Cyclone Chido and Mayotte Island

Why in the news?

Cyclone Chido caused widespread loss of life and property in the French archipelago of Mayotte.

About Cyclone Chido:

• According to the French Meteorological Service, Chido was a 'Category 4' tropical cyclone.
• The speed of this cyclone was more than 220 km per hour (136 mph).
• It is the most powerful storm to hit France or its islands in more than 90 years.

About the Archipelago of Mayotte:

• The Mayotte archipelago is located in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa, just west of Madagascar.
• It is part of the Comoros archipelago whose land area is about twice the size of Washington DC.

• About 8,000 km from Paris. Mayotte, 5,000 miles away, is much poorer than the rest of France and has suffered decades of gang violence and social unrest.
• More than three-quarters of people in Mayotte live below the French poverty line, with water shortages fuelling tensions earlier this year.
• France colonised Mayotte in 1843 and annexed the archipelago, including the Comoros, in 1904.
• In a 1974 referendum, 95% of the archipelago voted to secede from France, while 63% voted to remain with Mayotte.
• In 1975, the islands of Grande Comore, Anjouan and Moheli declared independence, while Mayotte is still governed by France.
• In recent decades thousands of people from neighbouring Comoros and Madagascar have migrated to Mayotte in search of better economic conditions and access to France's welfare system.
• France has deployed thousands of police to deport illegal migrants to the island of Mayotte.