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.

Population 208,783 (July 2007 est.)
Capital City Mamoudzou

Languages Mahorian (a Swahili dialect), French (official language) spoken by 35% of the population


Religions Muslim 97%, Christian (mostly Roman Catholic) 3%

Land


Location: Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar
Land Area 374 sq km - slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Terrain: generally undulating, with deep ravines and ancient volcanic peaks
Natural Resources: negligible
Geography note: part of Comoro Archipelago; 18 islands