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.

Area
Total: 1,860 km²
Land: 1,850 km²
Comparative: slightly less than 10.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Comparative note: Includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 177 km

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Exclusive 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

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Piton de la Petite Riviere Noire 828 m

Natural resources:

Land use
Arable land: 54%
Permanent crops: 4%
Permanent pastures: 4%
Forests and woodland: 31%
Other: 7%

Irrigated land: 170 km² (1989 est.)

Population:
Growth rate:

Nationality
Noun: Mauritian(s)
Adjective: Mauritian

Ethnic groups:

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

Religions:

Population growth rate:

Birth rate:

Death rate:

Net migration rate:

Environment
Current issues: water pollution
Current issues Natural hazards: cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards
International agreements: party to_Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling; signed, but not ratified_Desertification

Sex ratio
At birth: 1 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
All ages:

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 70.53 years (1996 est.); 70.84 years (1995 est.)
Male: 66.72 years (1996 est.); 66.9 years (1995 est.)
Female: 74.33 years (1996 est.); 74.95 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate:

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

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*, Flacq, Grand Port, Moka, Pamplemousses, Plaines Wilhems, Port Louis, Riviere du Rempart, Rodrigues*, Savanne

Independence: 12 March 1968 (from U.K.)

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Cassam UTEEM (since 1 July 1992); Vice President Rabindranath GHURBURRON (since 1 July 1992)
Head of government: Prime Minister Navin RAMGOOLAM (since 27 December 1995) and Deputy Prime Minister Paul BERENGER (since 27 December 1995) were appointed by the president and are responsible to the National Assembly
Cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president on recommendation of the prime minister

Legislative branch: Unicameral Legislative Assembly:Elections last held on 20 December 1995 (next to be held by December 2000; results_MMM/MLP 65%, MSM/RMM 20%, other 15%; seats_(66 total; 62 elected, 4 appointed) MLP 35, MMM 25, allies of MLP and MMM on Rodrigues Island 2; appointed were Rodrigues Movement 2, Gaetan Duval Party 1, Hizballah 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

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

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

Economy overview: Since independence in 1968, Mauritius has developed from a low income, agriculturally based economy to middle income diversified economy with growing industrial and tourist sectors. For most of the period, annual growth has been of the order of 5% to 6%. This remarkable achievement has been reflected in 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 40% of export earnings. The government's development strategy centers on industrialization (with a view to modernization and to exports), agricultural diversification, and tourism. Economic performance in 1991-93 continued strong with solid real growth and low unemployment.

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:

Agriculture 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:

Industrial production growth rate: Growth rate 5.8% (1992; 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%

Unemployment rate: 2.4% (1991 est.)

Budget
Revenues: $653 million
Expenditures: $567 million, including capital expenditures of $143 million (FY92/93 est.)

Fiscal year: 1 July_30 June

Exports:
Commodities:
Partners:

Debt external: $996.8 million (1993 est.)

Exchange rates: Mauritian rupees (MauRs) per US$1_17.842 (January 1996), 17.386 (1995), 17.960 (1994), 17.648 (1993), 15.563 (1992), 15.652 (1991), 14.839 (1990)

Electricity
Capacity: 340,000 kW
Production: 920 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 777 kWh (1993)

Telephone system: 65,000 telephones (1985 est.); small system with good service
Local: NA
Intercity: utilizes primarily microwave radio relay
International: 1 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) earth station; microwave link to Réunion; high-frequency radio links to several countries

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $11.2 million, 0.4% of GDP (FY92/93)

Airports: 4
2438 to 3047 m: 1
914 to 1523 m: 1
Under 914 m: 2

Merchant marine
Total: 17 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 221,446 GRT/308,478 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 9, container 4, liquefied gas tanker 1, oil tanker 1, passenger-cargo 1 (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs: Illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; heroin consumption and transshipment are growing problems