Bouvet Island (2007) | Mayotte (2003) | |
Administrative divisions | - | none (territorial collectivity of France) |
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.) |
Agriculture - products | - | vanilla, ylang-ylang (perfume essence), coffee, copra |
Airports | - | 1 (2002) |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
Area | total: 49 sq km
land: 49 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 374 sq km
land: 374 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC |
Background | This uninhabited volcanic island is almost entirely covered by glaciers and is difficult to approach. It was discovered in 1739 by a French naval officer after whom the island was named. No claim was made until 1825, when the British flag was raised. In 1928, the UK waived its claim in favor of Norway, which had occupied the island the previous year. In 1971, Norway designated Bouvet Island and the adjacent territorial waters a nature reserve. Since 1977, it has run an automated meteorological station on the island. | 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. |
Birth rate | - | 42.86 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Budget | - | revenues: $NA
expenditures: $73 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991 est.) |
Capital | - | Mamoutzou |
Climate | antarctic | tropical; marine; hot, humid, rainy season during northeastern monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to November) |
Coastline | 29.6 km | 185.2 km |
Constitution | - | 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bouvet Island |
conventional long form: Territorial Collectivity of Mayotte
conventional short form: Mayotte |
Currency | - | euro (EUR) |
Death rate | - | 8.34 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $NA |
Dependency status | territory of Norway; administered by the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice and Police from Oslo | territorial collectivity of France |
Diplomatic representation from the US | - | none (territorial collectivity of France) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | - | none (territorial collectivity of France) |
Disputes - international | none | claimed by Comoros |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $107.7 million; note - extensive French financial assistance (1995) |
Economy - overview | no economic activity; declared a nature reserve | 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: 0%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: South Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Olav Peak 935 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 - 1.06 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs per US dollar - 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997) |
Executive branch | - | chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Jean-Jacques BROT (since 3 July 2002)
head of government: President of the General Council Younoussa BAMANA (since NA 1977) 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 |
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 (2000) |
Fiscal year | - | calendar year |
Flag description | the flag of Norway 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 | 54 26 S, 3 24 E | 12 50 S, 45 10 E |
Geography - note | covered by glacial ice; declared a nature reserve | 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% (2000 est.) |
Independence | - | none (territorial collectivity of France) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | NA% |
Industries | - | newly created lobster and shrimp industry, construction |
Infant mortality rate | - | total: 65.98 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 72.32 deaths/1,000 live births female: 59.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 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 | - | 48,800 (2000) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (93% ice) (2005) |
arable land: NA%
permanent crops: NA% other: NA% (1998 est.) |
Languages | - | Mahorian (a Swahili dialect), French (official language) spoken by 35% of the population |
Legal system | the laws of Norway, 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 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 |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: 60.6 years
male: 58.49 years female: 62.78 years (2003 est.) |
Literacy | - | definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | island in the South Atlantic Ocean, southwest of the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa) | Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique Channel, about one-half of the way from northern Madagascar to northern Mozambique |
Map references | Antarctic Region | Africa |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 4 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | - | none (2002 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of Norway | 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 | NA | cyclones during rainy season |
Natural resources | none | NEGL |
Net migration rate | - | 7.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
Population | uninhabited | 178,437 (July 2003 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
Population growth rate | - | 4.25% (2003 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Dzaoudzi |
Radio broadcast stations | - | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2001) |
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: 0.99 male(s)/female total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2003 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 (2001) |
Telephones - main lines in use | - | 12,000 (1998) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 0 (2000) |
Television broadcast stations | - | 3 (2001) |
Terrain | volcanic; coast is mostly inaccessible | generally undulating, with deep ravines and ancient volcanic peaks |
Total fertility rate | - | 6.07 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | 38% (1999) |
Waterways | - | none |