_#_Disputes: claims French-administered Mayotte
_#_Climate: tropical marine; rainy season (November to May)
_#_Terrain: volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills
_#_Natural resources: negligible
_#_Land use: arable land 35%; permanent crops 8%; meadows and pastures 7%; forest and woodland 16%; other 34%
_#_Environment: soil degradation and erosion; deforestation; cyclones possible during rainy season
_#_Note: important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel
_*People #_Population: 476,678 (July 1991), growth rate 3.5% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 47 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 12 deaths/1,000 population (1991)