Flag of Mayotte
Officially Department of Mayotte
Locally Maore
What the flag looks like
A local flag with no official status: a white field with Mayotte's coat of arms in the center, a shield held by two seahorses above the motto "Ra Hachiri", under the word MAYOTTE in red. The official flag is the French tricolor.
What it means
The crescent reflects the island's Muslim faith and the two yellow flowers are ylang-ylang, grown on Mayotte for perfume; the seahorses are said to echo the shape of the island.
How to remember it
Mayotte
is the white flag with seahorses: two silver seahorses guard a blue-and-red shield, with MAYOTTE spelled out in red above them.
Fun facts
- The motto "Ra Hachiri" means "We are vigilant" in Shimaore; the coat of arms was adopted in 1982.
- Mayotte chose to stay French when the rest of the Comoros became independent in 1975; Comoros still claims it.
Mayotte at a glance
- Status
- Overseas department and region of France
- Sovereign state
- France
- Claimed by
- Comoros
- Capital
- Mamoudzou
- Region
- French overseas region
- Population
- 320,901
- Area
- 374 km²
- Languages
- French, Shimaore, Kibushi
- Currency
- Euro (€)
Flags often confused with Mayotte
- Saint Barthélemy: Saint Barthélemy and Mayotte are both French islands flying a coat of arms on a white field. Mayotte has two seahorses and the word MAYOTTE in red; Saint Barthélemy has two pelicans, a mural crown and the word OUANALAO.