Mayotte is an administrative district of France. The area consists of a main island, Grande-Terre (or Mahoré), a smaller island, Petite-Terre (or Pamanzi) and a number of cobs and skerries around these two.
| Capital: | Mamoudzou |
| Biggest city: | Mamoudzou |
| State: | French territory |
| Language: | French |
| Surface: | 376 km² |
| Population: | 212 600 (2012) |
| Population density: | 499 residents per km² |
| Currency: | euro (EUR) 1 euro = 9.76 kr |
| GDP per capita: | $ 2,600 (2003) |
| Time difference: | +2 hours |
| Electricity: | 220 V AC, 50Hz |
| National Day: | July 14 |
| Country area code: | 262 |
| 2-Letter country abbreviation: | YT |
| Business: | mainly agriculture and fishing |
| Climate: | tropical, with rainy season from November to May |
Mayotte is located near the northern end of the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean, between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique. The territory is geographically part of the Comoros, but has been politically separate from that state of the same name since the 1970s.
It was the only island in the archipelago that in the 1974 and 1976 polls voted to maintain its connection with France and not be independent. The Comoros continues to claim Mayotte, and in 1976 France vetoed a resolution at the UN Security Council, in which 11 out of 15 members recognized Comoros supremacy.
The situation turned out to be difficult for France: while the local population largely did not want to be independent of France, the country has been criticized by some left-wing regimes in the former colonies for not wanting to let go of their colony. In addition, Mayotte would be difficult to integrate into France, partly because the island is governed by traditional Islamic law, and partly because it would cost a lot to upgrade Mayotte’s standard of living to that of mainland France. For these reasons, laws created in France must specifically mention whether they apply to Mayotte, in order to do so.
Mayotte’s status changed in 2001 to be very similar to the French mainland department, although the Comoros still claims it. This change was approved by 73 percent of the population in a referendum on Mayotte.
French is the only official language of Mayotte. It is the language used by the administration and that used in schools. This is what is mainly used by television and radio, as well as in advertising. Despite this, Mayotte is the French territory where French skills are at their worst. According to the 2002 census, 55 percent of the population older than 15 years could read and write French. Many people nowadays mix French words into local languages, which makes many fear that the languages will become extinct, or turn into French-based Creole languages.
As the archipelago belongs to France, the euro is used as currency.
ELECTRICAL OUTLET
Electricity and electrical outlets in Mayotte
Voltage: 220 V / 240 V
Frequency: 50 Hz
Type of plug: C, E, F
Need an adapter: No, you do not need an adapter.
Mamoudzou
Mamoudzou is the capital of Mayotte, and has 53,022 residents (2007). The city is located on Mayotte’s main island Mahoré. The former capital was Dzaoudzi, but in 1977 Mamoudzou was elected capital instead.
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