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The World Factbook 2002
| 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/AIDS: | NA
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 leaders: | NA
International organization participation: | FZ
Diplomatic representation in the US: | none (territorial collectivity of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US: | none (territorial collectivity of 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 percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% 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

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002