Mayotte

Lore & Background

The islands were populated from neighboring East Africa, with later Arab arrivals who brought Islam. The first sultanate on Mayotte is generally dated to the 15th or 16th century. After French sovereignty, slavery was abolished and laborers were imported.

Reader's Guide

Mayotte is significant as France's smallest overseas department and a unique case of a territory that chose to remain with a European power rather than join its newly independent neighbors. Its location in the Mozambique Channel gives it strategic importance, and its large barrier reef lagoon is one of the largest and deepest in the world. The department faces enormous challenges: over 83% of the population lives below the poverty line by French standards, 40% of dwellings are corrugated sheet metal shacks, 29% of households lack running water, and 34% of working-age inhabitants are unemployed. Illegal immigration, primarily from Comoros, is a major issue, with 48% of the population being foreign nationals. Despite being France's poorest department, Mayotte's French infrastructure and welfare system make it a destination for East Africans living in poverty. Operation Wuambushu was organized by France to address illegal immigration in the 2010s and 2020s.

Did You Know?

• Mayotte's name may come from the Arabic 'Jazīrat al-Mawt', meaning 'island of death', possibly due to dangerous reefs.
• The Dzaoudzi–Pamandzi International Airport is located on Petite-Terre, not the main island.

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