Mayotte: what to know?

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Mayotte is a small island off the coast of Madagascar which is a collectivity of France. The island covers 144 square miles (374 square km) and has a population of just under 190,000, making it the 11th most densely populated nation territory in the world. It is found in the Mozambique Channel in the Comoros chain between Madagascar and Mozambique. It consists of a large island, a smaller island and a number of small islets.

The island, like the rest of the Comoros, was first settled thousands of years ago by explorers from Polynesia and Indonesia. Over the next few centuries, waves of African and Arab settlers arrived and mixed their culture with the native culture of the island. In the 15th century, Islam was introduced to the Comoros. Sultanates arose around the islands, including the Mawuti Maore Sultanate on what is now Mayotte.

Mayotte and the Comoros were first visited by Europeans when the Portuguese arrived in the early 16th century, followed soon after by the French. For the next two centuries, however, no western state would lay claim to the islands. Western pirates, traveling from Madagascar, occasionally visited and raided the islands and various sultanates.

In the mid-19th century, France began to take an interest in the Comoros. Their first act was to annex the Mawuti Maore Sultanate, whose name was translated to become the Protectorate of Mayotte. The rest of the Comoros followed suit and eventually all the islands were regrouped and administered under French territory in Madagascar. Beginning with World War II, the Comoros began to gain more autonomy from France and began to mobilize for independence.

In 1973, France and the Comoros agreed that the islands would become independent, but that a transitional period would last until 1978. Two years later, the islands declared themselves independent, waiving the transitional period. The people of Mayotte, however, chose not to separate from France, and in two referendums made their will known. Since then the new government of the Comoros has regularly pressed France to cede the island to them, but so far the citizens of the island have chosen to remain part of France, and France has supported their decision, even going so far as to veto a a UN Security Council Resolution recognizing Comorian sovereignty over the islands.

France includes Mayotte as an overseas community, but due to its unique circumstances, it treats it slightly differently from others. It is a predominantly Muslim region and, as a result, integrating its legal system seamlessly into the French one presents a number of difficulties. Consequently, when the French government passes new laws, it must be explicitly stated that they apply to Mayotte in order for them to. The status of the island continues to evolve within the context of France, despite its control being contested by the Comoros, and from 2011 the islands will officially become an overseas department, giving it essentially the same status as any of the departments of mainland France.
Like the rest of the Comoros, Mayotte is a beautiful island, steeped in centuries of culture. Arabian architecture, French cuisine and lush coastal African scenery make this a truly wonderful vacation spot. The island’s economy is strong, thanks in large part to its close ties to France, and consequently the tourist infrastructure is extensive.

Planes fly to the island regularly from nearby Reunion, and from there the island is connected to most of the world. Cruise ships occasionally call there, and boats also connect the island to the rest of the Comoros.

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