The French Overseas Territories – Different and Diverse

Mayotte

Discovered by the Portugese in the 16th century, conquered by the King of Madagascar in 1831 and sold to the French in 1841, Mayotte was the only one of the Comoros islands to vote to keep its link to France and became a French overseas territory in 1975. The main island of Grand Terre is surrounded by a coral reef with most hotels on the eastern side around the city of Mamoudzou. Petite-Terre is the smaller "sister" island.

Wallis and Futuna

A French territory since 1961, this group of volcanic islands are located between Fiji and Samoa. The two island groups are the Wallis Islands with the main island of Uvea and the Hoorn Islands with Futuna and the uninhabited Alofi. Uvea (also known as Wallis) is encircled by a blue lagoon with some twenty islets called Motu. Mata-Uta is the capital city. There are low hills and many lakes. Futuna has a more pronounced landscape with higher hills and small creeks flowing through the hills and in deep gorges.

Saint-Pierre et Miquelon

Despite their proximity to Canada, this group of eight islands has remained French for more than 500 years. The largest island, Miquelon, has small village inhabited mostly by the descendents of Basque and Acadian settlers with a local economy based on cod fishing. Saint-Pierre is not only the name of the island, but the largest town in the group. The picturesque harbor is lined with colorful wood houses and a few simple hotels.