Mayotteis aninsulardepartmentandregionofFranceofficially namedDépartement de Mayotte.Thearchipelagois located in the northernMozambique Channelin theIndian Oceanoff the coast ofSoutheast Africa, between northwestern Madagascarand northeasternMozambique.
The island was populated from neighbouring East Africa with later arrival of Arabs, who brought the Islamic religion. A sultanate was established in 1500. In the 19th century, Mayotte was conquered by Andriantsoly, former king of Ibonia on onMadagascar, and later by the neighbouring islandsMohéliand thenAnjouanbefore being purchased by France in 1841. The people of Mayotte voted to remainpoliticallya part of France in the1974 referendum. Mayotte became an overseas department on 31 March 2011 and became an outermost region of the European Union on 1 January 2014, following a2009 referendumwith an overwhelming result in favour of the department status.