Ashmore and Cartier Islands (2008) | Mayotte (2001) | |
Administrative divisions | - | none (territorial collectivity of France) |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years:
46.59% (male 38,188; female 37,920) 15-64 years: 51.73% (male 46,132; female 38,378) 65 years and over: 1.68% (male 1,361; female 1,387) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | vanilla, ylang-ylang (perfume essence), coffee, copra |
Airports | - | 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total:
1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Area | total: 5 sq km
land: 5 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets) and Cartier Island |
total:
374 sq km land: 374 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC | slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC |
Background | These uninhabited islands came under Australian authority in 1931; formal administration began two years later. Ashmore Reef supports a rich and diverse avian and marine habitat; in 1983, it became a National Nature Reserve. Cartier Island, a former bombing range, is now a marine reserve. | Mayotte was ceded to France along with the other Comoros in 1843. It was the only island in the archipelago that voted in 1974 to retain its link with France and forgo independence. |
Birth rate | - | 44.39 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | - | revenues:
$NA expenditures: $73 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991 est.) |
Capital | - | Mamoutzou |
Climate | tropical | tropical; marine; hot, humid, rainy season during northeastern monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to November) |
Coastline | 74.1 km | 185.2 km |
Constitution | - | 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) |
Country name | conventional long form: Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands
conventional short form: Ashmore and Cartier Islands |
conventional long form:
Territorial Collectivity of Mayotte conventional short form: Mayotte |
Currency | - | French franc (FRF); euro (EUR) |
Death rate | - | 8.84 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $NA |
Dependency status | territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Attorney-General's Department | territorial collectivity of France |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territory of Australia) | none (territorial collectivity of France) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territory of Australia) | none (territorial collectivity of France) |
Disputes - international | Indonesian groups challenge Australia's claim to these islands; Australia closed parts of the Ashmore and Cartier Reserve to Indonesian traditional fishing and placed restrictions on certain catches | claimed by Comoros |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $107.7 million (1995); note - extensive French financial assistance |
Economy - overview | no economic activity | 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:
NA% hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA% |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 3 m |
lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Benara 660 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | NA |
Ethnic groups | - | NA |
Exchange rates | - | euros per US dollar - 1.0659 (January 2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs per US dollar - 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996) |
Executive branch | - | chief of state:
President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Pierre BAYLE (since 15 July 1998) head of government: President of the General Council Younoussa BAMANA (since NA 1977) cabinet: NA elections: French president elected by popular vote for a seven-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 |
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 |
Fiscal year | - | calendar year |
Flag description | the flag of Australia is used | the flag of France is used |
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 14 S, 123 05 E | 12 50 S, 45 10 E |
Geography - note | Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in August 1983 | part of Comoro Archipelago; 18 islands |
Highways | - | total:
93 km paved: 72 km unpaved: 21 km |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 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% (1997) |
Independence | - | none (territorial collectivity of France) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | NA% |
Industries | - | newly created lobster and shrimp industry, construction |
Infant mortality rate | - | 69.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | NA% |
International organization participation | - | FZ |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | NA |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | - | Supreme Court or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel |
Labor force | - | NA |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (all grass and sand) (2005) |
arable land:
NA% permanent crops: NA% permanent pastures: NA% forests and woodland: NA% other: NA% |
Languages | - | Mahorian (a Swahili dialect), French (official language) spoken by 35% of the population |
Legal system | the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia and the laws of the Northern Territory of Australia, where applicable, apply | French law |
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 1995 (next to be held 24 September 2001); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - MPM 1; 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 |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population:
59.83 years male: 57.77 years female: 61.96 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | - | definition:
NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Southeastern Asia, islands in the Indian Ocean, midway between northwestern Australia and Timor island | Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique Channel, about one-half of the way from northern Madagascar to northern Mozambique |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Africa |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
exclusive economic zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | - | none (2000 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of Australia; periodic visits by the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force | defense is the responsibility of France; small contingent of French forces stationed on the island |
National holiday | - | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) |
Nationality | - | noun:
Mahorais (singular and plural) adjective: Mahoran |
Natural hazards | surrounded by shoals and reefs that can pose maritime hazards | cyclones during rainy season |
Natural resources | fish | NEGL |
Net migration rate | - | 10.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
People - note | the landing of illegal immigrants from Indonesia's Rote Island has become an ongoing problem | - |
Political parties and leaders | - | Democratic Front or FD [Youssouf MOUSSA]; Mahoran Popular Movement or MPM [Younoussa BAMANA]; Mahoran Rally for the Republic or RPR [Mansour KAMARDINE]; Movement for Department Status Mayotte or MDM [Henri JEAN-BAPTISTE]; 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 | no indigenous inhabitants
note: Indonesian fishermen are allowed access to the lagoon and fresh water at Ashmore Reef's West Island |
163,366 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
Population growth rate | - | 4.58% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Dzaoudzi |
Radio broadcast stations | - | AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | - | NA |
Railways | - | 0 km |
Religions | - | Muslim 97%, Christian (mostly Roman Catholic) |
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: 0.98 male(s)/female total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | - | 18 years of age; universal |
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 and other international connections |
Telephones - main lines in use | - | 9,314 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 0 (2000) |
Television broadcast stations | - | 3 (1997) |
Terrain | low with sand and coral | generally undulating, with deep ravines and ancient volcanic peaks |
Total fertility rate | - | 6.24 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | 45% (1997) |
Waterways | - | none |