Welcome to Mamoudzou, Ile de Mayotte
Mayotte is an overseas collectivity of France at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean, between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique. The territory is geographically part of the Comoros islands, but not politically. It was ceded to France along with the other Comoros in 1843. It was the only island in the archipelago that voted in referendums in 1974 and 1976 to retain its link with France and forgo independence. The Comoros continue to claim the island, and a draft 1976 United Nations Security Council resolution supported by 14 of the 15 members of the Council would have recognized Comoros sovereignty over Mayotte, but France vetoed the resolution (the last time, as of 2004, France cast a lone veto in the Council). The situation of Mayotte proved to be unwieldy for France: while the local population very largely did not want to be independent from France and join Comoros, some international criticism was heard about the ongoing ties of Mayotte to France. Furthermore, the peculiar local administration of Mayotte, largely ruled by customary Muslim law, would be difficult to integrate into the legal structures of France, not to mention the costs of bringing the standards of living to levels close to those of metropolitan France. Because of these reasons, the laws passed by the national parliament must state specifically that they apply to Mayotte for them to be applicable on Mayotte.
Comoros
The Union of Comoros (until 2002 the Islamic Federal Republic of the Comoros) is principally a three-island country consisting of three volcanic islands while the nearby island of Mayotte is claimed by Comoros but declined independence from France. Its name was adopted from the word al-Khamar, meaning “island of small moon”. Over the centuries, the islands of Comoros were invaded by a succession of diverse groups from the coast of Africa, the Persian Gulf, Indonesia and Madagascar. Between 1841 and 1912, France established colonial rule and placed the islands under the administration of the Governor General of Madagascar. Later, French settlers, French-owned companies, and wealthy Arab merchants established a plantation-based economy that now uses about one-third of the land for export crops. Agreement was reached with France in 1973 for Comoros to become independent in 1978. On July 6, 1975, however, the Comorian parliament passed a resolution declaring independence. The deputies of Mayotte, which stayed under French control, abstained. In two referendums, in December 1974 and February 1976, the population of Mayotte voted against independence from France (by 63.8% and 99.4% respectively).
HEALTH ALERT! Please be advised that Mamoudzou is reporting a day biting mosquito, which can transmit a viral infection Chikungunya. Symptoms include; fever, chills, headache, nausea, vomiting, joint pain and rash. It is typically not fatal. Wearing long pants, hats and long-sleeved shirts when outdoors, covering and reapplying exposed areas with insect repellent containing DEET, will significantly reduce risk of exposure and mosquito bites.
posted by Hills @ 1:35 PM
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