Map of Mayotte
Mayotte is a country in Africa with its capital at Dzaoudzi, home to about 320,901 people across 374 km². The interactive map below plots 1 cities and towns and 1 mountain summits recorded for Mayotte in YearMaps.
- Population
- 320,901
- Area
- 374 km²
- Capital
- Dzaoudzi
- Continent
- Africa
Interactive Map of Mayotte
Centred on Dzaoudzi at 12.7871° S, 45.2750° E. Use the layer panel to switch on rivers, dams, ports, peaks and historical borders.
About Mayotte
Mayotte ( my-OT; French: Mayotte, [majɔt] ; Shimaore: Maore, IPA: [maˈore]; Kibushi: Maori, IPA: [maˈori]), officially the Department of Mayotte (French: Département de Mayotte), is an overseas department and region and single territorial collectivity of France. It is one of the overseas departments of France as well as one of the 18 regions of France, with the same status as the departments of Metropolitan France. It is an outermost region of the European Union and, as an overseas department of France, part of the eurozone.
Mayotte is located in the northern part of the Mozambique Channel in the western Indian Ocean off the coast of Southeastern Africa, between the northwestern part of the island of Madagascar and northeastern Mozambique on the continent. Mayotte consists of a main island, Grande-Terre (or Maore), a smaller island, Petite-Terre (or Pamanzi), as well as several islets around these two. Mayotte's land area is 374 square kilometres (144 sq mi) and, with its 320,901 people according to January 2024 official estimates, is very densely populated at 858 inhabitants per km2 (2,228 per sq mi). The biggest city and prefecture is Mamoudzou on the larger Grande-Terre. The Dzaoudzi–Pamandzi International Airport is located on the neighbouring smaller island of Petite-Terre. The territory is also known as Maore, the native name of its main island.
French is the official language and is spoken as a second language by an increasing part of the population, with 63% of the population 14 years and older reporting in the 2007 census that they could speak it. There are two native languages of Mayotte. The most commonly spoken is Shimaore, and the lesser spoken is a Malagasy language called Kibushi, of which there are two dialects; Kibushi sakalava, most closely related to the Sakalava dialect of Malagasy, and Kibushi antalaotsi, most closely related to the dialect spoken by the Antalaotra of Madagascar. Both dialects have been influenced by Shimaore.
The islands were populated from neighbouring East Africa, with a later arrival of Arabs, who brought the religious faith of Islam. A sultanate was established in 1500. The vast majority of the population today is Muslim. In the 19th century, Mayotte was conquered by Andriantsoly, former king of Iboina on Madagascar.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Mayotte (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Mayotte in Depth
History
In 1500, the Maore sultanate was established on the island. In 1503, Mayotte was observed and named (firstly Espirito Santo) by Portuguese explorers, but not colonized. The island has known several eras of wealth (especially during the 11th century at Acoua or between 9th and 12th centuries at Dembéni), being an important part of the Swahili coast culture. However, its sister island Anjouan was preferred by international traders due to its better suitability to large boats, and, for a long time, Mayotte remained poorly developed compared to the three other Comoros islands, often being targeted by pirates and Malagasy or Comorian raids.
In the early 19th century, Mayotte was controlled by a mercantile family that claimed Omani origins.
Geography
The term Mayotte (or Maore) may refer to all of the department's islands, of which the largest is known as Maore (French: Grande-Terre) and includes Maore's surrounding islands, most notably Pamanzi (French: Petite-Terre), or only to the largest island. The name is believed to come from Mawuti, contraction of the Arabic جزيرة الموت Jazīrat al-Mawt – meaning "island of death" (maybe due to the dangerous reefs circling the island) and corrupted to Mayotta in Portuguese, later turned into French. However, the local name is Maore, and the Arabic etymology is doubtful.
Economy
In 2019, the GDP of Mayotte at market exchange rates was €2.66 billion (US$2.98 bn). In that same year the GDP per capita of Mayotte at market exchange rates, not at PPP, was €9,692 (US$10,850), which was eight times larger than the GDP per capita of the Comoros that year, but only 42.8% of the GDP per capita of Réunion and 26.4% of the GDP per capita of Metropolitan France. Living standards are therefore lower than in metropolitan France. At the 2017 census, 10% of dwellings in Mayotte had no electricity, 29% of dwellings had no running water inside the dwelling, and 54% of dwellings had no toilets inside the dwelling.
