Mayotte

Fr. /mann yawt"/, n.

one of the Comoro Islands, in the Indian Ocean, NW of Madagascar: an overseas department of France. 52,000; 144 sq. mi. (373 sq. km).

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Mayotte

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: total population: 60.21 years female: 62.37 years (2002 est.) male: 58.12 years
Total fertility rate: 6.15 children born/woman (2002 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA% HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ NA
AIDS:
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: President of the General Council Younoussa BAMANA (since NA 1977) 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 NA
leaders: International organization FZ
participation: Diplomatic representation in the US: none (territorial collectivity of France) Diplomatic representation from the none (territorial collectivity of
US: 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 lowest 10%: NA%
percentage share: 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

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Southeasternmost island (pop., 2002 est.: 165,000) of the Comoros archipelago, a French overseas territorial collectivity.

Located northwest of Madagascar, it occupies an area of 144 sq mi (373 sq km); Mamoutzo is its chief town and capital designate. Dzaoudzi, the current capital, is its other main city and port. Most of its people are of Malagasy origin. Originally inhabited by descendants of Bantu and Malayo-Indonesian peoples, it was converted to Islam by Arab invaders in the 15th century. Taken by Malagasy people from Madagascar at the end of the 18th century, it came under French control in 1843. Together with the other Comoros islands and Madagascar, it became part of a single French overseas territory in the early 20th century. It has been administered separately since 1975, when the three northernmost islands of the Comoros declared independence.

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▪ island and French dependency, Indian Ocean

Introduction

in full  Territorial Collectivity Of Mayotte,  French  Collectivité Territoriale De Mayotte,  also called  Mahoré,  

      southeasternmost island of the Comoros archipelago and a French dependency, situated in the Mozambique Channel of the Indian Ocean, about 193 miles (310 km) northwest of Madagascar. Pamandzi, an islet lying about 1.5 miles (2.5 km) east of Mayotte, is connected by a 1.2-mile causeway to the rocky outcrop known as Dzaoudzi, site of the capital city and port. Area 144 square miles (373 square km). Pop. (1991 est.) 85,800.

      A volcanic mountain range forms a north-south chain on Mayotte island, with summits of from 1,600 to 2,000 feet (500 to 600 m) in elevation. Protected waters for shipping and fishing are created by surrounding coral reefs some distance from the shore. The climate is warm, humid, and maritime, and average monthly temperatures range from 75° F (24° C) in August to 81° F (27° C) in December. The island's average annual rainfall is 200 inches (5,000 mm). The vegetation comprises lush green tropical forest.

The people

      Most of the people are Moharais of Malagasy origin and are Muslim, strongly influenced by French culture; there is a substantial Roman Catholic minority. French is the official language, but most of the people speak Comorian (closely allied to Swahili); there are some villages along the Mayotte coast in which a Malagasy dialect is the main language. Births greatly exceed deaths and the population is growing rapidly. Moreover, about 50 percent of the population is less than 15 years of age, portending high rates of natural increase well into the 21st century. The principal towns are Dzaoudzi and Mamoudzou, the largest town and capital designate.

The economy

      Agriculture is the principal occupation on Mayotte and is confined to central and northeastern plains; cash crops include vanilla, ylang-ylang, coconuts, and coffee. Cassava, bananas, corn (maize), and rice are grown for subsistence. The island's main exports are ylang-ylang extract, vanilla, coffee, and copra. Rice, sugar, flour, clothing, building materials, hardware, cement, and transport equipment are imported. Mayotte's major trading partner is France, and the territory's economy is in large part dependent on French aid. A road system links the principal towns on Mayotte island, and an interisland airport is located on the islet of Pamandzi, southwest of Dzaoudzi.

Government and social conditions.

      Mayotte has had a special status with France since 1976 as a collectivité territoriale (territorial collectivity), conceived as being midway between an overseas territory and an overseas département. It is represented in the French National Assembly by a deputy and in the French Senate by a senator. The territory is administered by a French-appointed prefect and an elected 17-member General Council. The judiciary is modeled on the French system.

      Mayotte has several small hospitals and some dispensaries. Major illnesses include malaria, parasitic diseases, and tuberculosis. The educational system includes both traditional Islāmic schools, in which the Qurʾān is studied, and primary and secondary schools established by the French.

History

      In the 15th century, Arabs invaded the island and converted its inhabitants, who were probably descendants of earlier Bantu and Malayo-Indonesian peoples, to Islām; in the 16th century, the Portuguese and French visited Mayotte. At the end of the 18th century, the Sakalava, a Malagasy tribe from Madagascar, invaded and populated the island, bringing a Malagasy dialect. The French gained colonial control over Mayotte in 1843, and, together with the other islands of the Comoros archipelago and Madagascar, Mayotte became part of a single French overseas territory in the early 20th century.

      The French have administered Mayotte separately from the remainder of the Comoros since 1975, when the three northernmost and predominantly Muslim islands of the Comoros unilaterally declared independence, and the Muslim and Christian inhabitants of Mayotte chose to remain with France. In 1976 the French government introduced a special status of collectivité territoriale for the island. The population of Mayotte demanded the status of a département for the island, but this was rejected by the French government. In December 1979 the French National Assembly voted to prolong the island's special status for five years, after which time the population's wishes would again be consulted. In the same year, the United Nations passed a resolution affirming the sovereignty of the Comoros over Mayotte.

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