Mayotte Island lay in the Mozambique Channel. Together with Grande Comore, Anjouan, and Mohéli, it formed the Comoros. Covering 374 square kilometers, its economy was primarily agricultural, producing spices such as vanilla. In his previous life, it had been a French overseas region with one department under its jurisdiction: Mayotte Department.
In 1870, France's colonies had six key regions. The first was North Africa—French Algeria—whose importance went without saying. It was closest to metropolitan France and also the region France most wanted to assimilate into its homeland.
The second was West Africa—French Seychelles, Gambia, Guinea, and so on; Ivory Coast, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, and so on; Gabon and the Equatorial Guinea region, which later developed into French Congo. In both quantity and quality, these could be considered France's most economically valuable colonies. The latter two also lay along the Gulf of Guinea, making them easy for the French mainland navy to support.
The third was Madagascar, which, together with French Comoros—Mayotte Island—and French Réunion, formed France's strategic footholds in the Indian Ocean.
The fourth was Southeast Asia—Cambodia and Southern Vietnam—in the Far East.
The fifth was French Guiana in South America.
Finally, there was Djibouti, added for its control of the Suez Canal. After all, the importance of the Strait of Mandeb went without saying. Without the Strait of Mandeb, the Suez Canal would be a dead end. Both Britain and France had deployed forces near the area.
These regions formed the backbone of the French colonies. Together with metropolitan France, they could radiate influence across the globe, so not one of the regions above could be touched.
Moreover, four of those six regions were in Africa, which was enough to show how much France valued the continent. After all, on the European version of the world map, Africa was