Mayotte

 

Quick Facts

• Continental region – Africa
• Currency symbol of Mayotte-Euro
• Capital City –Mamoudzou
• Official languages – French is the official language, but most of the people speak Comorian (closely allied to Swahili); there are some villages along the Mayotte coast in which a Malagasy dialect is the main language.
• Population – 272,815 (2020)
• Country dialling code  –  (+262 )
• Official website – Mayotte
• Top 3 biggest industries  –Newly created lobster and shrimp industry, construction
• Google Maps link –Mayotte
• Where is it? –Mayotte, overseas department of France comprising the two south eastern most islands of the Comoros archipelago. It is situated in the Mozambique Channel of the western Indian Ocean, about 190 miles (310 km) northwest of Madagascar.

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Mayotte In Pictures

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Mayotte History

• How did the country get its first name? – Altered spelling of French Mayot, a habitational name from a place so named in Aisne. The name is believed to come from Mawuti, contraction of the Arabic Jazīrat al-Mawt – meaning “island of death” (maybe due to the dangerous reefs)
• When and by whom the country was first discovered? The island has been occupied by various cultures since the 8th century. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to visit in the 16th century. 
• Who were the first Inhabitants?  The first settlement of Bantu origin took place between the 5th and 8th centuries. According to the most recent archaeological and linguistic research, the first settlements are thought to date back to the 8th century and to have been made by both Bantu civilizations from the East African roast and Austronesian (or Proto-Malagasy) civilizations from Indonesia.
• When it was first recognized as a country? – The people of Mayotte voted to remain politically a part of France in the 1974 referendum on the independence of the Comoros.
• Who was the first leader of the country? – Soibahadine Ibrahim Ramadani.

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Five Significant Events 

1. 15th century: Arabs invaded the island and converted its inhabitants, who were probably descendants of earlier peoples speaking  Malay and Indonesian languages, to Islam.

2. 16th century: The Portuguese and French visited Mayotte.

3. 1843: The French gained colonial control over Mayotte and together with the other islands of the Comoros archipelago and Madagascar, Mayotte became part of a single French overseas territory in the early 20th century.

4. 1975: The French administered Mayotte separately from the remainder of the Comoros when the three northernmost and predominantly Muslim islands of the Comoros declared independence, and the Muslim and Christian inhabitants of Mayotte chose to remain with France.

5. 1979: The United Nations passed a resolution affirming the sovereignty of Comoros over Mayotte. The African Union also supported Comoros’s claim to the island.

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Five Places to Visit in Mayotte

1. Mamoudzou: Boats dot its harbour, and the nearby Marché Couvert sells fresh produce and handicrafts. Local landmarks include Mtsapéré Mosque, with its white minaret, and the 1957 Notre-Dame de Fatima church. Nearby beaches include Trévani, to the north, and the small Plage du Phare, to the south. (https://www.seabourn.com/en_US/ports/mamoudzou-mayotte.html)

2. Grande-Terre: There is a ferry service for tourists between Grande-Terre and Petite Terre (ports Mamoudzou and Pamandzi). Mayotte is served by the Dzaoudzi Pamandzi Airport (International flights) located in Pamandzi. (https://www.cruisemapper.com/ports/mamoudzou-port-1352)

3. Pamandzi: Trip advisor has 367 reviews of Pamandzi Hotels, Attractions, and Restaurants making it your best Pamandzi resource. (https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g1453840-Pamandzi-Vacations.html)

4. Dziani Dzaha: Dziani Dzaha, or Lake Dziani, is a crater lake on the island of Pamanzi in the French overseas territory of Mayotte. It is well known for its underwater lava tube caves and their fabled hidden pirate treasure. (https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0168879)

5. Mont Choungui: Mont Choungui is a distinctively conical volcanic mountain in the southern part of the French island of Mayotte, in the Comoro archipelago of the western Indian Ocean. It is the second highest point of the island at 593 m, the highest being Mont Bénara, and is visible from far out at sea. (https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g1413815-d6851114-Reviews-Mont_Choungui-Chirongui.html)

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References: 

• https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/indian-ocean/myt-history.html
• https://www.everyculture.com/Ma-Ni/Mayotte.html
• https://www.britannica.com/place/Mayotte