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.

Land boundaries: none

Coastline: 177 km

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 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

Natural resources: arable land, fish

Land use: 54% arable land; 4% permanent crops; 4% meadows and pastures; 31% forest and woodland; 7% other; includes 9% irrigated

Geography
Note: located 900 km east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean geoad2

Population: 1,070,005 (July 1990), growth rate 1.8% (1990)

Nationality: noun--Mauritian(s; adjective--Mauritian

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

Languages: English (official), Creole, French, Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bojpoori

Religions: 51% Hindu, 30% Christian (mostly Roman Catholic with a few Anglicans), 17% Muslim, 2% other

Birth rate: 21 births/1000 population (1990)

Death rate: 6 deaths/1000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: 4 migrants/1000 population (1990)

Environment
Current issues: subject to cyclones (November to April; almost completely surrounded by reefs

Infant mortality rate: 20 deaths/1000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male, 73 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 2.0 children born/woman (1990)

Literacy: 82.8%

Country name: conventional long form: none

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Port Louis

Administrative divisions: 5 urban councils and 3 district councils*; Beau Bassin-Rose Hill, Curepipe, Moka-Flacq*, North*, Port Louis, Quatre Bornes, South*, Vacoas-Phoenix; note--there may now be 4 urban councils and 9 district councils* named Beau Bassin-Rose Hill, Black River*, Curepipe, Flacq*, Grand Port*, Moka*, Pamplemousses*, Plaine Wilhems*, Port Louis*, Quartre Bornes, Riviere du Rempart*, Savanne*, and Vacoas-Phoenix

Independence: 12 March 1968 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 12 March (1968)

Constitution: 12 March 1968

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

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Executive branch: Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Veerasamy RINGADOO (since 17 January 1986; Head of Government--Prime Minister Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 12 June 1982; Deputy Prime Minister Sir Satcam BOOLELL (since 15 August 1988)

Legislative branch: paramilitary Special Mobile Force, Special Support Units, regular Police Force

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, CCC, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ISO, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, NAM, OAU, OCAM, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Ambassador Chitmansing JESSERAMSING; Chancery at Suite 134, 4,301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20,008; telephone (202) 244-1491 or 1492; US--Ambassador Penne KORTH; Embassy at 4th Floor, Rogers Building, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis; telephone 82,347

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

Economy overview: The economy is based on sugar, manufacturing (mainly textiles), and tourism. Despite significant expansion in other sectors over the past decade, sugarcane remains dominant and is grown on about 90% of the cultivated land area, accounting 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 1988 was impressive, with 6.3% real growth rate and low unemployment.

Agriculture products: accounts for 14% 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, chemical and chemical products, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery, tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 12.9% (FY87)

Labor force: 335,000; 29% government services, 27% agriculture and fishing, 22% manufacturing, 22% other; 43% of population of working age (1985)

Unemployment rate: 3.6% (1988)

Budget: revenues $351 million; expenditures $414 million, including capital expenditures of $76 million (FY87 est.)

Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June

Exports: $1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1988)
Commodities: textiles 44%, sugar 40%, light manufactures 10%
Partners: EC and US have preferential treatment, EC 77%, US 15%

Imports: $1.3 billion (c.i.f., 1988)
Commodities: manufactured goods 50%, capital equipment 17%, foodstuffs 13%, petroleum products 8%, chemicals 7%
Partners: EC, US, South Africa, Japan

Debt external: $670 million (December 1989)

Exchange rates: Mauritian rupees (MauRs) per US$1--15.033 (January 1990), 15.250 (1989), 13.438 (1988), 12.878 (1987), 13.466 (1986), 15.442 (1985)

Electricity
Capacity: 233,000 kW capacity; 420 million kWh produced, 375 kWh per capita (1989)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: NA

Airports: 5 total, 4 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m

Merchant marine: 9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 143,029 GRT/ 248,754 DWT; includes 1 passenger-cargo, 3 cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 3 bulk

Disputes international: claims Chagos Archipelago, which includes the island of Diego Garcia in UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory; claims French-administered Tromelin Island

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade