ARRL DXCC ENTITY RE-EVALUATION MEMORANDUM – FH

FH — MAYOTTE
Evaluation Under 1975 ARRL DXCC Rules

I. PURPOSE

This memorandum evaluates whether FH — Mayotte qualifies as a distinct ARRL DXCC Entity under the 1975 ARRL DXCC Rules, the criteria governing DXCC classification during major post-colonial realignments of the 1960s–1980s.

The evaluation includes:

• Mayotte’s political status in 1975
• Its relationship to France and to the newly independent Comoros
• Its administrative and telecommunication identity
• Applicability of the 1975 Political-Entity rules
• Applicability of 1975 Geographic-Entity rules for overseas possessions
• Whether Mayotte met all requirements for DXCC recognition

II. BACKGROUND

A. Political Status of Mayotte (1975)

• In December 1974, all four islands of the Comoros archipelago voted separately on independence.
• Mayotte alone voted to remain French (over 60% against independence).
• The Comoros declared independence (1975) from France.
• France retained full sovereignty over Mayotte, which became:

– A French Territorial Collectivity
– Governed under French law
– Administered separately from the independent Comoros
– With its own local institutions under the French Ministry of Overseas Territories

Thus, in 1975 Mayotte was a French overseas territory, distinctly administered from both European France and the newly independent Comoros.

B. International Standing (1975)

• Mayotte held no independent international status, being part of France.
• The Comoros claimed Mayotte diplomatically, but France maintained uncontested administrative control.
• For DXCC purposes, actual administrative governance is decisive.
• ARRL therefore treated Mayotte similarly to other French overseas territories.

C. Telecommunication & Prefix Identity

• France administered all telecommunication services in Mayotte.
• ITU assigned prefix blocks for France’s overseas territories including FH for Mayotte.
• Amateur radio licensing was performed by France, but distinct geographic prefix zones were maintained.

D. Geographic Characteristics

• Mayotte is an island in the northern Mozambique Channel, geographically part of the Comoros archipelago.
• It lies:

– ~1,400 km from Madagascar
– ~1,600 km from Réunion
– ~7,900 km from Metropolitan (European) France

• Mayotte is not contiguous with Metropolitan France and is located in a remote oceanic region.

E. DXCC Context (1975)

Under 1975 rules, the DXCC program recognized:

Political Entities

• Sovereign nations
• Distinct non-sovereign territories under separate administration
• Overseas possessions of colonial powers

Geographic Entities

• Remote island groups under separate governance
• Territories separated from the parent country by significant geography

Mayotte satisfies the “separate overseas possession” treatment applied to France’s global territories.

III. ANALYSIS UNDER THE 1975 DXCC RULES

1. POLITICAL ENTITY CRITERIA (1975) — PASS (as an Overseas French Territory)

1(a) Sovereign State — ❌ FAIL

• Mayotte was not sovereign.

1(b) Separate Territorial Administration — ✔ PASS

• France exercised direct, distinct administration over Mayotte, separate from Metropolitan France.
• This is the same basis ARRL used for:
– FG Guadeloupe
– FM Martinique
– FY French Guiana
– FR Réunion

1(c) Internationally Recognized Territorial Distinctiveness — ✔ PASS

• France recognized Mayotte’s distinct legal status.
• Although Comoros claimed Mayotte, DXCC follows actual control, not disputed claims.

1(d) Distinct Telecommunication Identity — ✔ PASS

• ITU prefix FH uniquely associated with Mayotte.
• Licensing administered by France for that territory.

Conclusion:
Mayotte qualifies as a Political Entity in the 1975 DXCC sense—as a distinct overseas territory of France.

2. GEOGRAPHIC ENTITY CRITERIA (1975) — PASS

Separate island entities under a parent must be:

Non-contiguous with the parent — ✔ PASS
• Mayotte is thousands of kilometers from European France.
Not connected by land to any other French territory — ✔ PASS
• It is an isolated volcanic island.
Geographically distinct and permanently inhabited — ✔ PASS
Under separate administrative jurisdiction — ✔ PASS
• Mayotte’s administrative authority was separate from European France.

Thus Mayotte satisfies all four geographic conditions relevant to French overseas territories.

3. SPECIAL-AREA CRITERIA (1975) — NOT APPLICABLE

Mayotte was not:

• A UN Trust Territory
• A mandate
• A protectorate
• An Antarctic region
• An internationalized zone

4. 1975 DELETION CRITERIA — NOT TRIGGERED

Deletion would require:

• Loss of separate administration, OR
• Absorption into another DXCC Entity

In 1975:

• Mayotte remained under distinct French rule
• It did not join Comoros
• It did not merge with any other territory

Thus no deletion conditions were met.

V. FINAL DETERMINATION

✅ FH — MAYOTTE qualifies as an ARRL DXCC Entity under the 1975 DXCC Rules.

Qualification Basis:

✔ Politically distinct Overseas French Territory
✔ Maintained separate administration from Metropolitan France
✔ Separate ITU prefix block (FH)
✔ Remote offshore geographic location
✔ Treated consistently with all other French overseas DXCC Entities
✔ Not absorbed into Comoros or any other Entity in 1975

Conclusion:
Under the 1975 DXCC Rules, Mayotte clearly qualifies as an Overseas French DXCC Entity, fully consistent with ARRL’s handling of France’s global territories.

VI. SUMMARY TABLE

Rule (1975)	Pass/Fail	Notes
Sovereign Nation	❌ FAIL	Not independent
Separate Administered Territory	✔ PASS	French Overseas Collectivity
International Distinctiveness	✔ PASS	Not part of Comoros
Separate Prefix	✔ PASS	FH assigned
Geographic Separation	✔ PASS	Remote island in Indian Ocean
Special-Area Status	N/A	Not applicable
Deletion Criteria	Not Triggered	Status stable in 1975
Final Status	VALID ENTITY (1975)	Separate French Overseas Territory

References

ARRL DXCC Rules, editions in force through 1975
Clinton B. DeSoto, W1CBD, “How to Count Countries Worked, A New DX Scoring System,” QST, October 1935
ARRL DXCC Country Lists and administrative guidance, 1960s–1970s
Political and geographic documentation relating to the Comoros referenda and Mayotte’s administrative status (1974–1975)
Nautical and geographic charting of Mayotte and the Comoro archipelago