|
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. |
|
Location: |
Southern Indian Ocean, island
in the Mozambique Channel, about half way between northern Madagascar and
northern Mozambique |
|
Geographic coordinates: |
12 50 S, 45 10 E |
|
Map references: |
Africa |
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Area: |
total: 374 sq km
land: 374 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
|
Area - comparative: |
slightly more than twice the
size of Washington, DC |
|
Land boundaries: |
0 km |
|
Coastline: |
185.2 km |
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Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
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Climate: |
tropical; marine; hot, humid,
rainy season during northeastern monsoon (November to May); dry season is
cooler (May to November) |
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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% |
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Irrigated land: |
NA |
|
Natural hazards: |
cyclones during rainy season
|
|
Environment - current issues: |
NA |
|
Geography - note: |
part of Comoro Archipelago (18
islands) |
|
Population: |
216,306 (July 2008 est.) |
|
Age structure: |
0-14 years: 45.5% (male
49,521/female 48,996)
15-64 years: 52.7% (male 61,267/female
52,641)
65 years and over: 1.8% (male 1,971/female 1,910) (2008
est.) |
|
Median age: |
total: 17.2 years
male: 18.1 years
female: 16.2 years (2008 est.)
|
|
Population growth rate: |
3.465% (2008 est.) |
|
Birth rate: |
39.79 births/1,000 population
(2008 est.) |
|
Death rate: |
7.36 deaths/1,000 population
(2008 est.) |
|
Net migration rate: |
2.22 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2008 est.) |
|
Sex ratio: |
at birth: 1.03
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64
years: 1.16 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.03
male(s)/female
total population: 1.09 male(s)/female (2008
est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate: |
total: 57.88
deaths/1,000 live births
male: 63.59 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 52 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.) |
|
Life expectancy at birth: |
total population: 62.54
years
male: 60.3 years
female: 64.85 years (2008
est.) |
|
Total fertility rate: |
5.6 children born/woman (2008
est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
NA |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
NA |
|
Nationality: |
noun: Mahorais (singular
and plural)
adjective: Mahoran |
|
Ethnic groups: |
NA |
|
Religions: |
Muslim 97%, Christian (mostly
Roman Catholic) 3% |
|
Languages: |
Mahorian (a Swahili dialect),
French (official language) spoken by 35% of the population |
|
Literacy: |
NA |
|
Country name: |
conventional long form:
Territorial Collectivity of Mayotte
conventional short form:
Mayotte |
|
Dependency status: |
departmental collectivity of
France |
|
Government type: |
NA |
|
Capital: |
name: Mamoudzou
geographic coordinates: 12 46 S, 45 13 E
time
difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard
Time) |
|
Administrative divisions: |
none (territorial overseas
collectivity of France) |
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Independence: |
none (territorial overseas
collectivity of France) |
|
National holiday: |
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
|
|
Constitution: |
4 October 1958 (French
Constitution) |
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Legal system: |
the laws of France, where
applicable, apply |
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Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal
|
|
Executive branch: |
chief of state:
President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007); represented by Prefect
Jean-Paul KIHL (since 17 January 2005)
head of government:
President of the General Council Said Omar OILI (since 8 April 2004)
cabinet: NA
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; next election to be held in 2010 |
|
Legislative branch: |
unicameral General Council or
Conseil General (19 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
three-year terms)
elections: last held 21 and 28 March 2004
(next to be held in 2007)
election results: percent of vote by
party - MDM 23.3%, UMP 22.8%, PS 10.2%, MRC 8.9%, FRAP 6.5%, MPM 1.2%,
other 27.1%; seats by party - MDM 6, UMP 9, MRC 2, MPM 1, diverse left 1
note: Mayotte elects one member of the French Senate; elections
last held 24 September 2001 (next to be held in 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 16 June
2002 (next to be held in 2007); results - percent of vote by party -
UMP-RPR 55.1%, UDF 44.9%; seats by party - UMP-RPR 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 [Ahmed MADI];
Federation of Mahorans or UMP-RPR [Mansour KAMARDINE]; Force of the Rally
and the Alliance for Democracy or FRAP; Movement for Department Status
Mayotte or MDM [Mouhoutar SALIM]; Renewed Communist Party of Mayotte or
MRC [Omar SIMBA]; Socialist Party or PS [Ibrahim ABUBACAR] (local branch
of French Parti Socialiste); Union for French Democracy or UDF [Henri
JEAN-BAPTISTE] |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
|
International organization participation: |
InOC, UPU |
|
Diplomatic representation in the US: |
none (territorial overseas
collectivity of France) |
|
Diplomatic representation from the US: |
none (territorial overseas
collectivity of France) |
|
Flag description: |
unofficial, local flag with the
coat of arms of Mayotte centered on a white field, above which the name of
the island appears in red capital letters; the main elements of the coat
of arms, flanked on either side by a seahorse, appear above a scroll with
the motto RA HACHIRI (We are Vigilant); the only official flag is the
national flag of France |
|
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): |
$953.6 million (2005 est.)
|
|
GDP (official exchange rate): |
|
|
GDP - real growth rate: |
NA% |
|
GDP - per capita (PPP): |
$4,900 (2005 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA% |
|
Labor force: |
44,560 (2002) |
|
Unemployment rate: |
25.4% (2005) |
|
Population below poverty line: |
NA% |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage
share: |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
1.7% (2005) |
|
Budget: |
revenues: $420 million
expenditures: $394 million (2005) |
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Agriculture - products: |
vanilla, ylang-ylang (perfume
essence), coffee, copra, fish, livestock |
|
Industries: |
newly created lobster and
shrimp industry, construction |
|
Industrial production growth rate: |
NA% |
|
Electricity - production: |
NA kWh |
|
Electricity - production by source: |
fossil fuel: 0%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% |
|
Electricity - consumption: |
139.2 million kWh (2005) |
|
Exports: |
$6.5 million f.o.b. (2005)
|
|
Exports - commodities: |
ylang-ylang (perfume essence),
vanilla, copra, coconuts, coffee, cinnamon |
|
Exports - partners: |
France 43%, Comoros 36%,
Reunion 15% (2006) |
|
Imports: |
$341 million f.o.b.; note -
excludes petroleum imports (2005) |
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Imports - commodities: |
food, machinery and equipment,
transportation equipment, metals, chemicals |
|
Imports - partners: |
France 49%, Seychelles 8.8%,
China 4.1% (2006) |
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Economic aid - recipient: |
$201.3 million; note -
extensive French financial assistance (2005) |
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Debt - external: |
|
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Market value of publicly traded shares: |
|
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Currency (code): |
euro (EUR) |
|
Currency code: |
EUR |
|
Exchange rates: |
euros per US dollar - 0.7345
(2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003) |
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Fiscal year: |
calendar year |
|
Telephones - main lines in use: |
10,000 (2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular: |
48,100 (2005) |
|
Telephone system: |
general assessment:
small system administered by French Department of Posts and
Telecommunications
domestic: NA
international:
country code - 262; microwave radio relay and HF radiotelephone
communications to Comoros |
|
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 hosts: |
1 (2007) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
NA |
|
Internet users: |
NA |
|
Airports: |
1 (2007) |
|
Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 1
1,524 to
2,437 m: 1 (2007) |
|
Roadways: |
total: 100 km |
|
Ports and terminals: |
Dzaoudzi |
|
Military - note: |
defense is the responsibility
of France; a small contingent of French forces is stationed on the island
|
| Transnational Issues |
Mayotte |
|
Disputes - international: |
claimed by Comoros
|
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