Spratly Islands (2008) | Mayotte (2002) | |
Administrative divisions | - | none (territorial collectivity of France) |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years: 46.6% (male 39,927; female 39,628)
15-64 years: 51.7% (male 48,237; female 40,210) 65 years and over: 1.7% (male 1,429; female 1,448) (2002 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | vanilla, ylang-ylang (perfume essence), coffee, copra |
Airports | 3 (2007) | 1 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007) |
- |
Area | total: less than 5 sq km
land: less than 5 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts scattered over an area of nearly 410,000 sq km of the central South China Sea |
total: 374 sq km
land: 374 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | NA | slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC |
Background | The Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs. They are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and potentially by gas and oil deposits. They are claimed in their entirety by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, while portions are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines. About 45 islands are occupied by relatively small numbers of military forces from China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Brunei has established a fishing zone that overlaps a southern reef but has not made any formal claim. | 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 | - | 43.59 births/1,000 population (2002 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 | 926 km | 185.2 km |
Constitution | - | 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Spratly Islands |
conventional long form: Territorial Collectivity of Mayotte
conventional short form: Mayotte |
Currency | - | euro (EUR); French franc (FRF) |
Death rate | - | 8.58 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $NA |
Dependency status | - | 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 | all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam; parts of them are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines; in 1984, Brunei established an exclusive fishing zone that encompasses Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands but has not publicly claimed the reef; claimants in November 2002 signed the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea," which has eased tensions but falls short of a legally binding "code of conduct"; in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord to conduct marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands | claimed by Comoros |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $107.7 million (1995); note - extensive French financial assistance |
Economy - overview | Economic activity is limited to commercial fishing. The proximity to nearby oil- and gas-producing sedimentary basins suggests the potential for oil and gas deposits, but the region is largely unexplored. There are no reliable estimates of potential reserves. Commercial exploitation has yet to be developed. | 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: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Southwest Cay 4 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 - 1.1324 (January 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 |
Fiscal year | - | calendar year |
Flag description | - | 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 | 8 38 N, 111 55 E | 12 50 S, 45 10 E |
Geography - note | strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs | part of Comoro Archipelago; 18 islands |
Heliports | 3 (2007) | - |
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 | - | 67.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 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% (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 | - | 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: 60.21 years
male: 58.12 years female: 62.37 years (2002 est.) |
Literacy | - | definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Southeastern Asia, group of reefs and islands in the South China Sea, about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam to the southern Philippines | 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 | NA | exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | - | none (2002 est.) |
Military - note | Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs of which about 45 are claimed and occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam | 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 | typhoons; numerous reefs and shoals pose a serious maritime hazard | cyclones during rainy season |
Natural resources | fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential | NEGL |
Net migration rate | - | 9.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | - | Democratic Front or FD [Youssouf MOUSSA]; Mahoran Popular Movement or MPM [Younoussa BAMANA]; Federation of Mahorans or RPR [Moustoifa MOHAMED]; Movement for Department Status Mayotte or MDM [Younoussa BEN ALI]; Socialist Party or PS (local branch of French Parti Socialiste) [Ibrahim ABUBACAR]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Henri JEAN-BAPTISTE]; note - may no longer be in existence |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
Population | no indigenous inhabitants
note: there are scattered garrisons occupied by personnel of several claimant states |
170,879 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
Population growth rate | - | 4.41% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Dzaoudzi |
Radio broadcast stations | - | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2001) |
Radios | - | NA |
Railways | - | 0 km (2002) |
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 (2002 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 | flat | generally undulating, with deep ravines and ancient volcanic peaks |
Total fertility rate | - | 6.15 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | 45% (1997) (1997) |
Waterways | - | none |