Moroni (in
Arabic موروني
Mūrūnī) is the largest city, federal
capital and seat of the government of the
Union of the Comoros, a sovereign archipelago nation in the
Indian Ocean. In
Comorian, Moroni translates as "in the heart of the fire", perhaps alluding to the city's location at the foot of
Mount Karthala, an active volcano. Moroni is the capital of the semi-autonomous island
Grande Comore, the largest of the three main islands of the republic. The city's estimated population in 2003 was 41,557 residents. Moroni, which lies along the Route Nationale 1, has a port and several mosques such as the Badjanani Mosque.