"it being restricted to such as small area, which is being rapidly deforested, In 1995, only five percent of the island still had intact, dense, humid forest. Ae well as habitat loss, other threats to the Moheli scops owl include hunting, and black rats which may eat its eggs and young but also compete with it for food. At present, the montane forest where the Moheli scops owl occurs is not protected. Moheli scops owl The Moheli scops owl (""Otus moheliensis"") is a scops owl endemic to the island of Mohéli, one of the Comoro Islands. The Moheli scops owl"
"Geography of the Comoros The Comoros archipelago consists of four main islands aligned along a northwest-southeast axis at the north end of the Mozambique Channel, between Mozambique and the island of Madagascar. Still widely known by their French names, the islands officially have been called by their Swahili names by the Comorian government. They are Grande Comore (Njazidja), Mohéli (Mwali), Anjouan (Nzwani), and Mayotte (Mahoré). The islands' distance from each other—Grande Comore is some 200 kilometers from Mayotte, forty kilometers from Mohéli, and eighty kilometers from Grande Comore—along with a lack of good harbor facilities, make transportation and communication difficult."
"Mayotte Mayotte (, ; Shimaore: ""Maore"", ; ) is an overseas department and region of France officially named the Department of Mayotte (French: ""Département de Mayotte""). It consists of a main island, Grande-Terre (or Maore), a smaller island, Petite-Terre (or Pamanzi), and several islets around these two. The archipelago is located in the northern Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Southeast Africa, between northwestern Madagascar and northeastern Mozambique. The department status of Mayotte is recent and the region remains, by a significant margin, the poorest in France. Mayotte is nevertheless much more prosperous than the other"
"Postage stamps and postal history of Mayotte This is an overview of the postage stamps and postal history of the Indian Ocean island of Mayotte, one of the Comoros Archipelago islands located on the south-east side of Africa. Mayotte was the first Comorian island to fall under French influence at the beginning of the 1840s. It was the French administrative and postal center in the archipelago. Between 1911 and 1975, Mayotte's postal history is the same as the other Comoros: part of the Madagascar colony, then part of the Comoros Archipelago overseas territory. In July 1975, Mayotte's postal history diverged"
"Mamoudzou Mamoudzou (; Shimaore Comorian: ""Momoju"") is the capital of the French overseas region and department of Mayotte, in the Indian Ocean. Mamoudzou is the most populated commune (municipality) of Mayotte. It is located on Grande-Terre (or Mahoré), the main island of Mayotte. The former capital of Mayotte was Dzaoudzi, on the small island of Petite-Terre (or Pamanzi), but Mamoudzou was chosen as the capital in 1977. In the 1985 census, 12,026 people were recorded in the main town. There have been environment concerns about marine pollution in the area; ""important degradation in the quality of the coastal waters"" between"
"""Mamoudzou La Kaz. A ferry service is provided for tourists to the island of Petite Terre. Mamoudzou Mamoudzou (; Shimaore Comorian: ""Momoju"") is the capital of the French overseas region and department of Mayotte, in the Indian Ocean. Mamoudzou is the most populated commune (municipality) of Mayotte. It is located on Grande-Terre (or Mahoré), the main island of Mayotte. The former capital of Mayotte was Dzaoudzi, on the small island of Petite-Terre (or Pamanzi), but Mamoudzou was chosen as the capital in 1977. In the 1985 census, 12,026 people were recorded in the main town. There have been environment concerns"
"and a habitat for fish. Dzaoudzi was the capital of Mayotte (and earlier the capital of all the colonial Comoros) until 1977, when the capital relocated at Mamoudzou on the main island of Grande-Terre. It is situated on Petite-Terre (or Pamanzi), which at is the largest of several islets adjacent to Maore. Mayotte is surrounded by a typical tropical coral reef. It consists in a large outer barrier reef, enclosing one of the world's largest and deepest lagoons, followed by a fringing reef, interrupted by many mangroves. All Mayotte waters are ruled by a National marine Park, and many places"
"Mayotte to be illegal. Mayotte became a French Department on 31 March 2011. The Comoros underwent a political crisis that started off in 1997 with the separatism on Anjouan. The political authorities on the island had turned the population of the island against the central government, advocating at first reunification with France, and later a greater autonomy bordering on independence. Since 2006, the Ex-President of the Union of the Comoros Ahmed Abdallah Sambi, who is originally from the island of Anjouan, has been in open conflict with the authorities of Anjouan, a conflict which ended in a military landing of"
"Comorian language Comorian (""Shikomori"" or ""Shimasiwa"", the ""language of islands"") is an official language in the Comoros (an independent country of islands in the Indian Ocean, off Mozambique and Madagascar) and widely spoken on the disputed territory of Mayotte, a region of France claimed by Comoros. It is part of the Sabaki languages. Each island has a different dialect and the four are conventionally divided into two groups: the eastern group is composed of ""Shindzuani"" (spoken on Anjouan) and ""Shimaore"" (Mayotte), while the western group is composed of ""Shimwali"" (Mohéli) and ""Shingazija"" (Grande Comore). Although the two groups share about"
