2003 Edition

Administrative divisions

none (territorial collectivity of France)

Age structure

0-14 years: 46.5% (male 41,632; female 41,301) 15-64 years: 51.8% (male 50,373; female 42,118) 65 years and over: 1.7% (male 1,502; female 1,511) (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

vanilla, ylang-ylang (perfume essence), coffee, copra

Airports

1 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways

total

1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) Military Mayotte

Area

land

374 sq km

total

374 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC

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

Birth rate

42.86 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Budget

expenditures

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

revenues

$NA

Capital

Mamoutzou

Climate

tropical; marine; hot, humid, rainy season during northeastern monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to November)

Coastline

185.2 km

Constitution

28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Country name

conventional long form

Territorial Collectivity of Mayotte

conventional short form

Mayotte

Currency

euro (EUR)

Currency code

EUR

Death rate

8.34 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Debt - external

$NA

Dependency status

territorial collectivity of France

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (territorial collectivity of France)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (territorial collectivity of France)

Disputes - international

claimed by Comoros This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

Economic aid - recipient

$107.7 million; note - extensive French financial assistance (1995)

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.

Electricity - consumption

NA kWh

Electricity - production

NA kWh

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

0%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0%

Elevation extremes

highest point

Benara 660 m

lowest point

Indian Ocean 0 m

Environment - current issues

NA

Ethnic groups

NA

Exchange rates

euros per US dollar - 1.06 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs per US dollar - 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997)

Executive branch

cabinet

NA

chief of state

President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Jean-Jacques BROT (since 3 July 2002)

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)

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 (2000)

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Mayotte

Flag description

the flag of France is used Economy Mayotte

GDP

purchasing power parity - $85 million (1998 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

NA%

industry

NA%

services

NA%

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $600 (1998 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

NA%

Geographic coordinates

12 50 S, 45 10 E

Geography - note

part of Comoro Archipelago; 18 islands People Mayotte

Government type

NA

Highways

paved

72 km

total

93 km

unpaved

21 km

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA%

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

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% (2000 est.)

Independence

none (territorial collectivity of France)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

newly created lobster and shrimp industry, construction

Infant mortality rate

female

59.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

male

72.32 deaths/1,000 live births

total

65.98 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

NA%

International organization participation

FZ

Internet country code

.yt

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

NA

Internet users

NA Transportation Mayotte

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Judicial branch

Supreme Court or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel

Labor force

48,800 (2000)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

NA%

other

NA% (1998 est.)

permanent crops

NA%

Languages

Mahorian (a Swahili dialect), French (official language) spoken by 35% of the population

Legal system

French law

Legislative branch

unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA

elections

last held 7 October 2000 (next to be held NA 2003)

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 16 June 2002 (next to be held as a special election on NA June 2005); results - percent of vote by party - UMP-RPR 55.08%, UDF 44.92%; seats by party - UMP-RPR 1

Life expectancy at birth

female

62.78 years (2003 est.)

male

58.49 years

total population

60.6 years

Literacy

definition

NA

female

NA% Government Mayotte

male

NA%

total population

NA%

Location

Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique Channel, about one-half of the way from northern Madagascar to northern Mozambique

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone

200 NM

territorial sea

12 NM

Median age

female

15.7 years (2002)

male

18.1 years

total

16.9 years

Merchant marine

none (2002 est.)

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of France; small contingent of French forces stationed on the island Transnational Issues Mayotte

National holiday

Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

Nationality

adjective

Mahoran

noun

Mahorais (singular and plural)

Natural hazards

cyclones during rainy season

Natural resources

NEGL

Net migration rate

7.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Political parties and leaders

Democratic Front or FD [Youssouf MOUSSA]; Mahoran Popular Movement or MPM [Ahmed MADI]; Federation of Mahorans or RPR [Mansour KAMARDINE]; Movement for Department Status Mayotte or MDM [Mouhoutar SALIM]; Socialist Party or PS (local branch of French Parti Socialiste) [Ibrahim ABUBACAR]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Henri JEAN-BAPTISTE]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Population

178,437 (July 2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Population growth rate

4.25% (2003 est.)

Ports and harbors

Dzaoudzi

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2001)

Radios

NA

Railways

0 km

Religions

Muslim 97%, Christian (mostly Roman Catholic)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

1.1 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Telephone system

domestic

NA

general assessment

small system administered by French Department of Posts and Telecommunications

international

microwave radio relay and HF radiotelephone communications to Comoros (2001)

Telephones - main lines in use

12,000 (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular

0 (2000)

Television broadcast stations

3 (2001)

Televisions

3,500 (1994)

Terrain

generally undulating, with deep ravines and ancient volcanic peaks

Total fertility rate

6.07 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate

38% (1999)

Waterways

none