Mayotte | Facts & Information

Updated September 9, 2022 | Infoplease Staff

Mayotte Profile

Infoplease has everything you need to know about Mayotte. Check out our country profile, full of essential information about Mayotte's geography, history, government, economy, population, culture, religion and languages. If that's not enough, click over to our collection of world maps and flags.

Map of Mayotte

Facts & Figures

Status: Territorial Collectivity

Prefect: Jacques Witkowski (2013)

Total area: 145 sq mi (376 sq km)

Population (2009 est.): 194,000 (growth rate: 3.4%); birth rate: 39.7/1000; infant mortality rate: 57.8/1000; life expectancy: 62.5; density per sq mi: 1,291.2

Capital (2007 est.): Mamoudzou, 53,022

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

Religions: Islam 97%, Christian (mostly Roman Catholic).

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2005 est.): $1.13 billion; per capita $6,500. Real growth rate: n.a. Inflation: n.a. Unemployment: 38% (1999). Arable land: n.a. Agriculture: vanilla, ylang-ylang (perfume essence), coffee, copra. Labor force: 48,800 (2000). Industries: newly created lobster and shrimp industry, construction. Natural resources: negl. Exports: $3.44 million (f.o.b., 1997): ylang-ylang (perfume essence), vanilla, copra, coconuts, coffee, cinnamon. Imports: $141.3 million (f.o.b., 1997): food, machinery and equipment, transportation equipment, metals, chemicals. Major trading partners: France, Comoros, Réunion, Africa, Southeast Asia (2004).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 10,000 (2001); mobile cellular: 21,700 (2002). Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2001). Television broadcast stations: 3 (2001). Internet hosts: n.a. Internet users: n.a.

Transportation: Railways: 0 km. Highways: total: 93 km; paved: 72 km; unpaved: 21 km. Ports and harbors: Dzaoudzi. Airports: 1 (2004 est.).

International disputes: claimed by Comoros.

Major sources and definitions

France gained colonial control over Mayotte in 1843. It is the most populous of the four Comoros Islands in the Indian Ocean off Mozambique in Africa. Mayotte chose to remain a French dependency rather than join the other Comoran islands in declaring independence in 1975. Comoros laid claim to Mayotte shortly after independence and continues to do so. In July 2000, 70% of voters opted to accept greater autonomy but to remain a part of France.

In a 2009 referendum, voters approved accession to the status of department by a large majority. In fact, 95% voted in favor of departmental status. On March 31, 2011, Mayotte became an overseas department. An overseas department is part of France that is located elsewhere, not a part of mainland France.

On January 1, 2014, Mayotte is set to become part of the European Union. That will make Mayotte the European Union's outermost region.

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