Map of Mauritius | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: 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.


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Location: Southern Africa island in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar

Geographic coordinates: 20 17 S 57 33 E

Map reference: Political Map of the World

Area
Total: 2,040 km²
Note: includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues
Water: 10 km²
Land: 2,030 km²
Comparative: almost 11 times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 177 km

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin
Territorial sea: 12 NM
Exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

Climate: tropical modified by southeast trade winds; warm dry winter (May to November); hot wet humid summer (November to May)

Terrain: small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Mont Piton 828 m

Natural resources: arable land: fish

Land use
Arable land: 49.26%
Permanent crops: 2.96%
Other: 47.78% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 200 km² (1998 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards

Geography
Note: the main island from which the country derives its name is of volcanic origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs


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Population: 1,200,206 (July 2002 est.)
Growth rate: 0.86% (2002 est.)
Below poverty line: 10% (2001 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Mauritian
Adjective: Mauritian

Ethnic groups: Indo-Mauritian 68% Creole 27% Sino-Mauritian 3% Franco-Mauritian 2%

Languages: English (official) Creole French (official) Hindi Urdu Hakka Bhojpuri

Religions: Hindu 52% Christian 28.3% (Roman Catholic 26% Protestant 2.3%) Muslim 16.6% other 3.1%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 25.4% (male 153,810; female 150,464)
15-64 years: 68.3% (male 409,028; female 411,070)
65 years and over: 6.3% (male 30,170; female 45,664) (2002 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.86% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 16.34 births/1000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 6.81 deaths/1000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.92 migrant(s)/1000 population (2002 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: water pollution degradation of coral reefs
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.02 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.02 male/female
15-64 years: 1 male/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male/female
Total population: 0.98 male/female (2002 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 16.65 deaths/1000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 71.53 years
Female: 75.58 years (2002 est.)
Male: 67.54 years

Total fertility rate: 2 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.08% (1999 est.)
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 82.9%
Male: 87.1%
Female: 78.8% (1995 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional 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 Shoals* Flacq Grand Port Moka Pamplemousses Plaines Wilhems Port Louis Riviere du Rempart Rodrigues* Savanne

Dependent areas

Independence: 12 March 1968 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 12 March (1968)

Constitution: 12 March 1968; amended 12 March 1992

Legal system: based on French civil law system with elements of English common law in certain areas

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Karl OFFMANN (since 25 February 2002) and Vice President Raouf BUNDHUN (since 25 February 2002)
Head of government: Prime Minister Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 17 September 2000) and Deputy Prime Minister Paul BERENGER (since 17 September 2000)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
Elections: president and vice president elected by the National Assembly for five-year terms; election last held 25 February 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president, responsible to the National Assembly
Election results: Karl OFFMANN elected president and Raouf BUNDHUN elected vice president; percent of vote by the National Assembly - NA%

Legislative branch
Elections: last held on 11 September 2000 (next to be held by September 2005)
Election results: percent of vote by party - MSM/MMM 52.3%, MLP/PMSD 36.9%, OPR 10.8%; seats by party - MSM/MMM 54, MLP/PMSD 6, OPR 2

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: Hizbullah [Cehl Mohamed FAKEEMEEAH]; Mauritian Labor Party or MLP [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM]; Mauritian Militant Movement or MMM [Paul BERENGER] - in coalition with MSM; Mauritian Militant Renaissance or MMR [Dr. Paramhansa NABABSING]; Mauritian Social Democrat Party or PMSD [Charles Xavier-Luc DUVAL]; Militant Socialist Movement or MSM [Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH] - governing party; Rodrigues Movement or OPR [Joseph (Nicholas) Von MALLY]

