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General information: According to SMBer, the island of Mayotte passed into the possession of France along with the rest of the Comoros in 1843. It was the only island in the archipelago that voted in 1974 to maintain its connection with France and renounced independence.

Geography

Location: South Africa, an island in the Mozambique Channel, about halfway from northern Madagascar to northern Mozambique.
Geographical coordinates: 12° 50′ S. latitude, 45° 10′ E
Reference map: Africa.
Area: total: 374 km2; land surface area: 374 km2; water surface area: 0 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of the city of Washington, DC.
Land borders: 0 km.
Coastline: 185.2 km.
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nautical miles; territorial waters: 12 nautical miles.
Climate: tropical; nautical; hot humid rainy season with northeast monsoons (November to May); the dry season (May to November) is cooler.
Terrain: mostly rugged, with deep ravines and ancient volcanic peaks.
Maximum and minimum heights: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m; highest point: Benara 660 m.
Natural resources: negligible.
Land use: arable land: no data; cultivated land: no data; pastures: no data; forests and plantations: no data; others: no data.
Irrigated land: no data.
Natural Hazards: Cyclones that occur during the rainy season.
Current environmental issues: no data.
International agreements on environmental protection:
Note to the section “Geography”: is part of the Comoros archipelago, which includes 18 islands.

Population

Population: 163,366 (July 2001 est.).
Age structure: under 14: 46.59% (male 38,188; female 37,920); 15 to 64 years: 51.73% (men 46,132; women 38,378); over 65: 1.68% (male 1,361; female 1,387) (2001 est.).
Population growth: 4.58% (2001 est.).
Birth rate: 44.39 newborns / 1000 people. (2001 est.).
Mortality: 8.84 deaths / 1000 people. (2001 est.).
Migration: 10.28 people /1000 people (2001 est.).
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male/female; under 15: 1.01 male/female; from 15 to 64 years: 1.2 male/female; over 65: 0.98 male/female; for the general population: 1.1 male/female (2001 est.);
Child mortality: 69.54 deaths/1000 live births (2001 est.).
Life expectancy: for the general population: 59.83 years; men: 57.77 years; women: 61.96 years (2001 est.).
General birth rate: 6.24 children/wives. (2001 est.).
Proportion of the adult population infected with HIV: no data available.
Number of people infected with HIV: no data.
Mortality due to AIDS: no data available.
Nationality: noun: inhabitant of the island of Mayotte; adjective: pertaining to the island of Mayotte.
Ethnic groups: no data.
Believers: Muslims 97%, Christians (mostly Catholics).
Languages): Maori (a dialect of Swahili), French (official), spoken by 35% of the population.
Literacy: definition: no data; for the general population: no data available; men: no data; women: no data. State Name:

Politics

Conventional long form: Territory of Mayotte;
Common short form: Mayotte. Dependency status: overseas territory of France.
State structure: no data.
Capital: Mamutsu.
Administrative division: none (territorial possession of France).
Independence: none (territorial possession of France).
National holiday: Bastille Day, July 14 (1789).
Constitution: adopted 28 September 1958 (French constitution).
Legal system: French legal system.
Suffrage: from 18 years old; universal.
head of state: French President Jacques CHIRAC (since May 17, 1995), represented on the island by Prefect Pierre BAYLE (since July 15, 1998);
head of government: President of the General Council Younoussa BAMANA (since 1977);
Government: no data; elections: French president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; the prefect is appointed by the president on the recommendation of the French Ministry of the Interior; the president of the General Council is elected by the members of the General Council for a six-year term.
Legislature: unicameral General Council (19 members elected by popular vote for a three-year term); elections: last held 7 October 2000 (next to be held in 2003); election results: distribution of votes by parties – no data; distribution of places – no data; note: Mayotte elects one member of the French Senate; elections last held on 24 September 1995 (next time to be held on 24 September 2001); election results: distribution of votes by parties – no data; distribution of seats by parties – MRM 1; Mayotte also elects one member of the National Assembly of France; elections last held on 25 May and 1 June 1997 (next to be held in May 2002); election results: distribution of votes by parties – UDF/FD 51.7%, RPR 48.3%; distribution of seats by parties – UDF/FD 1.
Judiciary: Supreme Court of Appeal (Tribunal Superieur d’Appel).
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Front (FD) (Youssouf MOUS-SA); Maori People’s Movement (MPM) (Yunussa BAMANA); Maori Rally for a Republic (RPR) (Soi-bahadine Ibrahim RAMADAN); Mayotte Departmental Movement (MDM) (Henri JEAN-BAPTISTE); Socialist Party (PS) (local branch of the Socialist Party of France) (Ibrahim ABUBACAR [Ibrahim ABUBACAR]); Union for French Democracy (UDF) (Henri JEAN-BAPTISTE).
Political influence groups and their leaders:
Participation in international organizations: FZ.
Diplomatic representation in the USA: none (territorial possession of France).
U.S. diplomatic representation: none (territorial inflow of France).
Flag Description: The flag of France is used.

