Statistical information Mauritius 1993

Mauritius in the World
top of pageBackground: Discovered by the Portuguese in 1505 Mauritius was subsequently held by the Dutch French and British before independence was attained in 1968. A stable democracy with regular free elections and a positive human rights record the country has attracted considerable foreign investment and has earned one of Africa's highest per capita incomes. Recent poor weather and declining sugar prices have slowed economic growth leading to some protests over standards of living in the Creole community.
top of pageLocation:
Southern Africa, in the western Indian Ocean, 900 km east of
Madagascar
Geographic coordinatesMap reference:
Africa, Standard Time Zones of the WorldAreaTotal: 1,860 km²
Land: 1,850 km²
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 177 km
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or the edge of continental margin
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Maritime claimsClimate: tropical modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November; hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)
TerrainElevationNatural resources: arable land, fish
Land useArable land: 54%
Permanent crops: 4%
Meadows and pastures: 4%
Forest and woodland: 31%
Other: 7%
Irrigated land: 170 km² (1989 est.)
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographytop of pagePopulation: 1,106,516 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 0.95% (1993 est.)
NationalityNoun: Mauritian(s)
Adjective: Mauritian
Ethnic groups:
Indo-Mauritian 68%, Creole 27%, Sino-Mauritian 3%,
Franco-Mauritian 2%
Languages: English (official), Creole, French, Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bojpoori
Religions: Hindu 52%, Christian 28.3% (Roman Catholic 26%, Protestant 2.3%), Muslim 16.6%, other 3.1%
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate: 0.95% (1993 est.)
Birth rate: 19.67 births/1000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate: 6.44 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate: -3.71 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: subject to cyclones (November to April; almost completely surrounded by reefs
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 19 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 70.24 years
Male: 66.34 years
Female: 74.3 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.23 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: age 13 and over can read and write (1962)
Male: 72%
Female: 50%
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: Republic of Mauritius
Conventional short form: Mauritius
Government type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Port Louis
Administrative divisions:
9 districts and 3 dependencies*; Agalega
Islands*, Black River, Cargados Carajos*, Flacq, Grand Port, Moka,
Pamplemousses, Plaines Wilhems, Port Louis, Riviere du Rempart, Rodrigues*,
Savanne
Dependent areasIndependence: 12 March 1968 (from UK)
National holidayIndependence Day 12 March 1968 government coalition: Militant Socialist Movement (MSM), A. JUGNAUTH
Opposition: Mauritian Labor Party (MLP), Navin RAMGOOLMAN
Constitution: 12 March 1968
Legal system: based on French civil law system with elements of English common law in certain areas
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: president, vice president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly
Judicial branchPolitical parties and leadersInternational organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representationIn the us chief of mission: Ambassador Chitmansing JESSERAMSING
In the us chancery: Suite 134, 4,301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: (202) 244-1491 or 1492
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador vacant
From the us embassy: 4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis
From the us mailing address: 4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis
From the us telephone: 230 208-9,763 through 208-9,767
From the us fax: 230 208-9,534
Flag description
: four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: The economy is based on sugar, manufacturing (mainly textiles), and tourism. Sugarcane is grown on about 90% of the cultivated land area and accounts for 40% of export earnings. The government's development strategy is centered on industrialization (with a view to exports), agricultural diversification, and tourism. Economic performance in FY91 was impressive, with 6% real growth and low unemployment.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rate: 6.1% (FY91 est.)
Real gdp per capita: $2,300 (FY91 est.)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: accounts for 10% of GDP; about 90% of cultivated land in sugarcane; other products - tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses, cattle, goats, fish; net food importer, especially rice and fish
Industries: food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, wearing apparel, chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery, tourism
Industrial production growth rate: growth rate 7% (1990; accounts for 25% of GDP
Labor force: 335,000
By occupation government services: 29%
By occupation agriculture and fishing: 27%
By occupation manufacturing: 22%
By occupation other:22%
43% of population of working age (1985)
Unemployment rate: 2.4% (1991 est.)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $557 million; expenditures $607 million, including capital expenditures of $111 million (FY90)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
Partners: EC and US have preferential treatment, EC 77%, US 15%
Commodoties: manufactured goods 50%, capital equipment 17%, foodstuffs 13%, petroleum products 8%, chemicals 7%
Imports: $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
Partners: EC, US, South Africa, Japan
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt externalStock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: Mauritian rupees (MauRs) per US$1 - 16.982 (January 1993), 15.563 (1992), 15.652 (1991), 14.839 (1990), 15.250 (1989), 13.438 (1988)
top of pageElectricityProduction: 235,000 kW capacity; 630 million kWh produced, 570 kWh per capita (1992)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresPercent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $5 million, 0.2% of GDP (FY89)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 5
Usable: 4
With permanentsurface runways: 2
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 1
HeliportsPipelinesRailwaysRoadwaysWaterwaysMerchant marine:
7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 103,328 GRT/163,142
DWT; includes 3 cargo, 1 liquefied gas, 3 bulk
Ports and terminalstop of pageDisputes international:
claims UK-administered Chagos Archipelago, which includes the island of Diego Garcia in UK-administered British Indian Ocean
Territory; claims French-administered Tromelin Island
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade