1841 – French Acquisition

• • Mayotte was ceded to France by the Sultan of Mayotte, Andriantsoly (also known as Andrian Tsouli), on April 25, 1841.

  • France officially annexed the island, making it the first of the Comoros archipelago to come under French control.

1946 – Mayotte as part of an Overseas Territory

• After World War II, Mayotte became part of the French Overseas Territory of the Comoros.

1974 & 1976 – Referendums

• In 1974, when the other Comorian islands voted for independence, Mayotte voted to remain French.

• A second referendum in 1976 confirmed this decision, with an overwhelming majority choosing to stay part of France.

2001 – Departmentalization Begins

Before 2001, Mayotte was a special kind of overseas collectivity, with limited powers compared to the French departments.

But in 2001, under a law called the “Loi d’orientation pour l’outre-mer”, Mayotte’s status was upgraded to a “collectivité départementale”.

What this meant:

• Mayotte was not yet a full French department, but it was getting closer.

• It began to have more administrative and political structures similar to those in departments.

• It started adapting French laws slowly, especially in education, justice, and public services.

• The idea was to prepare the island gradually for full integration into the French system.

So 2001 marked the beginning of the transition toward becoming a full department.

2009 – Referendum to become a French department

This was the most decisive step.

On March 29, 2009, the people of Mayotte were asked in a referendum:

“Do you want Mayotte to become an overseas department of France?”

• The result was an overwhelming YES: 95.2% voted in favor.

• The turnout was also very high (over 60%), showing that this was a major moment for the population.

This vote was democratic and decisive, and it pushed the French government to take action.

As a result of this referendum:

• The French Parliament passed a law to make Mayotte a department.

• The change officially took place on March 31, 2011.

So in summary:

• 2001: Mayotte started the transition phase – more autonomy, closer to French law.

• 2009: People voted to become a full department – a historic choice for many.

2011 – Mayotte becomes a full French department

• On March 31, 2011, Mayotte officially became France’s 101st department and an overseas region of France.