Economy

Economic overview: Mayotte’s economy is based on the agricultural sector, which includes fishing and livestock. Mayotte is not able to provide itself with the necessary goods and is forced to import a significant part of the food (mainly from France). The development of the island’s economy is highly dependent on the financial support of France, which makes up a large share of GDP. The inconvenient geographical location of Mayotte hinders the development of tourism. GDP: Purchasing Power Parity $85 million (1998 est.)
Rate of real GDP growth: no data available.
GDP per capita: at purchasing power parity – $600 (1998 est.).
The composition of GDP by sectors of the economy: agriculture: no data; industry: no data; service sector: no data.
Proportion of the population below the poverty line: no data available.
Percentage distribution of household income or consumption: for the poorest 10% of households: n/a; by top 10% of households: no data.
Inflation rate at consumer prices: no data.
Labor force: no data.
Employment structure:
Unemployment rate: 45% (1997).
Budget: income: no data; expenditure: 73 million, including capital investment – n/a (1991 est.).
Economic sectors: newly built shrimp and lobster processing plants, construction.
Growth in industrial production: no data available.
Electricity production: no data.
Sources of electricity generation: fossil fuels: no data available; hydropower: no data; nuclear fuel: no data; others: no data.
Electricity consumption: no data.
Export of electricity: no data.
Electricity import: no data.
Agricultural products: vanilla, ylang-ylang (perfume essence), coffee, copra.
Export: $3.44 million (free on board, 1997)
Exports: ylang-ylang (perfume essence), vanilla, copra, coconuts, coffee, cinnamon.
Export partners: France 80%, Comoros 15%, Reunion.
Imports: $141.3 million (free on board, 1997)
Imports: foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, metals, chemicals.
Import partners: France 66%, Africa 14%, South East Asia 11% (1997).
External debt: no data. Economic aid recipient: $107.7 million (1995); note – Mayotte receives significant financial support from France.
Economic aid donor:
Currency: French franc, euro.
Currency code: FRF; EUR.
Exchange rate: EUR/USD – 1.0659 (January 2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); FRF/USD – 5.65 (January 1999), 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996).
Fiscal year: calendar year. Telecommunications Telephone lines: 9 314 (1997).

Telecommunications

Telecommunications Telephone lines:
Mobile cell phones: 0 (2000).
Telephone system: a small system operated by the French Department of Posts and Telecommunications; internal: no data; international: microwave radio relay and high-frequency radiotelephone communications with the Comoros and other countries.
Broadcast stations: AM – 1, FM – 4, shortwave – 0 (1998).
Radio receivers: no data.
Television broadcast stations: 3 (1997).
Televisions: 3,500 (1994).
Internet country code: yt
Internet service providers: not available.
Number of users: no data.

Transport

Transport Railways:
Roads: total length: 93 km; coated: 72 km; unpaved: 21 km;
Ports and harbors: Dzaudzi.
Merchant fleet: none (2000 est.).
Airports: 1 (2000 est.).
Airports with paved runways: total: 1; from 1523 to 2437 m: 1 (2000 est.).
Airports with unpaved runways: