Saint Martin (2007) | Mayotte (2006) | |
Administrative divisions | - | none (territorial collectivity of France) |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years: 46% (male 46,512/female 46,067)
15-64 years: 52.3% (male 56,899/female 48,274) 65 years and over: 1.7% (male 1,756/female 1,726) (2006 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | vanilla, ylang-ylang (perfume essence), coffee, copra |
Airports | 1 | 1 (2006) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006) |
Area | total: 54.4 sq km
land: 54.4 sq km water: NEGL |
total: 374 sq km
land: 374 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | more than one-third the size of Washington, DC | slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC |
Background | Although sighted by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1493 and claimed for Spain, it was the Dutch who occupied the island in 1631 and set about exploiting its salt deposits. The Spanish retook the island in 1633, but continued to be harassed by the Dutch. The Spanish finally relinquished St. Martin to the French and Dutch, who divided it amongst themselves in 1648. The cultivation of sugar cane introduced slavery to the island in the late 18th century; the practice was not abolished until 1848. The island became a free port in 1939; the tourism industry was dramatically expanded during the 1970s and 1980s. In 2003, the populace of St. Martin voted to secede from Guadeloupe and in 2007, the northern portion of the island became a French overseas collectivity. | 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 | - | 40.95 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Budget | - | revenues: $NA
expenditures: $73 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (1991 est.) |
Capital | name: Marigot
geographical coordinates: 18 04 N, 63 05 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight savings: +1 hour |
name: Mamoudzou
geographic coordinates: 12 47 S, 45 14 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | temperature averages 80-85 degrees all year long; low humidity, gentle trade winds, brief, intense rain showers; July-Novemeber is the hurricane season | tropical; marine; hot, humid, rainy season during northeastern monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to November) |
Coastline | 58.9 km (for entire island) | 185.2 km |
Constitution | 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) | 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) |
Country name | conventional long form: Overseas Collectivity of Saint Martin
conventional short form: Saint Martin local long form: Collectivity d'outre mer de Saint-Martin local short form: Saint-Martin |
conventional long form: Territorial Collectivity of Mayotte
conventional short form: Mayotte |
Death rate | - | 7.7 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $NA |
Dependency status | - | departmental collectivity of France |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas collectivity of France) | none (territorial collectivity of France) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas collectivity of France) | none (territorial collectivity of France) |
Disputes - international | - | claimed by Comoros |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $208 million; note - extensive French financial assistance (2004) |
Economy - overview | The economy of Saint Martin centers around tourism with 85% of the labor force engaged in this sector. Over one million visitors come to the island each year with most arriving through the Princess Juliana International Airport in Sint Maarten. No significant agriculture and limited local fishing means that almost all food must be imported. Energy resources and manufactured goods are also imported, primarily from Mexico and the United States. Saint Martin is reported to have the highest per capita income in the Caribbean. | 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 | - | 87.79 million kWh NA kWh |
Electricity - production | - | NA kWh |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pic du Paradis 424 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Benara 660 m |
Environment - current issues | fresh water supply is dependent on desalinization of sea water | NA |
Ethnic groups | creole (mulatto), black, Guadeloupe Mestizo (French-East Asia), white, East Indian | NA |
Exchange rates | euros per US dollar - 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002) | euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001) |
Executive branch | 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 Louis-Constant FLEMING (since 16 July 2007) cabinet: Executive Council; note - there is also an advisory economic, social, and cultural council election: French president elected by popular vote to 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: Louis-Constant FLEMING unanimously elected president by the Territorial Council on 16 July 2007 |
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), 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 |
Exports | - | $4.85 million f.o.b. (2004) |
Exports - commodities | - | ylang-ylang (perfume essence), vanilla, copra, coconuts, coffee, cinnamon |
Exports - partners | - | France 80%, Comoros 15%, Reunion (2004) |
Fiscal year | - | calendar year |