"no authority to do so, Sultan Said Ali of Bambao, one of the sultanates on Ngazidja, placed the island under French protection in exchange for French support of his claim to the entire island, which he retained until his abdication in 1910. In 1908 the islands were unified under a single administration (""Colonie de Mayotte et dépendances"") and placed under the authority of the French colonial governor general of Madagascar. In 1909, Sultan Said Muhamed of Anjouan abdicated in favour of French rule. In 1912 the colony and the protectorates were abolished and the islands became a province of the"
"and February 1976, the population of Mayotte voted against independence from France (by 63.8% and 99.4% respectively). Mayotte thus remains under French administration, and the Comorian Government has effective control over only Grande Comore, Anjouan, and Mohéli. In 1961 the Comoros was granted autonomous rule and, seven years after the general unrest and left-wing riots of 1968, it broke all ties with France and established itself as an independent republic. From the very beginning Mayotte refused to join the new republic and aligned itself even more firmly to the French Republic, but the other islands remained committed to independence. The"
"would cause each island's president to become a governor and the ministers to become councilors. The constitution gives Grande Comore, Anjouan and Mohéli the right to govern most of their own affairs with their own presidents, except the activities assigned to the Union of the Comoros like Foreign Policy, Defense, Nationality, Banking and others. Comoros considers Mayotte, an overseas collectivity of France, to be part of its territory, with an autonomous status As of 2011, the three autonomous islands are subdivided into 16 prefectures, 54 communes, and 318 villes or villages. The federal presidency is rotated between the islands' presidents."
"Dzaoudzi Dzaoudzi is a commune in the French overseas department of Mayotte, in the Indian Ocean. The commune of Dzaoudzi (sometimes called Dzaoudzi-Labattoir), made up of the twin towns of Dzaoudzi and Labattoir, is located on the small island of Petite-Terre (or Pamanzi). It was previously the capital of Mayotte, but the capital was relocated in 1977 to Mamoudzou, on the island of Grande-Terre (Maore), the main island of Mayotte. The Foreign Legion Detachment in Mayotte has been based in Dzaoudzi since 1973. The town of Dzaoudzi is located on a rocky outcropping which was once a separate islet. It"
"Mauritius, the Comoros, and Madagascar dispute France's sovereignty over the islands. Mauritius claims Tromelin and argues that the island, discovered by France in 1722, was not ceded by the treaty of Paris in 1814. Madagascar claims sovereignty over the Glorioso Islands (Banc du Geyser included) despite the islands not having been a part of Malagasy Protectorate, but rather a part of colony of Mayotte and dependencies, then a part of French Comoros that had become a separately administered colony from Madagascar in 1946. The Comoros claims the Glorioso Islands (Banc du Geyser included) too, as a part of the disputed"
"archipelago is noted for its diverse culture and history. The Union of the Comoros has three official languages – Comorian, Arabic and French. Officially, in addition to many smaller islands, the country consists of the four major islands in the volcanic Comoros archipelago: northwesternmost Grande Comore (Ngazidja); Mohéli (Mwali); Anjouan (Nzwani); and southeasternmost Mayotte (Maore). Although the Comoros has many natural resources for tourism, such as its beaches and marine environment, it does not have as strong a tourist industry as its regional competitors Réunion, Mauritius, and Seychelles. Its weak tourist industry is mainly because of its insecure political climate,"
"has never been administered by an independent Comoros government, and continues to be administered by France (currently as an overseas department). France has vetoed United Nations Security Council resolutions that would affirm Comorian sovereignty over the island. In addition, Mayotte became an overseas department and a region of France in 2011 following a referendum passed overwhelmingly. It became part of the French colonial empire in the end of 19th century before becoming independent in 1975. Since declaring independence, the country has experienced more than 20 coups d'état or attempted coups, with various heads of state assassinated. Along with this constant"
"reef that encircles much of the island ensures protection for ships and a habitat for fish. Dzaoudzi, capital of the Comoros until 1962 and now Mayotte's administrative center, is situated on a rocky outcropping off the east shore of the main island. Dzaoudzi is linked by a causeway to le Pamanzi, which at ten kilometers in area is the largest of several islets adjacent to Mayotte. Islets are also scattered in the coastal waters of Grande Comore, Anjouan, and Mohéli. Comorian waters are the habitat of the coelacanth, a rare fish with limblike fins and a cartilaginous skeleton, the fossil"
"was populated from neighbouring East Africa with later arrival of Arabs, who brought Islam. A sultanate was established in 1500. In the 19th century, Mayotte was conquered by Andriantsoly, former king of Iboina on Madagascar, and later by the neighbouring islands Mohéli and then Anjouan before being purchased by France in 1841. The people of Mayotte voted to remain politically a part of France in the 1974 referendum on the independence of the Comoros. Mayotte became an overseas department on 31 March 2011 and became an outermost region of the European Union on 1 January 2014, following a 2009 referendum"
