More than 73,000 Comorians live on the island of Madagascar . An additional 110,000 Comorians live scattered throughout the neighboring Comoros Islands. In 1975, the takeover of a Marxist regime resulted in riots among the Comorians in the city of Mahajanga. This takeover ended in the massacre of 1,400 Comorians, with several thousand others fleeing to the nearby Comoros Islands. Most of the islanders work as farmers, fishermen, or in industry.
Some farmers breed cattle, along with a few sheep, goats, ducks, geese, and turkeys.
Their basic diet consists of rice, crustaceans, fresh fish, potatoes, and yams. Other crops that are grown are corn, sugar cane, apples, and citrus fruits. Although young people wear Western style clothing, traditional clothing is still common among the adults. While in town, a Comorian man will typically wear a white cotton garment and a knee-length shirt, sometimes with a white jacket and white skull cap. Most women wear long, colorful cotton dresses with bright shawls as face coverings.