evidence: Just 115 km south of Guadeloupe is the French territory of Martinique, which is an island located north of St. Lucia and south of Dominica. Like Guadeloupe, it is also considered part of France. The total land area of Martinique is 1,060 km2, and its population is approximately 375,000. Christopher Columbus sighted the island in 1502, when it was inhabited by Indigenous Taíno people, who called it "the island of flowers." The French colonized the island in the 17th century. In 1982, Martinique was made a region of France. Tourism and the cultivation of sugarcane are the mainstays of the island’s economy. [...] Mayotte is a small island territory in the Indian Ocean. It is situated between Comoros and the large African island country of Madagascar. Mayotte consists of two major islands, Grande Terre and Petite Terre. Most of Mayotte’s population of approximately 279,000 is of Comorian descent and is overwhelmingly Muslim. In a referendum that took place in 2009, the people of Mayotte voted overwhelmingly to become part of France. Thus, the territory became France’s 101st department. Despite this, the independent country of Comoros continues to claim Mayotte as its own.