros and France each still view the Banc du Geyser as part of the Glorioso Islands and, thus, part of its particular exclusive economic zone.
Moroni, Comoros
Moroni's earliest history is poorly known. The earliest secure evidence for settlement in the Comoros Islands comes no earlier than the 7th century, with Bantu-speaking agriculturalists. Ceramic finds from the 7th to 10th century demonstrate that the Islands were part of the developing Swahili civilization. The 11th century Egyptian "Book of Curiosities" identifies the Comoros Islands as part of the Zanj coast, indicting the islands' participation in the broader Indian Ocean world. Moroni was a well established Swahili town by the late medieval period, widely engaged in trade networks throughout the Indian Ocean. The city's oldest mosque, built in 1427, is a testament to the city's wealth, contemporary with the golden ages of other Swahili cities.