Mayotte Travel Overview
At a glance
Capital: Mamoudzou
Official language: French
Continent: Africa
Vacation on Mayotte
Pleasant summer temperatures, white dream beaches, crystal clear water – a paradise for beach vacationers, but especially for hikers and divers – La Mayotte, part of the EU in the Indian Ocean, offers all of this.
General
Mayotte is the southernmost archipelago of the Comoros and is located north of Madagascar in the Mosmabik Channel. As Territoire d’Outre Mer, it actually belongs to France, geographically to the Comoros archipelago.
The influence of France on Mayotte is mainly noticeable through the better infrastructure compared to other islands in the Comoros. The expansion of the transport network facilitates the development of tourism there. The official currency has been the EURO for several years. From 2011 Mayotte will even officially belong to the EU after the residents have finally spoken out in favor of remaining with France.
The islands
Mayotte comprises a total of more than 20 islands. The main islands are Petite-Terre and Grande-Terre, and the 15-minute crossing is a very special experience. The capital of the archipelago is Mamoudzou, which is located on the east side of Grande-Terre. The most important city, however, is Dzaoudzi – not least because of the airport located there. The smaller islands of Choazils and M’tzamboro are also worth seeing.
Flora and fauna
The archipelago has a unique flora and fauna. There are rain and dry forests. Visitors can admire ylang-ylang fields, wild species of orchids (around 50 different ones) such as the real vanilla plant, and baobabs. Baobabs, better known as “baobabs”, are characterized by a short, very thick trunk. When bare, the tree top of baobabs is reminiscent of a root system.
Humpback whales cavort in the sea and dolphins show their tricks. The beaches are largely left in their natural state and offer sea turtles suitable breeding grounds. The latter can be seen particularly well at night in the Saziley nature reserve.
Mont Choungui
Mountaineers like to climb Mont Choungui, a former volcanic vent that is located at the southern end of the largest island. Due to its shape, the Mont Choungui is the most striking mountain in the area and can therefore be seen from anywhere.
Corals
Mayotte is surrounded by one of the best-preserved coral reefs in the world. The reserve of the “Passe en S” is particularly suitable for snorkeling. The name of the reserve comes from the fact that the outermost reef at this point is interrupted by an S-shaped river.
The “lagoon island”
Mayotte has one of the largest enclosed lagoons in the world (over 100,000 m²). In some places the water is so clear that you can see the bottom up to 30 meters while snorkeling on the surface of the water. For those who don’t necessarily want to get wet, a glass-bottom boat ride is very popular.
Natural reserve
Special care is required when exploring the country, as most of the island and the coral reefs are under nature protection. The take home souvenirs such as corals and other marine plants is, as well as the fishing and harpoons prohibited, not to destroy the ecological balance.
Important facts
Capital: Mamoudzou
Official language: French
Currency
Geography
Continent: Africa
Geo coordinates: S -12 ° -49 ‘-39 ” E 45 ° 9’ 58.5″
Highest mountain: Benara (660 m)
Total area: 374 km²
Mainland: 374 km²
Coastline: 185 km
Politics
Dependency: France since 1843
Economy
Demographic data
Residents: 201,300
Residents in cities: 121,100
Average age: 17 years
0-14 years: 46%
15-64 years: 52.3%
> 65 years: 1.7%
Population growth: 3.77%
Birth rate: 40.95 / 1,000 residents
Death rate: 7.7 / 1,000 residents
Migration: 4.48 / 1,000 residents
Ratio men / women: 1.1
Fertility: 5.79 children / woman
Infant mortality: 60.76 ‰
Life expectancy men: 57.59 years
Life expectancy women: 64.02 years
Country codes and abbreviations
ISO 3166 Alpha 2: YT
ISO 3166 Alpha 3: MYT
ISO 3166 numeric: 175
Top Level Domain: yt
UN / LOCODE: YT
Source: Abbreviationfinder
Health
Number of doctors: 90
Daily food intake: 2.990 kcal / resident
Education
Religion
Main religious group: Muslims
