Mayotte Online Business Education. Administration. Economy. Politics. Culture. Religion. Media

Mayotte
Online Business Education. Economy. Politics. Culture. Religion. Media

Mayotte Sovereignty: France

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: 62.37 years (2002 est.) male: 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: 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