The Island of Ylang-Ylang — perfume distilleries hidden in clove forest, Arab-Swahili architecture, and an independence movement that failed twice
Anjouan (Nzwani in Comorian) is the second-largest island of the Comoros archipelago (424 km², population 310,000), located 70 km east of the main island of Grande Comore. The island produces the majority of the world's ylang-ylang essential oil (from the flowers of Cananga odorata, a tropical tree whose intensely sweet, narcotic-floral scent is a base note in many high-end perfumes including Chanel No. 5 and Joy by Jean Patou) — roadside copper stills distil the freshly harvested flowers throughout the growing season, and the scent hangs over entire valleys. Cloves, vanilla, and cinnamon are…
Anjouan was settled by Arab and Shirazi traders from the Persian Gulf from the 9th century CE, who established the sultanate system and the Islamic culture that defines the island today. The island was a significant slave trading hub under Arab and later French rule (the Comoros became a French protectorate in 1886); the abolished slave trade continued informally into the early 20th century. Independence from France came in 1975 as part of the Comoros Union; Anjouan's 1997 secessionist movement (citing economic neglect by Moroni) led to a brief period of effective independence before the 2008…