Mayotte (2008) | Norfolk Island (2007) | |
Administrative divisions | none (territorial overseas collectivity of France) | none (territory of Australia) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 45.8% (male 48,016/female 47,533)
15-64 years: 52.5% (male 59,111/female 50,437) 65 years and over: 1.8% (male 1,864/female 1,822) (2007 est.) |
0-14 years: 20.2%
15-64 years: 63.9% 65 years and over: 15.9% (2007 est.) |
Agriculture - products | vanilla, ylang-ylang (perfume essence), coffee, copra | Norfolk Island pine seed, Kentia palm seed, cereals, vegetables, fruit; cattle, poultry |
Airports | 1 (2007) | 1 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007) |
Area | total: 374 sq km
land: 374 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 34.6 sq km
land: 34.6 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC | about 0.2 times the size of Washington, DC |
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. | Two British attempts at establishing the island as a penal colony (1788-1814 and 1825-55) were ultimately abandoned. In 1856, the island was resettled by Pitcairn Islanders, descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian companions. |
Birth rate | 40.35 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | NA |
Budget | revenues: $420 million
expenditures: $394 million (2005) |
revenues: $4.6 million
expenditures: $4.8 million (FY99/00) |
Capital | name: Mamoudzou
geographic coordinates: 12 46 S, 45 13 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
name: Kingston
geographic coordinates: 29 03 S, 167 58 E time difference: UTC+11.5 (16.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | tropical; marine; hot, humid, rainy season during northeastern monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to November) | subtropical; mild, little seasonal temperature variation |
Coastline | 185.2 km | 32 km |
Constitution | 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) | Norfolk Island Act of 1979, as amended in 2005 |
Country name | conventional long form: Territorial Collectivity of Mayotte
conventional short form: Mayotte |
conventional long form: Territory of Norfolk Island
conventional short form: Norfolk Island |
Death rate | 7.53 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | NA |
Debt - external | $NA | $NA |
Dependency status | departmental collectivity of France | self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of Transport and Regional Services |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territorial overseas collectivity of France) | none (territory of Australia) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territorial overseas collectivity of France) | none (territory of Australia) |
Disputes - international | claimed by Comoros | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $201.3 million; note - extensive French financial assistance (2005) | $NA |
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. | Tourism, the primary economic activity, has steadily increased over the years and has brought a level of prosperity unusual among inhabitants of the Pacific islands. The agricultural sector has become self-sufficient in the production of beef, poultry, and eggs. |
Electricity - consumption | 139.2 million kWh (2005) | NA kWh |
Electricity - production | NA kWh | NA kWh |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Benara 660 m |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Bates 319 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | NA |
Ethnic groups | NA | descendants of the Bounty mutineers, Australian, New Zealander, Polynesian |
Exchange rates | euros per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003) | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002) |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007); represented by Prefect Jean-Paul KIHL (since 17 January 2005)
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 |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by the Australian governor general
head of government: Administrator Grant TAMBLING (since 1 November 2003) cabinet: Executive Council is made up of four of the nine members of the Legislative Assembly; the council devises government policy and acts as an advisor to the administrator elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia |
Exports | $6.5 million f.o.b. (2005) | $1.5 million f.o.b. (FY91/92) |
Exports - commodities | ylang-ylang (perfume essence), vanilla, copra, coconuts, coffee, cinnamon | postage stamps, seeds of the Norfolk Island pine and Kentia palm, small quantities of avocados |
Exports - partners | France 43%, Comoros 36%, Reunion 15% (2006) | Australia, other Pacific island countries, NZ, Asia, Europe (2006) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 July - 30 June |
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 | three vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green with a large green Norfolk Island pine tree centered in the slightly wider white band |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
- |
GDP - real growth rate | NA% | - |
Geographic coordinates | 12 50 S, 45 10 E | 29 02 S, 167 57 E |
Geography - note | part of Comoro Archipelago; 18 islands | most of the 32 km coastline consists of almost inaccessible cliffs, but the land slopes down to the sea in one small southern area on Sydney Bay, where the capital of Kingston is situated |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
