Mayotte
Introduction Mayotte
--------------------
Background: Mayotte was ceded to France along
with the other islands of the
Comoros group in 1843. It was the
only island in the archipelago that
voted in 1974 to retain its link
with France and forego independence.
Geography Mayotte
-----------------
Location: Southern Africa, island in the
Mozambique Channel, about one-half
of the way from northern Madagascar
to northern Mozambique
Geographic coordinates: 12 50 S, 45 10 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 374 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 374 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly more than twice the size of
Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 185.2 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: tropical; marine; hot, humid, rainy
season during northeastern monsoon
(November to May); dry season is
cooler (May to November)
Terrain: generally undulating, with deep
ravines and ancient volcanic peaks
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Benara 660 m
Natural resources: NEGL
Land use: arable land: NA%
permanent crops: NA%
other: NA% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: cyclones during rainy season
Environment - current issues: NA
Geography - note: part of Comoro Archipelago; 18
islands
People Mayotte
--------------
Population: 170,879 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 46.6% (male 39,927;
female 39,628)
15-64 years: 51.7% (male 48,237;
female 40,210)
65 years and over: 1.7% (male 1,429;
female 1,448) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 4.41% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 43.59 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 8.58 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: 9.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.2 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/
female
total population: 1.1 male(s)/female
(2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 67.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 60.21 years
female: 62.37 years (2002 est.)
male: 58.12 years
Total fertility rate: 6.15 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ NA
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun: Mahorais (singular and plural)
adjective: Mahoran
Ethnic groups: NA
Religions: Muslim 97%, Christian (mostly Roman
Catholic)
Languages: Mahorian (a Swahili dialect), French
(official language) spoken by 35% of
the population
Literacy: definition: NA
total population: NA%
male: NA%
female: NA%
Government Mayotte
------------------
Country name: conventional long form: Territorial
Collectivity of Mayotte
conventional short form: Mayotte
Dependency status: territorial collectivity of France
Government type: NA
Capital: Mamoutzou
Administrative divisions: none (territorial collectivity of
France)
Independence: none (territorial collectivity of
France)
National holiday: Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French
Constitution)
Legal system: French law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Jacques
CHIRAC of France (since 17 May
1995), represented by Prefect
Philippe DE MESTER (since 18
September 2001)
elections: French president elected
by popular vote for a five-year
term; prefect appointed by the
French president on the advice of
the French Ministry of the Interior;
president of the General Council
elected by the members of the
General Council for a six-year term
head of government: President of the
General Council Younoussa BAMANA
(since NA 1977)
cabinet: NA
Legislative branch: unicameral General Council or
Conseil General (19 seats; members
are elected by popular vote to serve
three-year terms)
elections: last held 7 October 2000
(next to be held NA 2003)
election results: percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - NA
note: Mayotte elects one member of
the French Senate; elections last
held 24 September 2001 (next to be
held NA September 2007); results -
percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - NA; Mayotte also
elects one member to the French
National Assembly; elections last
held 25 May and 1 June 1997 (next to
be held as a special election on NA
May 2002); results - percent of vote
by party - UDF/FD 51.7%, RPR 48.3%;
seats by party - UDF/FD 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Tribunal Superieur
d'Appel
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Front or FD [Youssouf
MOUSSA]; Mahoran Popular Movement or
MPM [Younoussa BAMANA]; Federation
of Mahorans or RPR [Moustoifa
MOHAMED]; Movement for Department
Status Mayotte or MDM [Younoussa BEN
ALI]; Socialist Party or PS (local
branch of French Parti Socialiste)
[Ibrahim ABUBACAR]; Union for French
Democracy or UDF [Henri JEAN-
BAPTISTE]; note - may no longer be
in existence
Political pressure groups and NA
leaders:
International organization FZ
participation:
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (territorial collectivity of
France)
Diplomatic representation from the none (territorial collectivity of
US: France)
Flag description: the flag of France is used
Economy Mayotte
---------------
Economy - overview: Economic activity is based primarily
on the agricultural sector,
including fishing and livestock
raising. Mayotte is not self-
sufficient and must import a large
portion of its food requirements,
mainly from France. The economy and
future development of the island are
heavily dependent on French
financial assistance, an important
supplement to GDP. Mayotte's remote
location is an obstacle to the
development of tourism.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $85
million (1998 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: NA%
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $600 (1998
est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: NA%
percentage share: highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Labor force: NA
Unemployment rate: 45% (1997)
Budget: revenues: $NA
expenditures: $73 million, including
capital expenditures of $NA (1991
est.)
Industries: newly created lobster and shrimp
industry, construction
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: NA kWh
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: NA%
hydro: NA%
other: NA%
nuclear: NA%
Electricity - consumption: NA kWh
Agriculture - products: vanilla, ylang-ylang (perfume
essence), coffee, copra
Exports: $3.44 million (f.o.b., 1997)
Exports - commodities: ylang-ylang (perfume essence),
vanilla, copra, coconuts, coffee,
cinnamon
Exports - partners: France 80%, Comoros 15%, Reunion
Imports: $141.3 million (f.o.b., 1997)
Imports - commodities: food, machinery and equipment,
transportation equipment, metals,
chemicals
Imports - partners: France 66%, Africa 14%, Southeast
Asia 11% (1997)
Debt - external: $NA
Economic aid - recipient: $107.7 million (1995); note -
extensive French financial
assistance
Currency: euro (EUR); French franc (FRF)
Currency code: EUR; FRF
Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 1.1324
(January 2002), 1.1175 (2001),
1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French
francs per US dollar - 5.8995
(1998), 5.8367 (1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Mayotte
----------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 9,314 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 0 (2000)
Telephone system: general assessment: small system
administered by French Department of
Posts and Telecommunications
domestic: NA
international: microwave radio relay
and HF radiotelephone communications
to Comoros (2001)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2001)
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 3 (2001)
Televisions: 3,500 (1994)
Internet country code: .yt
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): NA
Internet users: NA
Transportation Mayotte
----------------------
Railways: 0 km (2002)
Highways: total: 93 km
paved: 72 km
unpaved: 21 km
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: Dzaoudzi
Merchant marine: none (2002 est.)
Airports: 1 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2001)
Military Mayotte
----------------
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of
France; small contingent of French
forces stationed on the island
Transnational Issues Mayotte
----------------------------
Disputes - international: claimed by Comoros
|