"hot season. The two winds that bring the two different seasons are called the Kashkasi (in November) and the Kusi. The maki of Mayotte, a type of lemur found on this island, is protected by French law, and by local tradition; it is believed to have been introduced from Madagascar. Several mammals are endemic to the islands. A species of bat discovered by David Livingstone in 1863, previously abundant, has now been reduced to a population of about 1200 specimens, restricted to Anjouan and Moheli. A British preservation group sent an expedition to the Comoros in 1992, with the object"
"because its mangroves and intertidal mudflats support populations of Madagascar pond-herons, Mayotte drongos, Mayotte white-eyes, Mayotte sunbirds and red-headed fodies. It is also home to the endangered and endemic Robert Mertens' day gecko. Baie de Bouéni The Baie de Bouéni is a large bay in the south-west of the French island territory of Mayotte, in the Comoro Islands lying at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel between the East African country of Mozambique and Madagascar. It is about 5 km wide at its mouth, and 10 km in length. The coastal fringe of the bay holds the largest area"
"countries of the Mozambique Channel, making it a major destination for illegal immigration. Mayotte's area is and, with its 256,518 people at the 2017 census, is very densely populated at 686 per km (1,777 per sq mi). The biggest city and prefecture is Mamoudzou on Grande-Terre. However, the Dzaoudzi–Pamandzi International Airport is located on the neighbouring island of Petite-Terre. The territory is geographically part of the Comoro Islands. The territory is also known as Maore, the native name of its main island, especially by advocates of its inclusion in the Union of the Comoros. Although, as a department, Mayotte is"
"The Comoro Islands are located in the Mozambique Channel to the north-west of Madagascar and facing Mozambique. These volcanic islands, covering a total area of 2361 km, are as follows: The Glorioso Islands, comprising ""Grande Glorieuse"", ""Île du Lys"" and eight small rock islets, were administratively attached to the archipelago before 1975, and, geologically speaking, form a part of the archipelago. Notable reefs that are part of the archipelago are as follows: The Comoros have been inhabited since the 6th century; among the peoples who crossed the sea to populate the islands are the Bantu, Malagasy, and Indonesian, Arabs, Portuguese,"
"Résidents were posted on the three islands. On 9 April 1908, France declared the protectorates and Mayotte a single colony, Mayotte and dependencies. On 25 July 1912, it was annexed to Madagascar as a province of that colony. From 16 June 1940 to 1942 the colonial administration remained loyal to Vichy France (from 1942, under Free French), but 25 September 1942 to 13 October 1946 they were, like Madagascar, under British occupation. Until the opening of the Suez Canal, the islands used to be an important refuelling and provisioning station for ships from Europe to the Indian Ocean. Independence came"
"Apostolic Vicariate of the Comoros Archipelago The Apostolic Vicariate of the Comoros Archipelago is a tiny Latin apostolic vicariate (missionary pre-diocesan jurisdiction) of the Roman Catholic Church in the Indian Ocean between insular Madagascar and continental Africa, comprising the Comoros and Mayotte, with a church in each. The see is at Moroni, Comoros on Grande Comore island. It is exempt, i.e. directly subject to the Holy See, not part of any ecclesiastical province. On 5 June 1975, the Holy See established an Apostolic Administration of Comoros on the present territory, which was split from the Diocese of Ambanja (on Madagascar),"
"began the formal search for Flight 626. They were sent from Réunion and Mayotte. The Comoros consists of three volcanic islands, Grande Comore, the main island; Anjouan; and Moheli. It is located in the Mozambique Channel, northwest of Madagascar and a similar distance east of the African mainland. The wreckage was spotted off the coast of the town of Mitsamiouli, including a few bodies and large amounts of floating debris in the ocean. A 14-year-old girl, Bahia Bakari, was rescued after being spotted clinging to a piece of debris among bodies and wreckage. She was picked up during rescue efforts"
"Comoros The Comoros (; , '), officially the Union of the Comoros (Comorian: ""Udzima wa Komori,"" , '), is an island country in the Indian Ocean located at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel off the eastern coast of Africa between northeastern Mozambique, the French region of Mayotte and northwestern Madagascar. The capital and largest city in Comoros is Moroni. The religion of the majority of the population is Sunni Islam. At , excluding the contested island of Mayotte, the Comoros is the third-smallest African nation by area. The population, excluding Mayotte, is estimated at . As a nation"
"The islands have a total land area of 2,236 square kilometers (including Mayotte), and claim territorial waters of 320 square kilometers. Mount Karthala (2316 m) on Grande Comore is an active volcano. From April 17 to 19, 2005, the volcano began spewing ash and gas, forcing as many as 10,000 people to flee. Comoros is located within the Somali plate. Geographic coordinates: Grande Comore is the largest island, sixty-seven kilometers long and twenty-seven kilometers wide, with a total area of 1,146 square kilometers. The most recently formed of the four islands in the archipelago, it is also of volcanic origin."
