Africa · YT / MYT
Flag of Mayotte
The Mayotte flag in official use is the French tricolor, because Mayotte is a department of France. Mayotte has no flag of its own, but the departmental council flies a white banner with the department's coat of arms, which has two seahorses as supporters.
What the flag of Mayotte looks like
Mayotte has no flag of its own. The flag of France, a vertical tricolor of blue, white and red, serves as its national flag.
The departmental council flies a banner: the department's coat of arms on a white field with the words “DÉPARTEMENT DE MAYOTTE”. The shield is supported by two seahorses and shows a crescent and two ylang-ylang flowers, with the motto Ra Hachiri (“We are vigilant” in Shimaore). It is a departmental banner, not a national flag.
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, 0HEX
#000000RGB
0, 0, 0CMYK
0, 0, 0, 100HEX
#38549DRGB
56, 84, 157CMYK
64, 46, 0, 38HEX
#E42322RGB
228, 35, 34CMYK
0, 85, 85, 11HEX
#747474RGB
116, 116, 116CMYK
0, 0, 0, 55HEX
#BCBCBCRGB
188, 188, 188CMYK
0, 0, 0, 26Mayotte flag meaning and symbolism
The French tricolor shows that the island is part of France. In the coat of arms, the blue and red come from the French flag, with a yellow shade added for the two ylang-ylang flowers. The coat of arms was created by Michel Chabin, former director of the Reunion Archives, and drawn by Pascale Santerre. It was adopted by the former General Council of Mayotte on 23 July 1982 and taken over by the new department in 2011.
History of the Mayotte flag
Mayotte was a sultanate until 1841, when Andriantsoly, a former Malagasy king, sold 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 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. The departmental council also flies a white banner with the department's coat of arms.
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 about 95% 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 flag is 🇾🇹?
The emoji 🇾🇹 stands for Mayotte, an island in the Indian Ocean that is a French department. Mayotte has no flag of its own, since the French tricolor is its official flag, so the artwork you see depends on the platform. The departmental council flies a white banner with its coat of arms.
