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马约特岛
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Despite their many attractions, the Comoro Islands and Mayotte are still not featured on the classic tourist itineraries of this region. The archipelago is formed by four volcanic islands in the Indian Ocean between the northern tip of Madagascar and the coast of Mozambique. Two of the islands, Grande Comore and Mohéli form the Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros, while Anjouan declared its independence following an unsuccessful attempt at reunification with France in 1997. The fourth, Mayotte, lies further south. The island is shaped like a little upside-down seahorse and has been separate from its neighbours since 1974. In fact it is a territorial overseas collectivity of France, as it was the only island of the archipelago that voted, in 1974 and 1976, to retain its link with France and forego independence (with 63.8% and 99.4% of voters in favour). The island's inhabitants are known as Mahorais and seem very happy to be French, particularly due to the political and financial benefits that it entails. Nonetheless, Comoros has repeatedly pressed its claim to Mayotte before the United Nations General Assembly, meeting with the opposition of France, which has exercised its right to veto the resolutions of the Security Council on several occasions.
Mayotte actually consists of three islands: the largest, which is home to the capital Mamoudzou, is Grande-Terre; followed by Pamanzi, or Petite Terre which is about 20 times smaller than the main island; and lastly Dzaoudzi, which is slightly larger than the Rock of Gibraltar and connected by a causeway to Petite-Terre. Unlike the rest of the Comoro Islands, which show a clear Arab influence, Mayotte has no maze-like medinas, but wide streets lined with huts made from woven palm leaves or wattle and daub.
The island is volcanic in origin and not very high, as it is the oldest of the archipelago. It is surrounded by coral reefs, making it an ideal destination for water-sport enthusiasts.
Mayotte has a tropical climate, with a hot, humid, rainy season from November to April and a dry season from May to November. The island enjoys an almost perfect temperature of 25° C for most of the year, cooled by the trade winds that waft a delicate perfume of ylang-ylang, cloves, cinnamon and vanilla.
The first inhabitants of the islands are believed to have hailed from Indonesia-Polynesia, but the traces of this original Asian culture have mingled with successive waves of African, Arab and Persian immigrants and are no longer distinguishable. The first Europeans to reach the region were the Portuguese, who used the Comoro Islands as a restocking point for two centuries on their long voyages along the East African coast. During the mid-nineteenth century France began to take an interest in the Comoro Islands, and gained control of all the islands after crushing the local sultanates. Independence from France was achieved gradually. In 1947 the Comoros were granted administrative independence, followed by internal autonomy in 1961, while complete independence was unilaterally declared on 6 July 1975. However, Mayotte refused to join the new republic and has subsequently continued to strengthen its ties with France. Today the island celebrates Muslim festivities, Christmas, and Bastille Day on 14 July each year. |
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