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==Immigration into Comoros== | ==Immigration into Comoros== | ||
*The '''Portuguese''' arrived in the Indian Ocean at the end of the 15th century. For much of the 16th century the islands provided provisions to the Portuguese fort at Mozambique and although there was no formal attempt by the Portuguese crown to take possession, '''a number of Portuguese traders settled.''' | |||
*By the end of the 16th century the local rulers were beginning to push back and they began to defeat the Dutch and the Portuguese, increasing '''Omani Arab influence''' in the region, moving the administration to nearby Zanzibar. | |||
*Nevertheless, the Comoros remained independent, and although the three smaller islands were usually politically unified, the largest island, Ngazidja, was divided into a number of autonomous kingdoms.] | |||
*By the time Europeans showed interest in the Comoros, the islanders were well placed to take advantage of their needs, '''initially supplying ships''' of the route to India, particularly the English and, later, '''slaves to the plantation islands in the Mascarenes.''' | |||
*In the last decade of the 18th century, '''Malagasy warriors started raiding the Comoros for slaves'''. The islands were repopulated by slaves from the mainland, who were traded to the French in Mayotte and the Mascarenes. On the Comoros, it was estimated in 1865 that as much as 40% of the population consisted of slaves. | |||
*'''France''' first established colonial rule in the Comoros by '''taking possession of Mayotte in 1841.''' | |||
*Meanwhile, Ndzuani (or Johanna as it was known to the British) continued to serve as a '''way station for English merchants sailing to India and the Far East,''' as well as '''American whalers'''. The '''British gradually abandoned it''' following their possession of Mauritius in 1814. | |||
*'''French settlers, French-owned companies, and wealthy Arab merchants''' established a '''plantation-based economy''' that used about one-third of the land for export crops. After its annexation, France converted Mayotte into a sugar plantation colony. | |||
In 1886, Mwali was placed under French protection by its Sultan Mardjani Abdou Cheikh. That same year, Sultan Said Ali of Bambao, one of the sultanates on Ngazidja, placed the island under French protection in exchange for French support of his claim to the entire island, which he retained until his abdication in 1910. In 1908 the islands were unified under a single administration (Colonie de Mayotte et dépendances) and placed under the authority of the French colonial Governor-General of Madagascar. In 1909, Sultan Said Muhamed of Ndzuani abdicated in favour of French rule. In 1912 the colony and the protectorates were abolished and the islands became a province of the colony of Madagascar.[30] | |||
Agreement was reached with France in 1973 for the Comoros to become independent in 1978, despite the deputies of Mayotte voting for increased integration with France. A referendum was held on all four of the islands. Three voted for independence by large margins, while Mayotte voted against, and remains under French administration. On 6 July 1975, however, the Comorian parliament passed a unilateral resolution declaring independence. Ahmed Abdallah proclaimed the independence of the Comorian State (État comorien; دولة القمر) and became its first president. The French recognised the new state. | |||
<ref>"Comoros", in Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comoros, accessed August 2021.</ref> | <ref>"Comoros", in Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comoros, accessed August 2021.</ref> | ||
==Emigration From Comoros== | ==Emigration From Comoros== | ||
'''KNOMAD Statistics:''' | '''KNOMAD Statistics:''' |
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