France gained colonial control over Mayotte in 1843. It is the most populous of the four Comoros Islands in the Indian Ocean off Mozambique in Africa. Mayotte chose to remain a French dependency rather than join the other Comoran islands in declaring independence in 1975. Comoros laid claim to Mayotte shortly after independence and continues to do so. In July 2000, 70% of voters opted to accept greater autonomy but to remain a part of France.
In a 2009 referendum, voters approved accession to the status of department by a large majority. In fact, 95% voted in favor of departmental status. On March 31, 2011, Mayotte became an overseas department. An overseas department is part of France that is located elsewhere, not a part of mainland France.
On January 1, 2014, Mayotte is set to become part of the European Union. That will make Mayotte the European Union's outermost region.
