The name Mayotte is a French corruption of the original Arabic denomination, Jazirat al-Mawt, meaning the island of the dead. And yet Mayotte has the sixth fastest population growth rate in the world. It is small, but it is crowded.

This small island nation, tucked between Madagascar and Mozambique in the Indian Ocean, is soon to become a member of the European Union. Having voted to remain a protectorate of France in the 70s, when the rest of the Comoros islands opted for independence, Mayotte is steadily becoming more, rather than less, dependent. Its newly agreed status as a French protectorate will see the dissolution of Islamic law where 97% of people are Muslims. And French, which is already the official language but is only spoken by around 35% of the population, will take precedence over Mahorian, the Swahili dialect, in schools.

So, what are the reasons for Mayotte’s willingness to succeed cultural and political control to France? The answer, it seems, lies with economics. For despite Mayotte’s tropical climate and volcanic landscape, and despite its coral reefs, it has not become a regular tourist destination. It is perhaps, simply too remote. Its largest export is a little know product called ylang-ylang, which is used in the production of perfume but brings in little revenue. The lobster and shrimp industry is small and young. In short Mayotte’s fast growing population is far from being self-sufficient. In 2005 exports were valued at $6.5m compared with imports valued at $341m. This heavy budget deficit requires large subsidies, hence the willingness to be French rather than Comorian.

Nevertheless, the Union of Comoros still claims ownership of Mayotte, requiring a small number of French forces to be stationed on the island. The French troops are charged with protecting Mayotte from its politically unstable island cousins.