Flag description | the flag of France is used | 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 |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 1%
industry: 15% services: 84% (2000) |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - real growth rate | - | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 18 05 N, 63 57 W | 12 50 S, 45 10 E |
Geography - note | the island of Saint Martin is the smallest landmass in the World shared by two independent states, the French territory of Saint Martin and the Dutch territory of Sint Maarten | part of Comoro Archipelago; 18 islands |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | - | $256.7 million f.o.b. (2004) |
Imports - commodities | crude petroleum, food, manufactured items | food, machinery and equipment, transportation equipment, metals, chemicals |
Imports - partners | US, Mexico (2006) | France 66%, Africa 14%, Southeast Asia 11% (2004) |
Independence | none (overseas collectivity of France) | none (territorial collectivity of France) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | NA% |
Industries | tourism, light industry and manufacturing, heavy industry | newly created lobster and shrimp industry, construction |
Infant mortality rate | - | total: 60.76 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 66.76 deaths/1,000 live births female: 54.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | NA% |
International organization participation | UPU | UPU |
Irrigated land | - | NA |
Judicial branch | - | Supreme Court or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel |
Labor force | - | 44,560 (2002) |
Labor force - by occupation | 85% directly or indirectly employed in tourist industry | - |
Land boundaries | total: 15 km
border countries: Netherlands Antilles (Sint Maarten) 15 km |
0 km |
Land use | - | arable land: NA%
permanent crops: NA% other: NA% |
Languages | French (official language), English, Dutch, French Patois, Spanish, Papiamento (dialect of Netherlands Antilles) | Mahorian (a Swahili dialect), French (official language) spoken by 35% of the population |
Legal system | the laws of France, where applicable, apply | French law |
Legislative branch | unicameral Territorial Council (23 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 seats by party - UPP 49%, RRR 42.2%, Reussir Saint-Martin 8.9%; seats by party - UPP 16, RRR 6, Reussir Saint-Martin 1 |
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%; 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 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 55.08%, UDF 44.92%; seats by party - UMP-RPR 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: 61.76 years
male: 59.57 years female: 64.02 years (2006 est.) |
Literacy | - | definition: NA
total population: NA male: NA female: NA |
Location | island 300 km southeast of Puerto Rico | Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique Channel, about one-half of the way from northern Madagascar to northern Mozambique |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Africa |
Maritime claims | - | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of France | defense is the responsibility of France; small contingent of French forces stationed on the island |
National holiday | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789); note - local holiday is Schoalcher Day (Slavery Abolition Day) 12 July (1848) | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) |
Nationality | - | noun: Mahorais (singular and plural)
adjective: Mahoran |
Natural hazards | - | cyclones during rainy season |
Natural resources | salt | NEGL |
Net migration rate | - | 4.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | Union Pour le Progres or UPP [Louis Constant FLEMING]; Rassemblement Responsabilite Reussite or RRR [Alain RICHARDSON]; Reussir Saint-Martin [Jean-Luc HAMLET] | Democratic Front or FD [Youssouf MOUSSA]; Mahoran Popular Movement or MPM [Ahmed MADI]; Federation of Mahorans or RPR (UMP) [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 (local branch of French Parti Socialiste) [Ibrahim ABUBACAR]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Henri JEAN-BAPTISTE] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
Population | 33,102 (October 2004 census) | 201,234 (July 2006 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
Population growth rate | - | 3.77% (2006 est.) |
Radio broadcast stations | FM 3 (2007) | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2001) |
Religions | Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Protestant, Hindu | 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: 1.18 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age, universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | 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 Gudaloupe |
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 |
Telephones - main lines in use | - | 10,000 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 48,100 (2004) |
Television broadcast stations | - | 3 (2001) |
Terrain | - | generally undulating, with deep ravines and ancient volcanic peaks |
Total fertility rate | - | 5.79 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
Transportation - note | nearest airport for international flights is Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) located in Sint Maarten | - |
Unemployment rate | - | 32.8% (2003) |