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.

Geographic coordinates: 12 50 S 45 10 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 374 km²
Water: 0 km²
Land: 374 km²
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
Extremes highest point: Benara 660 m

Natural resources: NEGL

Land use
Arable land: NA%
Permanent crops: NA%
Other: NA% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: NA km²

Natural hazards: cyclones during rainy season

Geography
Note: part of Comoro Archipelago; 18 islands

Population: 178,437 (July 2003 est.)
Growth rate: 4.25% (2003 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Mahorais (singular and plural)
Adjective: Mahoran

Ethnic groups: NA

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

Religions: Muslim 97% Christian (mostly Roman Catholic)

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.)

Median age
Total: 16.9 years
Male: 18.1 years
Female: 15.7 years (2002)

Population growth rate: 4.25% (2003 est.)

Birth rate: 42.86 births/1000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate: 8.34 deaths/1000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate: 7.94 migrant(s)/1000 population (2003 est.)

Environment
Current issues: NA

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male/female
15-64 years: 1.2 male/female
65 years and over: 0.99 male/female
Total population: 1.1 male/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 65.98 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 59.44 deaths/1000 live births (2003 est.)
Male: 72.32 deaths/1000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 60.6 years
Male: 58.49 years
Female: 62.78 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.07 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: NA%
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Literacy
Definition: NA
Total population: NA%
Male: NA%
Female: NA%

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

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 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)
Cabinet: NA

Legislative branch
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 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

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel

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]

International organization participation: FZ

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (territorial collectivity of France)
From the us: none (territorial collectivity of France)

Flag description: the flag of France is used

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.

Real gdp growth rate: NA%

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $600 (1998 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: NA%
Industry: NA%
Services: NA%

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

Industries: newly created lobster and shrimp industry construction

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 48,800 (2000)

Unemployment rate: 38% (1999)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

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

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: NA%

Exports: $3.44 million f.o.b. (1997)
Commodities: ylang-ylang (perfume essence) vanilla copra coconuts coffee cinnamon
Partners: France 80% Comoros 15% Reunion (2000)

Imports: $141.3 million f.o.b. (1997)
Commodities: food machinery and equipment transportation equipment metals chemicals
Partners: France 66% Africa 14% Southeast Asia 11% (2000 est.)

Debt external: $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)

Electricity
Production: NA kWh
Production by source fossil fuel: 0%
Production by source hydro: 0%
Production by source other: 0%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Consumption: NA kWh

Telephones
Main lines in use: 12,000 (1998)
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)

Internet
Country code: .yt
Service providers isps: NA
Users: NA

Airports: 1 (2002)
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2002)

Railways: 0 km

Waterways: none

Merchant marine: none (2002 est.)

Disputes international: claimed by Comoros