International organization participation: ACCT ACP AfDB C CCC ECA FAO G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICFTU ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO InOC Interpol IOC ISO ITU NAM OAU OPCW PCA SADC UN UN Security Council (temporary) UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WCL WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Usha JEETAH
In the us fax: [1] (202) 966-0983
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 244-1491, 1492
In the us chancery: 4,301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 441, Washington, DC 20,008
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador John PRICE
From the us embassy: 4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis
From the us mailing address: international mail: P. O. Box 544, Port Louis; US mail: American Embassy, Port Louis, Department of State, Washington, DC 20,521-2,450
From the us telephone: [230] 202-4,400
From the us fax: [230] 208-9,534

Flag description: four equal horizontal bands of red (top) blue yellow and green

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Since independence in 1968 Mauritius has developed from a low-income agriculturally based economy to a middle-income diversified economy with growing industrial financial and tourist sectors. For most of the period annual growth has been in the order of 5% to 6%. This remarkable achievement has been reflected in more equitable income distribution increased life expectancy lowered infant mortality and a much improved infrastructure. Sugarcane is grown on about 90% of the cultivated land area and accounts for 25% of export earnings. The government's development strategy centers on foreign investment. Mauritius has attracted more than 9,000 offshore entities many aimed at commerce in India and South Africa and investment in the banking sector alone has reached over $1 billion. Mauritius with its strong textile sector and responsible fiscal management was well-poised to take advantage of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 5.2% (2001 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $10,800 (2001 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 6%
Industry: 33%
Services: 61% (1999 est.)

Agriculture products: sugarcane tea corn potatoes bananas pulses; cattle goats; fish

Industries: food processing (largely sugar milling) textiles clothing; chemicals metal products transport equipment nonelectrical machinery; tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 8% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 514,000 (1995) (1995)
By occupation construction and industry: 36%
By occupation services: 24%
By occupation agriculture and fishing: 14%
By occupation trade restaurants hotels: 16%
By occupation transportation and communication: 7%
By occupation finance: 3% (1995) (1995)

Unemployment rate: 8.6% (2001 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 10% (2001 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index: 0 (1987 est.)

Budget
Revenues: $1.1 billion
Expenditures: $1.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices: 4.2% (2001 est.)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $1.6 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Commodities: clothing and textiles sugar cut flowers molasses
Partners: UK 25.8% France 20.8% US 16.0% South Africa 10.9% Germany Italy (2000 est.)

Imports: $2 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Commodities: manufactured goods capital equipment foodstuffs petroleum products chemicals (1996)
Partners: South Africa 20.0% France 19.0% India 9.0% Hong Kong 5.2% UK (2000 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $2.3 billion (2000 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Mauritian rupees per US dollar - 30.345 (January 2002) 29.129 (2001) 26.250 (2000) 25.186 (1999) 22.993 (1998) 21.057 (1997)


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Electricity
Production: 1.285 billion kWh (2000)
Production by source fossil fuel: 91%
Production by source hydro: 9%
Production by source other: 0% (2000)
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Consumption: 1.195 billion kWh (2000)
Exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Imports: 0 kWh (2000)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 280,900 (2000)
Mobile cellular: 180,000 (2000)

Telephone system
General assessment: small system with good service
Domestic: primarily microwave radio relay trunk system
International: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); new microwave link to Reunion; HF radiotelephone links to several countries

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .mu
Service providers isps: 2 (2000)
Users: 158,000 (2002)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $9.1 million (FY01)
Percent of gdp: 0.2% (FY01)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 5 (2001)
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2002)
With unpaved runways total: 3
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1 (2002)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways: 0 km (2002)

Roadways

Waterways: none

Merchant marine
Total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 66,004 GRT/90,017 DWT
Ships by type: cargo 2, combination bulk 2, container 2, refrigerated cargo 2
Note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience:, Belgium 1, India 3, Norway 1, Switzerland 2 (2002 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: Mauritius claims the Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory) and its former inhabitants who reside chiefly in Mauritius but were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation in 2001; claims French-administered Tromelin Island

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: minor consumer and transshipment point for heroin from South Asia; small amounts of cannabis produced and consumed locally; significant offshore financial industry creates potential for money laundering but corruption levels are relatively low and the government appears generally to be committed to regulating its banking industry