Demographics
On 1 January 2024, a record 320,901 people were living in Mayotte (official INSEE estimate). According to the 2017 census, 58.5% of the people living in Mayotte were born in Mayotte (down from 63.5% at the 2007 census), 5.6% were born in the rest of the French Republic (either metropolitan France or overseas France except Mayotte) (up from 4.8% in 2007), and 35.8% were immigrants born in foreign countries (up from 31.7% at the 2007 census, with the following countries of birth in 2007: 28.3% born in the Union of the Comoros, 2.6% in Madagascar, and the remaining 0.8% in other countries).
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Mayotte (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Mayotte: Key Facts
| Official languages | French, Maore, Bushi |
|---|---|
| Head of government | Ben Issa Ousseni |
| Calling code | +262 |
| Internet domain | .yt |
| Highest point | Benara |
| Lowest point | Indian Ocean |
| Established | 1974 |
Facts from Wikidata Q17063 (CC0).
Visiting Mayotte
Mayotte is an archipelago among the East African Islands, lying in the Indian Ocean channel between Madagascar and Mozambique. It's a French overseas department with a population of 299,348 in 2022. Most live on the large island of Grande-Terre, which somewhat resembles a sea horse, used on Mayotte's coat of arms. A 2 km channel separates it from Petite-Terre, also urbanised; the other islets are tiny with only a handful of residents.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Mayotte (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in Mayotte
1 city recorded. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dzaoudzi | 32,057 | Moyotte | Populated place |
Highest Mountains in Mayotte
1 mountain recorded. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries.
| # | Name | Elevation | Feet | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Benara | 660 m | 2,165 ft | Africa |
Benara
Mountain · 660 m
Benara is a mountain rising to 660 metres (2,165 ft) in Mayotte and France, in the Africa region. The summit stands on the border between them. From PeakBagger.com, with kind permission..
Benara, or Mlima Bénara, is the highest peak of Grande-Terre, Mayotte, an overseas collectivity of France in the western Indian Ocean, with a height of 660 m (2,165 ft).
Adapted from Wikipedia: Benara (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Elevation
- 660 m (2,165 ft)
- Global rank
- #600 of 641 indexed
- Region
- Africa (#86)
- Subregion
- Comores
- Countries
- Mayotte, France
- Coordinates
- -12.9600°, 45.1400°
Of the 641 named summits indexed in YearMaps, Benara ranks #600 by elevation, below Ishpatina Ridge (693 m) and above Te Manga (652 m).
- Ranges:
- Inyanga Mountains (Africa), Lebombo Mountains (Africa)
- Settlements below:
- Dzaoudzi (24 km)
More about Benara
Description
Benara forms part of the massif that dominates south-central Mayotte. The upper slopes of the mountain rise steeply to a triangular peak. Ridges extend 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) west to the subordinate peaks of Tchaourembo (581 metres [1,906 ft]), Ngouni Maboungani (510 metres [1,670 ft]), and 4 km east to Trambatsini (297 metres [974 ft]). The area down to an elevation of about 200 metres (660 ft), which is typically the upper limit of cultivation on the island, contains what is probably the second largest expanse of forest on Mayotte. It has been identified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports populations of Comoro olive-pigeons, Comoro blue-pigeons, Mayotte drongos, Mayotte white-eyes and Mayotte sunbirds.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Benara (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Benara: Key Facts
| Topographic prominence | 660 m |
|---|
Facts from Wikidata Q210180 (CC0).
Largest Islands of Mayotte
1 island recorded. Ranked by mapped area. An island divided between countries is listed under each, with the area of the whole island.
| # | Name | Area | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Archipel Des Comores | 46,618 km² | Island group |
Countries Bordering Mayotte
Land and maritime neighbours.
More Maps in Africa
Mayotte: Quick Answers
- What is the capital of Mayotte?
- The capital of Mayotte is Dzaoudzi.
- What is the population of Mayotte?
- Mayotte has a population of about 320,901, the #182 largest of 225 countries in YearMaps. Source: Wikidata.
- How big is Mayotte?
- Mayotte covers 374 km², ranking #207 by area, with about 858 people per square kilometre.
- Which continent is Mayotte in?
- Mayotte is in Africa.
- Which countries border Mayotte?
- Mayotte shares a land or maritime border with Comoros, Madagascar.
- What is the largest city in Mayotte?
- Dzaoudzi is the largest city in Mayotte, with a metropolitan population of about 32,057.
- What is the highest mountain in Mayotte?
- The highest summit recorded for Mayotte in YearMaps is Benara at 660 m (2,165 ft). Summits on a border are counted for both countries.