The first in the world known as the Empire of the Sun Never Sets was Spain, and the second was the well-known United Kingdom. In fact, by Spanish or British standards, France was also an empire where the sun never set, and French colonies spread across all continents and oceans of the world. In addition to Europe, where France is located, France has its own territory in Asia, Africa, Oceania, North America, and South America. Among them, the relationship between France and Africa is the most well-known, just look at the French football team, some people joke that it is the African United team that represents France in the European Championships.
France has controlled Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and other countries in North Africa in Africa, and Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, Togo, Niger and other countries in West Africa. Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Gabon, and Central Africa in central Africa have also been controlled by France, in addition to Djibouti on the southwest coast of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the mouth of the Red Sea, and the island countries of Madagascar and the Comoros on the east coast of Africa. With the fall of France, many of France's colonies in Africa established states. Although France still had strong influence in North and West Africa, there were not many territories that France still controlled in Africa, such as Mayotte and Reunion.
The strategic importance of the above mention of an island nation, the Comoros, which guards the northern end of the Mozambique Strait (about 1670 km long), the longest strait in the world, is self-evident. France had long been aware of this and would take Mayotte by disgraceful means in 1843. Mayotte is not very large, about 374 square kilometers, located at the southeastern tip of the Comoros Islands. The Comoros is a small archipelago with an area of just over 2,200 square kilometres, although the Comoros has always counted Mayotte as its own. In addition to Mayotte, the Comoros has three larger islands, namely Grande Comoros, Molière and Anjouan. The Comoros came under full French control in 1886 and was part of the French-controlled colony of Madagascar, after all, the Comoros was too small to have a separate colonial unit.
Tu-Mayotte Airport
The Comoros islands voted to secede from France in 1974, and the other three islands agreed, but Mayotte was adamantly reluctant to secede from France. The Comoros became independent in July 1975, and a year later, in 1976, Mayotte voted again, unexpectedly rising from 63 percent to 99.4 percent against secession from France.
This is very easy to understand, France is one of the developed countries in the world, all kinds of benefits are available, followed by France has meat to eat, why do you want to eat cold nests independently? The Comoros accused France of playing tricks on the vote and not recognizing the results. The Comoros filed a complaint with the United Nations, and 14 of the 15 countries of the Security Council sympathized with the Comoros, but to no avail. France is one of the five permanents, with veto power, and France's veto makes the Comoros cry without tears. France has the means to say that you don't want Mayotte, so let the islanders choose for themselves. Needless to say, not many islanders would choose to leave wealthy France and follow the Comoros to "beg around". Mayotte is now a French overseas province, and it is difficult for France to give up Mayotte now and for the foreseeable future, just as It is impossible for Britain to abandon Gibraltar.
In addition to Mayotte, France has another very important "strategic springboard" in Africa, which is Reunion Island. If Mayotte stands in front of Madagascar, then Reunion stands behind madagascar, in the Indian Ocean, about 650 km east of Madagascar. To the northeast of Reunion Island is the famous Mauritius, both of which are geographically part of the Muskrin Islands. Reunion Island is not small, about 2512 square kilometers, slightly irregular circular.
Reunion Island was occupied by France in 1642 as Bourbon. However, france seems to value the island of Mauritius next to it more, naming it Ile de France, but the island was sold to the British by the French in 1814. What is even more ridiculous is that Bourbon Island was renamed Reunion Island because the French Bourbon Dynasty produced a confused king (Louis XV and Louis XVI), and it was no longer appropriate to call Bourbon Island, which means union. Reunion Island was also named Bonaparte by Napoleon, but when the "Napoleonic Wheel" was killed by the British, Reunion Island was renamed Bourbon Island, apparently the British deliberately disgusting the French. After several iterations, Reunion Island eventually became the name of the island and is still used today.
Photo - Reunion Airport
Reunion's problems are similar to those of Mayotte to the Comoros. Mauritius was founded independently as a former British colony, so why did Réunion, mauritian "twin brothers", stay in France? The reason is similar to that of Mayotte staying in France, saying that a thousand and ten thousand is still because of money. As an overseas province of France and in a special position in the Indian Ocean, France attaches great importance to the island of Reunion. Do you know that a large part of the finances of Reunion Island comes from France, eating French and drinking French, and wanting to slip with French wool? France, of course, could not agree. Of course, Reunion Island did not mean to leave France, the treatment is good, who would want to leave?