"were given to Seychelles companies. The islands are today nature reserves with a meteorological station garrisoned by French troops (The French Foreign Legion). Despite Glorioso Islands never having been a part of Malagasy Protectorate but a part of the colony of Mayotte and dependencies, then a part of French Comoros, Madagascar has claimed sovereignty over the islands since 1972. The Comoros claims Mayotte and Glorioso Islands. The Seychelles claimed the islands too before the France–Seychelles Maritime Boundary Agreement. In 2012, France founded ""parc naturel marin des Glorieuses"", a marine protected area, to preserve the endangered flora and fauna of the"
"harbor for ships. One of the largest remnants of the Comoros' once-extensive rain forests is on the slopes of Kartala. The national capital has been at Moroni since 1962. Anjouan, triangular shaped and forty kilometers from apex to base, has an area of 424 square kilometers. Three mountain chains — Sima, Nioumakele, and Jimilime—emanate from a central peak, Mtingui (1,575 m), giving the island its distinctive shape. Older than Grande Comore, Anjouan has deeper soil cover, but overcultivation has caused serious erosion. A coral reef lies close to shore; the island's capital of Mutsamudu is also its main port. Mohéli"
"the Ndzuwani Sultanate, which also controlled the neighbouring island of Anjouan. In 1830, migrants from Madagascar led by Ramanetaka, who later changed his name to Abderemane, took over the island and established the sultanate of Mwali. In 1886, France made the island a protectorate. Until 1889, Mwali had its own French resident, but the island was then subjugated to the residency of Anjouan. The sultanate was crushed in 1909 when the French annexed the island. French colonial stamps inscribed Mohéli were issued from 1906 to 1912. In 1975, Mohéli agreed to join the Comoros nation, along with Grande Comore and"
"as guava trees. The flora has only been poorly studied, France has however been made attempts on Mayotte to fill in the gaps. Efforts to preserve species are still not enough to save the richest zones, and disturbances of biotopes are expected to take place for many years to come. The Comoro Archipelago is divided between: The United Nations General Assembly continued to condemn the French presence in Mayotte until 1994. France, however, used its power of veto in the UN to prevent the Security Council from passing a resolution condemning France. The African Union judged the French presence on"
"are natural reserves. In 1500, the Maore or Mawuti (contraction of the Arabic جزيرة الموت Jazīrat al-Mawt – meaning island of death and corrupted to Mayotte in French) sultanate was established on the island. In 1503, Mayotte was observed by Portuguese explorers, but not colonized. In 1832, Mayotte was conquered by Andriantsoly, former king of Iboina on Madagascar; in 1833, it was conquered by the neighbouring sultanate of Mwali (Mohéli island in French). On 19 November 1835, Mayotte was again conquered by the Ndzuwani Sultanate (Anjouan sultanate in French); a governor was installed with the unusual Islamic style of Qadi"
"Shimaore and Kibushi, leading some to fear that these native languages of Mayotte could either disappear or become some sort of French-based creole. Approximately 26% of the adult population, and five times as many women as men, report entering trance states in which they believe they are possessed by certain identifiable spirits (""Djinns"") who maintain stable and coherent identities from one possession to the next. Mayotte Mayotte (, ; Shimaore: ""Maore"", ; ) is an overseas department and region of France officially named the Department of Mayotte (French: ""Département de Mayotte""). It consists of a main island, Grande-Terre (or Maore),"