Mayotte is one of the four Comorian islands and an overseas territory of France which is composed of three main islands : Grande Terre, the main one, Petite Terre where the airport is located and the rock of Dzaouzi, linked to Petite Terre by a causeway.Mayotte is situated between Northern Madagascar and Northern Mozambique. An election on becoming an overseas department of France is scheduled for 2009
All about Mayotte.
Because of the volcanic rock the soil is relatively rich in some areas and there are a multitude of plants, most of them come from Africa and Madagascar brought by cyclone winds ,sea tidal currents and birds. The vegetation of Mayotte is extremely dense and the trees and shrubs that grow in saline coastal habitats are call
ed "Mangroves". The Mangrove proliferates along bays. Today most of the wild is composed of exotic flora such as manioc, banana trees, pinapple trees coconut, mango tree, clove tree ,nutmey and breadfruit tree .....The interior is covered with coconut tree and breadfruit tree forests. Breadfruit is very rich in starch and is a staple food used in many recipes ( served as a vegetable with meat or in cakes ).. There are many plantations in Mayotte ( banana , ylang ylang ... ) The ylang ylang flower is a small flower of the canange tree. It is used for perfume, soap and shower gel. Its fragrance is quite strong and its distillation is a part of Mayotte economy. Ylang ylang is also used as a treatrment for nervosity, sleep disorder, menopause and as an aphrodisiaque. Mayotte's economy relies on agriculture, ylang ylang , coffee, vanilla, copra , cinnamon , cococut production. France plays a major role in the export business.The island flora consists of numerous spice plants and the south of the island has a lot of baobabs.Mayotte is also famous for its " Lagoon" which is the world's largest lagoon. For those who don't know what a lagoon is , it is a lake of salt water that is separated from the sea by a reef or an area of rock or sand. The diversity of the lagoon is unique. It is a paradise for snorkelling as it offers a nice reef with cool caves and people like exploring the reef and paddling in the lagoon.As for the population , it is composed of Malgaches, Moheliens, Anjouannais, Grand Comoriens and Zanzibarites. French is the official language but is only spoken by 35% of the population , mostly by children who go to school. The inhabitants are muslims ( 97% ) .
Mayotte has a various wildlife: wild pigs, civet cats, lemurs... can be seen and a multitude of birds like herons, egrets, tropic birds, kingfishers and humming birds. Zebus and goats are also seen constantly around villages. But on the other hand Mayotte is not a paradise for cats and dogs. They're tortured, cut up, burned alive by people and children and leaders don't apply the French law.
As regards pollution of the natural resources, Mayotte rivers are unfamous for their pollution and fresh water must be protected. Rivers are used for washing linen and cars and the inhabitants use them for dumping ( electrical appliances ect...)
Mayotte is also a paradise for sea mammal watching one of them is called the dugong and is the only sea mammal which is herbivore. It is very long and weighs from 250 to 350 kg. It lives about 60 years and like the elephant it is an endangered species. As regards culture , the carnival is a major event in the Mahoraise life. People dress up with masks and make up and come toget
her to sing and dance in the streets, throw confetti and sometimes watch a parade. Shops in Mayotte are specialized in wickerwork and other various handicrafts like jewellery.To conclude I would say that although Mayotte is extremely expensive as everything is imported from France , with an average annual temperature of 25� and many sites for diving and watching whales and dolphins, Mayotte is an ideal island for holidays , but due to the distant location tourism is not very developped.
Mayotte has a various wildlife: wild pigs, civet cats, lemurs... can be seen and a multitude of birds like herons, egrets, tropic birds, kingfishers and humming birds. Zebus and goats are also seen constantly around villages. But on the other hand Mayotte is not a paradise for cats and dogs. They're tortured, cut up, burned alive by people and children and leaders don't apply the French law.As regards pollution of the natural resources, Mayotte rivers are unfamous for their pollution and fresh water must be protected. Rivers are used for washing linen and cars and the inhabitants use them for dumping ( electrical appliances ect...)
Mayotte is also a paradise for sea mammal watching one of them is called the dugong and is the only sea mammal which is herbivore. It is very long and weighs from 250 to 350 kg. It lives about 60 years and like the elephant it is an endangered species. As regards culture , the carnival is a major event in the Mahoraise life. People dress up with masks and make up and come toget
her to sing and dance in the streets, throw confetti and sometimes watch a parade. Shops in Mayotte are specialized in wickerwork and other various handicrafts like jewellery.To conclude I would say that although Mayotte is extremely expensive as everything is imported from France , with an average annual temperature of 25� and many sites for diving and watching whales and dolphins, Mayotte is an ideal island for holidays , but due to the distant location tourism is not very developped.Acknowledgements : Photos provided by Maeli ( beach) Zatigs ( ylang) Planete vivante ( mangrove and animals) michel @ ( lagoon) under Creative Commons Licence via Flickr
Special thanks to St�phanie in Mayotte who provided info and M�lanie who gave it to me.
Mayotte
Reviewed by shao ying
on
05:08
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Reviewed by shao ying
on
05:08
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