It is believed that the earliest inhabitants of the islands were journeymen from Indonesia-Polynesia, but traces of this original Asian culture have blended seamlessly into successive waves of African, Arab and Shirazi immigrants. The most notable of these early immigrants were the Shirazi Arab royal clans, who appeared in Comoros in the 15th and 16th centuries and stayed to build mosques, set up royal house and introduce architecture and carpentry.

From the fifteenth to the middle of the nineteenth century, the region was governed by a series of sultanates, until a major European power turned their attentions to the Comoros islands.

That European super power was France and from 1886 until 1975, the islands remained under French control. In 1975 partial independence was gained by Anjouan. After the break-away from French rule, Anjouan joined the Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros. A highly volatile union ensued and after a period of total independence in the latter part of the twentieth century, Anjouan now has economic and legislative independence within the Union of the Comoros under a settlement brokered by international bodies.

The new constitution adopted in March 2002 in a vote overseen by impartial observers from the European Union and the OUA clarifies and reinforces Anjouan's status as a self-governing island within the new Union of the Comoros. Article 10 specifically grants the government of the State of Anjouan full control over economic development and foreign investment.

The Union of the Comoros consists of three islands, Grande Comore, Anjouan and Ngazidja. Each island has a president, who shares the presidency of the Union on a rotating basis. The president and his vice-presidents are elected together through universal suffrage for a term of four years, renewable in accordance with the rotating presidency among the islands.

President Assoumani Azali of Grande Comore is the first Union president. President Mohamed Bacar of Anjouan formed his 13-member government at the end of April.

Anjouan is an island forming part of the Comoros Islands, a group of islands in the Mozambique Channel, about two-thirds of the way between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique.

Anjouan has an area of 424 sq km. The capital city is Mutsamudu and serves as the financial heart of the island and it also boasts one of the deepest ports in the region, which is vital to the island's economic stability.

The island of Anjouan is green and unspoilt, covered by coconut palms, banana trees and other tropical plants. The highest point is 1,535m.

The climate is tropical marine, with maximum temperatures ranging from 27° to 32°. The weather is warm and humid from December to April, then cooler and dry from May to November.

Anjouan is a 20 minute flight from Moroni (Grande Comore) which can be reached from various international destinations. Flights are available from Paris via Reunion and Mayotte, and the Seychelles via Mayotte or Madagascar.

Comorans have an ethnic hybridity typical of island nations; they're a vibrant blend of African mainlanders, Malay-Polynesians (or Malagasy), Arab traders and Shirazi Persians. Distinct minority groups include the Antalotes, Sakalava and Creoles, but the dominant religious group is Sunni Islam, descended from Shiraz Persians.

Although alcohol is forbidden and the place wall-to-wall with mosques, Anjouan is not particularly zealous and religious observance is not as strict as it is in many other Islamic countries. Women dress modestly, but the custom of purdah has been largely abandoned in favour of colourful saris, or chiromani. Comoran women are particularly fond of a yellowish paste made from sandalwood and coral (m'sidzanou) and applied to the face as either a full mask or in a dappled pattern.

Comoran cuisine is a blend of Indian, Arabic, French and African cooking. A typical meal will include a combination of rice and meat, enhanced with any of the locally produced spices such as vanilla, cardoman, coriander, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon. Fish and seafood, such as tuna, grouper and octopus, get used in a lot of meals, along with other meats like chicken, goat and mutton. The French influence has had beneficial results on the cuisine of the island too and many dishes have a French flavour. Lobster cooked in vanilla sauce is a speciality in Anjouan.