Mayotte (territorial collectivity of France)

[Top of Page]

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: 375 sq km
land: 375 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

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%
permanent pastures: NA%
forests and woodland: NA%
other: NA%

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: cyclones during rainy season

Environment—current issues: NA

Environment—international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA

Geography—note: part of Comoro Archipelago

[Top of Page]

Population: 149,336 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 47% (male 34,838; female 34,798)
15-64 years: 52% (male 42,073; female 35,068)
65 years and over: 1% (male 1,257; female 1,302) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 5% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 46.12 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 8.9 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 12.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.2 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female
total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 69.06 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 60.02 years
male: 57.61 years
female: 62.51 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.41 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Mahorais (singular and plural)
adjective: Mahoran

Ethnic groups: NA

Religions: Muslim 99%, Christian (mostly Roman Catholic)

Languages: Mahorian (a Swahili dialect), French

Literacy: NA

[Top of Page]

Country name:
conventional long form: Territorial Collectivity of Mayotte
conventional short form: Mayotte

Data code: MF

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: National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 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 BOISADAM (since NA)
head of government: President of the General Council Younoussa BAMANA (since NA 1977)
cabinet: NA
elections: French president elected by popular vote for a seven-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

Legislative branch: unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 23 March 1997 (next to be held NA March 2000)
election results: percent of vote by party—NA; note—only nine of the 19 seats were subjected to voting in March 1997; after the election, seats by party were as follows: MPM 8, RPR 5, independents 5, PS 1
note: Mayotte elects one member of the French Senate; elections last held 24 September 1995 (next to be held 24 September 2001); results—percent of vote by party—NA; seats by party—MPM 1; 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 (Tribunal Superieur d'Appel)

Political parties and leaders: Mahoran Popular Movement or MPM [Younoussa BAMANA]; Mahoran Rally for the Republic or RPR [Mansour KAMARDINE]; Democratic Front or FD [Youssouf MOUSSA]; Association for French Mayotte or Association Pour Mayotte Francaise [Didier BEOUTIS]; Socialist Party or PS (local branch of French Parti Socialiste) [leader NA]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Henri JEAN-BAPTISTE]

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

[Top of Page]

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: 38% (1991 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $73 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991 est.)

Industries: newly created lobster and shrimp industry

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity—production: NA kWh

Electricity—production by source:
fossil fuel: NA%
hydro: NA%
nuclear: NA%
other: NA%

Electricity—consumption: NA kWh

Electricity—exports: NA kWh

Electricity—imports: NA kWh

Agriculture—products: vanilla, ylang-ylang (perfume essence), coffee, copra

Exports: $3.64 million (f.o.b., 1996)

Exports—commodities: ylang-ylang (perfume essence), vanilla, copra

Exports—partners: France 80%, Comoros 15%, Reunion

Imports: $131.5 million (f.o.b., 1996)

Imports—commodities: building materials, machinery and transportation equipment, metals, chemicals, rice, clothing, flour

Imports—partners: France 66%, Africa 14%, Southeast Asia 20%

Debt—external: $NA

Economic aid—recipient: $107.7 million (1995); note—extensive French financial assistance

Currency: 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1—5.65 (January 1999), 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994)

Fiscal year: calendar year

[Top of Page]

Telephones: 450

Telephone system: small system administered by French Department of Posts and Telecommunications
domestic: NA
international: microwave radio relay and HF radiotelephone communications to Comoros and other international connections

Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios: 30,000 (1994 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 3 (1997)

Televisions: 3,500 (1994 est.)

[Top of Page]

Railways: 0 km

Highways:
total: 93 km
paved: 72 km
unpaved: 21 km

Ports and harbors: Dzaoudzi

Merchant marine: none

Airports: 1 (1998 est.)

Airports—with paved runways:
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.)

[Top of Page]

Military—note: defense is the responsibility of France; small contingent of French forces stationed on the island

[Top of Page]

Disputes—international: claimed by Comoros