- |
Imports | $341 million f.o.b.; note - excludes petroleum imports (2005) | $17.9 million c.i.f. (FY91/92) |
Imports - commodities | food, machinery and equipment, transportation equipment, metals, chemicals | NA |
Imports - partners | France 49%, Seychelles 8.8%, China 4.1%, South Africa 2.8% (2006) | Australia, other Pacific island countries, NZ, Asia, Europe (2006) |
Independence | none (territorial overseas collectivity of France) | none (territory of Australia) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | - |
Industries | newly created lobster and shrimp industry, construction | tourism, light industry, ready mixed concrete |
Infant mortality rate | total: 59.51 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 65.33 deaths/1,000 live births female: 53.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.7% (2005) | - |
International organization participation | InOC, UPU | UPU |
Irrigated land | NA | NA |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel | Supreme Court; Court of Petty Sessions |
Labor force | 44,560 (2002) | NA |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture: 10%
industry and services: 90% |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: NA%
permanent crops: NA% other: NA% |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005) |
Languages | Mahorian (a Swahili dialect), French (official language) spoken by 35% of the population | English (official), Norfolk - a mixture of 18th century English and ancient Tahitian |
Legal system | the laws of France, where applicable, apply | based on the laws of Australia, local ordinances and acts; English common law applies in matters not covered by either Australian or Norfolk Island 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 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 |
unicameral Legislative Assembly (9 seats; members elected by electors who have nine equal votes each but only four votes can be given to any one candidate; to serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 20 October 2004 (next to be held by December 2007) election results: seats - independents 9 (note - no political parties) |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 62.16 years
male: 59.94 years female: 64.45 years (2007 est.) |
total population: NA
male: NA female: NA |
Literacy | definition: NA
total population: NA male: NA female: NA |
NA |
Location | Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique Channel, about one-half of the way from northern Madagascar to northern Mozambique | Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia |
Map references | Africa | Oceania |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of France; a small contingent of French forces is stationed on the island | defense is the responsibility of Australia |
National holiday | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) | Bounty Day (commemorates the arrival of Pitcairn Islanders), 8 June (1856) |
Nationality | noun: Mahorais (singular and plural)
adjective: Mahoran |
noun: Norfolk Islander(s)
adjective: Norfolk Islander(s) |
Natural hazards | cyclones during rainy season | typhoons (especially May to July) |
Natural resources | NEGL | fish |
Net migration rate | 3.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | NA |
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] | none |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | none |
Population | 208,783 (July 2007 est.) | 2,114 (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | - |
Population growth rate | 3.617% (2007 est.) | 0.006% (2007 est.) |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2001) | AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2005) |
Religions | Muslim 97%, Christian (mostly Roman Catholic) 3% | Anglican 34.9%, Roman Catholic 11.7%, Uniting Church in Australia 11.2%, Seventh-Day Adventist 2.8%, Australian Christian 2.4%, Jehovah's Witness 0.9%, other 2.7%, unspecified 15.2%, none 18.1% (2001 census) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.172 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.023 male(s)/female total population: 1.092 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
NA |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: small system administered by French Department of Posts and Telecommunications
domestic: NA international: country code - 269; microwave radio relay and HF radiotelephone communications to Comoros |
general assessment: adequate
domestic: free local calls international: country code - 672; undersea coaxial cable links with Australia, New Zealand, and Canada; satellite earth station |
Telephones - main lines in use | 10,000 (2002) | 2,532; note - a mix of analog (2500) and digital (32) circuits (2004) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 48,100 (2005) | 0; note - proposed cellular service disallowed in August 2002 island referendum (2002) |
Television broadcast stations | 3 (2001) | 1 (local programming station plus 2 repeaters that air Australian programs by satellite) (2005) |
Terrain | generally undulating, with deep ravines and ancient volcanic peaks | volcanic formation with mostly rolling plains |
Total fertility rate | 5.69 children born/woman (2007 est.) | NA |
Unemployment rate | 25.4% (2005) | - |