Mayotte (2008) | Saint Barthelemy (2008) | |
Administrative divisions | none (territorial overseas collectivity of France) | - |
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.) |
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Agriculture - products | vanilla, ylang-ylang (perfume essence), coffee, copra | - |
Airports | 1 (2007) | 1 |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007) |
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 |
Area | total: 374 sq km
land: 374 sq km water: 0 sq km |
21 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC | less than an eighth of 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. | Discovered in 1493 by Christopher COLUMBUS who named it for his brother Bartolomeo, St. Barthelemy was first settled by the French in 1648. In 1784, the French sold the island to Sweden, who renamed the largest town Gustavia, after the Swedish King GUSTAV III, and made it a free port; the island prospered as a trade and supply center during the colonial wars of the 18th century. France repurchased the island in 1878 and placed it under the administration of Guadeloupe. St. Barthelemy retained its free port status along with various Swedish appelations such as Swedish street and town names, and the three-crown symbol on the coat of arms. In 2003, the populace of the island voted to secede from Guadeloupe and in 2007, the island became a French overseas collectivity. |
Birth rate | 40.35 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | - |
Budget | revenues: $420 million
expenditures: $394 million (2005) |
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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: Gustavia
geographic coordinates: 17 53 N, 62 51 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight savings: +1 hour, starts 20 March and ends 17 October |
Climate | tropical; marine; hot, humid, rainy season during northeastern monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to November) | tropical, with practically no variation in temperature; has two seasons (dry and humid) |
Coastline | 185.2 km | - |
Constitution | 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) | 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) |
Country name | conventional long form: Territorial Collectivity of Mayotte
conventional short form: Mayotte |
conventional long form: Overseas Collectivity of Saint Barthelemy
conventional short form: Saint Barthelemy local long form: Collectivite d'outre mer de Saint-Barthelemy local short form: Saint-Barthelemy |
Death rate | 7.53 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | - |
Debt - external | $NA | - |
Dependency status | departmental collectivity of France | overseas collectivity of France |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territorial overseas collectivity of France) | none (overseas collectivity of France) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territorial overseas collectivity of France) | none (overseas collectivity of France) |
Disputes - international | claimed by Comoros | - |
Economic aid - recipient | $201.3 million; note - extensive French financial assistance (2005) | - |
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. | The economy of Saint Barthelemy is based upon high-end tourism and duty-free luxury commerce, serving visitors primarily from North America. The luxury hotels and villas host 70,000 visitors each year with another 130,000 arriving by boat. The relative isolation and high cost of living inhibits mass tourism. The construction and public sectors also enjoy significant investment in support of tourism. With limited fresh water resources, all food must be imported, as must all energy resources and most manufactured goods. Employment is strong and attracts labor from Brazil and Portugal. |
Electricity - consumption | 139.2 million kWh (2005) | - |
Electricity - production | NA kWh | - |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Benara 660 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morne du Vitet 286 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | with no natural rivers or streams, fresh water is in short supply, especially in summer, and provided by desalinization of sea water, collection of rain water, or imported via water tanker |
Ethnic groups | NA | white, Creole (mulatto), black, Guadeloupe Mestizo (French-East Asia) |
Exchange rates | euros per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003) | euros per US dollar - NA (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003) |
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: President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007), represented by Prefect Dominique LACROIX (since 21 March 2007)
head of government: President of the Territorial Council Bruno MAGRAS (since 16 July 2007) cabinet: Executive Council; note - there is also an advisory, economic, social, and cultural council 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 Interior; president of the Territorial Council is elected by the members of the Council for a five-year term election results: Bruno MAGRAS unanimously elected president by the Territorial Council on 16 July 2007 |
Exports | $6.5 million f.o.b. (2005) | - |
Exports - commodities | ylang-ylang (perfume essence), vanilla, copra, coconuts, coffee, cinnamon | - |
Exports - partners | France 43%, Comoros 36%, Reunion 15% (2006) | - |
Fiscal year | calendar year | - |
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 | the flag of France is used |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
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GDP - real growth rate | NA% | - |
Geographic coordinates | 12 50 S, 45 10 E | 17 90 N, 62 85 W |
Geography - note | part of Comoro Archipelago; 18 islands | - |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Imports | $341 million f.o.b.; note - excludes petroleum imports (2005) | - |
Imports - commodities | food, machinery and equipment, transportation equipment, metals, chemicals | - |
Imports - partners | France 49%, Seychelles 8.8%, China 4.1%, South Africa 2.8% (2006) | - |
Independence | none (territorial overseas collectivity of France) | none (overseas collectivity of France) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | - |
Industries | newly created lobster and shrimp industry, construction | - |
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.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.7% (2005) | - |
International organization participation | InOC, UPU | UPU |
Irrigated land | NA | - |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel | - |
Labor force | 44,560 (2002) | - |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: NA%
permanent crops: NA% other: NA% |
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Languages | Mahorian (a Swahili dialect), French (official language) spoken by 35% of the population | French (primary), English |
Legal system | the laws of France, where applicable, apply | the laws of France, where applicable, apply |
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 Territorial Council (19 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 1 and 8 July 2007 (next to be held July 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - SBA 72.2%, Action-Equilibre-Transparence 9.9%, Ensemble pour Saint-Barthelemy 7.9%, Tous Unis pour Saint-Barthelemy 9.9%; seats by party - SBA 16, Action-Equilibre-Transparence 1, Ensemble pour Saint-Barthelemy 1, Tous Unis pour Saint-Barthelemy 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 62.16 years
male: 59.94 years female: 64.45 years (2007 est.) |
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Literacy | definition: NA
total population: NA male: NA female: NA |
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Location | Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique Channel, about one-half of the way from northern Madagascar to northern Mozambique | located approximately 125 miles northwest of Guadeloupe |
Map references | Africa | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
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Military - note | defense is the responsibility of France; a small contingent of French forces is stationed on the island | defense is the responsibility of France |
National holiday | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789); note - local holiday is St. Barthelemy Day, 24 August |
Nationality | noun: Mahorais (singular and plural)
adjective: Mahoran |
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Natural hazards | cyclones during rainy season | - |
Natural resources | NEGL | has few natural resouces, its beaches being the most important |
Net migration rate | 3.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | - |
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] | Action-Equilibre-Transparence [Maxime DESOUCHES]; Ensemble pour Saint-Barthelemy [Benoit CHAUVIN]; Saint-Barth d'Abord! or SBA [Bruno MAGRAS]; Tous Unis pour Saint-Barthelemy [Karine MIOT-RICHARD] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | - |
Population | 208,783 (July 2007 est.) | 6,852 (1999 March census) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | - |
Population growth rate | 3.617% (2007 est.) | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2001) | - |
Religions | Muslim 97%, Christian (mostly Roman Catholic) 3% | Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jehovah's Witness |
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.) |
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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: fully integrated access
domestic: direct dial capability with both fixed and wireless systems international: country code - 590; undersea fiber-optic cable provides voice and data connectivity to Puerto Rico and Guadeloupe |
Telephones - main lines in use | 10,000 (2002) | - |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 48,100 (2005) | - |
Television broadcast stations | 3 (2001) | - |
Terrain | generally undulating, with deep ravines and ancient volcanic peaks | hilly, almost completely surrounded by shallow-water reefs, with 20 beaches |
Total fertility rate | 5.69 children born/woman (2007 est.) | - |
Transportation - note | - | nearest airport for international flights is Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) located in Sint Maarten (Netherlands Antilles) |
Unemployment rate | 25.4% (2005) | - |