Mayotte is an overseas department and region of France, which consists of an archipelago located in the northern Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Southeast Africa. The capital, and also the biggest city and prefecture, is Mamoudzou (known as Momoju in the local Shimaore language), located on Grande-Terre (or Mahoré), the main island of archipelago. The former capital was Dzaoudzi, but Mamoudzou was chosen as the capital in 1977. In the 1985 census, 12,026 people were recorded in the main town. Most of Mayotte’s shops, restaurants and businesses are concentrated in Mamoudzou, and the neighbouring industrial zone of Kaweni.
