Flag of Mayotte
The Mayotte flag in official use is the French tricolor, because Mayotte is a department of France. The island also has a local flag: a white banner with the emblem of the departmental council, a seahorse among the island's symbols.
What the flag of Mayotte looks like
Mayotte has two flags in everyday use. The first is the flag of France, a vertical tricolor of blue, white and red, which is the only official flag of the state and flies on public buildings.
The second is a local flag that represents the departmental council, the island's government. It is white and carries the council's logo in the center, which includes a seahorse (hippocampe) and the name of the island. The logo uses blue, red, grey and black. It is displayed together with the French flag at events and in the community. The local flag is a regional emblem, not a national flag, so versions of it differ slightly.
Mayotte flag colors
Color codes measured from the official design. Use HEX for the web and CMYK for print.
HEX
#FFFFFFRGB
255, 255, 255CMYK
0, 0, 0, 0 HEX
#000000RGB
0, 0, 0CMYK
0, 0, 0, 100 HEX
#38549DRGB
56, 84, 157CMYK
64, 46, 0, 38 HEX
#E42322RGB
228, 35, 34CMYK
0, 85, 85, 11 HEX
#747474RGB
116, 116, 116CMYK
0, 0, 0, 55 HEX
#BCBCBCRGB
188, 188, 188CMYK
0, 0, 0, 26 Mayotte flag meaning and symbolism
The French tricolor stands for the republic, and shows that the island is part of France. The seahorse on the local emblem refers to the lagoon that surrounds Mayotte. It is one of the largest enclosed coral lagoons in the world, and the seahorse is a well-known creature of the reefs. Crescents and stars appear in other emblems of the island and recall its Muslim population and its Comorian heritage. These readings are informal, as there is no law that sets out a meaning for the local flag.
History of the Mayotte flag
Mayotte was ruled by local sultans until 1841, when the last sultan ceded it to France. It was later joined with the other Comoro Islands under French administration. When the Comoros moved toward independence in the 1970s, the people of Mayotte voted in 1974 and 1976 to stay with France, while the other three islands became independent in 1975. The Comoros still claim Mayotte, and the United Nations has passed resolutions on the question, but France administers it.
Mayotte became a French overseas department in 2011, and in 2014 it became an outermost region of the European Union. The tricolor is therefore its official flag. The local flag was introduced for the island's own institutions, without the official status of a national flag. See also the flag of the Comoros and Madagascar, the island's neighbors.
Mayotte flag facts
| Country | Mayotte |
|---|---|
| Proportions | 2:3 |
| Colors | #FFFFFF, #000000, #38549D, #E42322, #747474, #BCBCBC |
| Flag emoji | 🇾🇹 |
| Country code | YT, MYT (ISO 3166) |
| Capital | Mamoudzou, Dzaoudzi |
| Continent | Africa |
| Population | 320,901 |
| Area | 374 km² |
Mayotte flag: frequently asked questions
What is the official flag of Mayotte?
The official flag is the French tricolor, since Mayotte is a department of France. A local white flag with the departmental logo is also used.
Which country is Mayotte in?
Mayotte is part of France. It lies in the Indian Ocean between Madagascar and the African mainland, and is also claimed by the Comoros.
Why is Mayotte still part of France?
In referendums in 1974 and 1976, a majority of voters in Mayotte chose to remain French when the rest of the Comoros became independent. In 2009 they voted again to become a full department.
Are Mayotte people French citizens?
Yes. People born in Mayotte are French citizens and use the euro, and the island takes part in French elections.
What does Mayotte mean in English?
The name comes from the local name Maore. Some accounts link it to an Arabic name meaning island of death, but the origin is debated.
