Mamoudzou (; ''Momojou'') is the

capital city A capital city, or just capital, is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state (polity), state, province, department (administrative division), department, or other administrative division, subnational division, usually as its ...

Mayotte Mayotte ( ; , ; , ; , ), officially the Department of Mayotte (), is an Overseas France, overseas Overseas departments and regions of France, department and region and single territorial collectivity of France. It is one of the Overseas departm ...

, a French overseas region and department in the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...

. Mamoudzou is the most populated commune (municipality) of

. It is located on Grande-Terre (or Maoré), the main island of Mayotte. The commune is composed of six villages in addition to Mamoudzou. These are: Kawéni, Mtsapéré, Passamainti, Vahibé, Tsoundzou I and Tsoundzou II. The commune is also subdivided into three cantons: Mamoudzou-1, Mamoudzou-2 and Mamoudzou-3. The government owns the radio station in Mamoudzou and broadcasts in French and Mahorian. The government departments are all situated in the town.

History

The former capital of Mayotte was Dzaoudzi, on the small island of Petite-Terre (or Pamandzi), but Mamoudzou was chosen as the capital in 1977. In the 1985 census, 12,026 people were recorded in the main town. There have been environment concerns about

marine pollution Marine pollution occurs when substances used or spread by humans, such as industrial waste, industrial, agricultural pollution, agricultural, and municipal solid waste, residential waste; particle (ecology), particles; noise; excess carbon dioxi ...

in the area; "important degradation in the quality of the coastal waters" between 1977 and 2007 has been reported in the Coral Reef Lagoon in the Mamoudzou–Dzaoudzi strait, and in the Mamoudzou–Majikavo conurbation. In December 2024, Cyclone Chido destroyed most homes, administrative buildings and part of the town hall in Mamoudzou.

Climate

Mamoudzou has a

tropical savanna climate Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry "winter") and ''As'' (for a dry "summer"). The driest month has less than ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

''Aw''). The average annual temperature in Mamoudzou is . The average annual rainfall is with January as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in April, at around , and lowest in August, at around . The highest temperature ever recorded in Mamoudzou was on 21 April 2010; the coldest temperature ever recorded was on 18 July 1999.

Administration

The commune is composed of six villages in addition to its central habitation, also called Mamoudzou. These are: Kawéni, Mtsapéré, Passamainti, Vahibé, Tsoundzou I and Tsoundzou II. The commune is also subdivided into three cantons: Mamoudzou-1, Mamoudzou-2 and Mamoudzou-3. The government owns the radio station in Mamoudzou and broadcasts in French and Mahorian. The government departments, including Agriculture and Forestry, Education, Health and Social Security, Public Works, Work, Employment and training and Youth and Sports are situated on the Rue Mariaze in the town. The government departments have been based in the town since before it became the capital, from World War II. France Télécom operates in the town. The Hôtel de Ville was inaugurated in July 2009.

Population

Economy

Mamoudzou has a bank and shopping centre. The economic centre of the town is the Place du Marche, where the bank,

Air France Air France (; legally ''Société Air France, S.A.''), stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the flag carrier of France, and is headquartered in Tremblay-en-France. The airline is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and is one of the founding members ...

and Ewa Air offices, and the tourist office are located. The headquarters of the magazine '' Jana na Leo'', "primarily concerned with articles on social life of the island of Mahore", is published in Mamoudzou. Noteworthy restaurants in Mamoudzou include the ''Les Terrasses'', ''Hotel Restaurant Isijiva'', ''Le Barfly'' and ''Mamoudzou La Kaz. Mayotte Bac

A ferry service is provided for tourists to the island of Petite Terre.

Notable people

* Manou Mansour (born 1980), French poet

Religion

Churches

* Our Lady of Fatima Church, Mamoudzou

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control Capitals in Africa Populated places in Mayotte Communes of Mayotte Prefectures in France