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
Land: 374 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 185.2 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 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%

Irrigated land: NA

Natural hazards: cyclones during rainy season

Geography
Note: part of Comoro Archipelago (18 islands)

Population: 216,306 (July 2008 est.)
Growth rate: 3.465% (2008 est.)

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) 3%

Age structure
0-14 years: 45.5% (male 49,521/female 48,996)
15-64 years: 52.7% (male 61,267/female 52,641)
65 years and over: 1.8% (male 1,971/female 1,910) (2008 est.)

Median age
Total: 17.2 years
Male: 18.1 years
Female: 16.2 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.465% (2008 est.)

Birth rate: 39.79 births/1000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate: 7.36 deaths/1000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.22 migrant(s)/1000 population (2008 est.)

Environment
Current issues: NA

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male/female
15-64 years: 1.16 male/female
65 years and over: 1.03 male/female
Total population: 1.09 male/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 57.88 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 63.59 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 52 deaths/1000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 62.54 years
Male: 60.3 years
Female: 64.85 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.6 children born/woman (2008 est.)

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

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy: NA

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

Government type: NA

Capital
Name: Mamoudzou
Geographic coordinates: 12 46 S, 45 13 E
Time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: none (territorial overseas collectivity of France)

Independence: none (territorial overseas collectivity of France)

National holiday: Bastille Day 14 July (1789)

Constitution: 4 October 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system: the laws of France where applicable apply

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007); represented by Prefect Denis ROBIN (since 28 July 2008)
Head of government: President of the General Council Said Omar OILI (since 8 April 2004)
Cabinet: NA
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; next election to be held in 2010

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 21 and 28 March 2004 (next to be held in 2007)
Election results: percent of vote by party - MDM 23.3%, UMP 22.8%, PS 10.2%, MRC 8.9%, FRAP 6.5%, MPM 1.2%, other 27.1%; seats by party - MDM 6, UMP 9, MRC 2, MPM 1, diverse left 1
Note: Mayotte elects one member of the French Senate; elections last held 24 September 2001 (next to be held in 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 in 2007); results - percent of vote by party - UMP-RPR 55.1%, UDF 44.9%; 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 UMP-RPR [Mansour KAMARDINE]; Force of the Rally and the Alliance for Democracy or FRAP; Movement for Department Status Mayotte or MDM [Mouhoutar SALIM]; Renewed Communist Party of Mayotte or MRC [Omar SIMBA]; Socialist Party or PS [Ibrahim ABUBACAR] (local branch of French Parti Socialiste); Union for French Democracy or UDF [Henri JEAN-BAPTISTE]

International organization participation: InOC UPU WFTU

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

Flag description: unofficial local flag with the coat of arms of Mayotte centered on a white field above which the name of the island appears in red capital letters; the main elements of the coat of arms flanked on either side by a seahorse appear above a scroll with the motto RA HACHIRI (We are Vigilant); the only official flag is the national flag of France

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 purchasing power parity: $953.6 million (2005 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: NA%

Real gdp per capita: $4,900 (2005 est.)

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

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

Industries: newly created lobster and shrimp industry construction

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 44,560 (2002)

Unemployment rate: 25.4% (2005)

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

Budget
Revenues: $420 million
Expenditures: $394 million (2005)

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.7% (2005)

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Exports: $6.5 million f.o.b. (2005)
Commodities: ylang-ylang (perfume essence) vanilla copra coconuts coffee cinnamon
Partners: France 43% Comoros 36% Reunion 15% (2006)

Imports: $341 million f.o.b.; note - excludes petroleum imports (2005)
Commodities: food machinery and equipment transportation equipment metals chemicals
Partners: France 49% Seychelles 8.8% China 4.1% (2006)

Debt external: $NA

Exchange rates: euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007) 0.7964 (2006) 0.8041 (2005) 0.8054 (2004) 0.886 (2003)

Electricity
Production: NA kWh
Consumption: 139.2 million kWh (2005)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 10,000 (2002)
Mobile cellular: 48,100 (2005)

Telephone system
General assessment: small system administered by French Department of Posts and Telecommunications
Domestic: NA
International: country code - 262; microwave radio relay and HF radiotelephone communications to Comoros

Internet
Country code: .yt
Hosts: 1 (2008)
Users: NA

Airports: 1 (2007)
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2007)

Ports and terminals: Dzaoudzi

Disputes international: claimed by Comoros