Background: Although known to Arab and Malay sailors as early as the 10th century, the uninhabited island of Mauritius was first explored by the Portuguese in the 16th century and subsequently settled by the Dutch - who named it in honor of Prince Maurits van NASSAU - in the 17th century. The French assumed control in 1715, developing the island into an important naval base overseeing Indian Ocean trade, and establishing a plantation economy of sugar cane. The British captured the island in 1810, during the Napoleonic Wars. Mauritius remained a strategically important British naval base, and later an air station, playing an important role during World War II for anti-submarine and convoy operations, as well as the collection of signals intelligence. Independence from the UK 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 one of Africa's highest per capita incomes. Mauritius claims the French island of Tromelin and the British Chagos Archipelago (British Indian Ocean Territory).

Geographic coordinates: 20 17 S, 57 33 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 2,040 km²
Land: 2,030 km²
Water: 10 km²
Note: includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues
Rank: 180
Comparative: almost 11 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 177 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin: measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines

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
Lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
Highest point: Mont Piton 828 m

Natural resources: arable land, fish

Land use
Agricultural land: 43.8% (2011 est.)
Forest: 17.3% (2011 est.)
Other: 38.9% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 190 km² (2012)

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; former home of the dodo, a large flightless bird related to pigeons, driven to extinction by the end of the 17th century through a combination of hunting and the introduction of predatory species

Population
Distribution rank: population distribution map: 1,379,365 (July 2020 est.)
Rank: 156
Growth rate: 0.54% (2020 est.)
Growth rate rank: 152
Below poverty line: 8% (2006 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Mauritian(s)
Adjective: Mauritian

Ethnic groups: Indo-Mauritian (compose approximately two thirds of the total population), Creole, Sino-Mauritian, Franco-Mauritian
Note:  Mauritius has not had a question on ethnicity on its national census since 1972

Languages: Creole 86.5%, Bhojpuri 5.3%, French 4.1%, two languages 1.4%, other 2.6% (includes English, the official language of the National Assembly, which is spoken by less than 1% of the population), unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.)

Religions: Hindu 48.5%, Roman Catholic 26.3%, Muslim 17.3%, other Christian 6.4%, other 0.6%, none 0.7%, unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.)

Demographic profile: Mauritius has transitioned from a country of high fertility and high mortality rates in the 1950s and mid-1960s to one with among the lowest population growth rates in the developing world today. After World War II, Mauritius’ population began to expand quickly due to increased fertility and a dramatic drop in mortality rates as a result of improved health care and the eradication of malaria. This period of heightened population growth - reaching about 3% a year - was followed by one of the world’s most rapid birth rate declines.The total fertility rate fell from 6.2 children per women in 1963 to 3.2 in 1972 - largely the result of improved educational attainment, especially among young women, accompanied by later marriage and the adoption of family planning methods. The family planning programs’ success was due to support from the government and eventually the traditionally pronatalist religious communities, which both recognized that controlling population growth was necessary because of Mauritius’ small size and limited resources. Mauritius’ fertility rate has consistently been below replacement level since the late 1990s, a rate that is substantially lower than nearby countries in southern Africa.With no indigenous population, Mauritius’ ethnic mix is a product of more than two centuries of European colonialism and continued international labor migration. Sugar production relied on slave labor mainly from Madagascar, Mozambique, and East Africa from the early 18th century until its abolition in 1835, when slaves were replaced with indentured Indians. Most of the influx of indentured labor - peaking between the late 1830s and early 1860 - settled permanently creating massive population growth of more than 7% a year and reshaping the island’s social and cultural composition. While Indians represented about 12% of Mauritius’ population in 1837, they and their descendants accounted for roughly two-thirds by the end of the 19th century. Most were Hindus, but the majority of the free Indian traders were Muslims.Mauritius again turned to overseas labor when its success in clothing and textile exports led to a labor shortage in the mid-1980s. Clothing manufacturers brought in contract workers (increasingly women) from China, India, and, to a lesser extent Bangladesh and Madagascar, who worked longer hours for lower wages under poor conditions and were viewed as more productive than locals. Downturns in the sugar and textile industries in the mid-2000s and a lack of highly qualified domestic workers for Mauritius’ growing services sector led to the emigration of low-skilled workers and a reliance on skilled foreign labor. Since 2007, Mauritius has pursued a circular migration program to enable citizens to acquire new skills and savings abroad and then return home to start businesses and to invest in the country’s development.

Age structure
0-14 years: 19.44% (male 137,010/female 131,113)
15-24 years: 14.06% (male 98,480/female 95,472)
25-54 years: 43.11% (male 297,527/female 297,158)
55-64 years: 12.31% (male 80,952/female 88,785)
65 years and over: 11.08% (male 63,230/female 89,638) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 41.5
Youth dependency ratio: 23.7
Elderly dependency ratio: 17.7
Potential support ratio: 5.6 (2020 est.)

Median age
Total: 36.3 years
Male: 35 years
Female: 37.6 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 80

Population growth rate: 0.54% (2020 est.)
Rank: 152

Birth rate: 12.6 births/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 151

Death rate: 7.3 deaths/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 114

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 89

Population distribution
Rank: population distribution map

Urbanization
Urban population: 40.8% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 0.11% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 149,000 PORT LOUIS (capital) (2018)

Environment
Current issues: water pollution, degradation of coral reefs; soil erosion; wildlife preservation; solid waste disposal
International agreements party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 9 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 10.7 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 7.3 deaths/1000 live births (2020 est.)
Rank: 139

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 76.5 years
Male: 73 years
Female: 80.1 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 95

Total fertility rate: 1.73 children born/woman (2020 est.)
Rank: 165

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 63.8% (2014)

Drinking water source
Urban: 0% of population
Rural: 0% of population
Total: 0% of population (2017 est.)

Current health expenditure: 5.7% (2017)

Physicians density: 2.6 physicians/1000 population (2019)

Hospital bed density: 3.4 beds/1000 population (2019)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 0.1% of population
Rural: 0.8% of population
Total: 0.5% of population (2017 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 1% (2019)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 45
People living with hivaids: 11,000 (2019)
People living with hivaids rank: 98
Deaths note: <1000 (2018)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 10.8% (2016)
Rank: 137

Education expenditures: 4.7% of GDP (2019)
Rank: 73

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 91.3%
Male: 93.4%
Female: 89.4% (2018)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 15 years
Male: 14 years
Female: 16 years (2017)

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Mauritius
Conventional short form: Mauritius
Local long form: Republic of Mauritius
Local short form: Mauritius
Etymology: island named after Prince Maurice VAN NASSAU, stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, in 1598
Note: pronounced mah-rish-us

Government type: parliamentary republic

Capital
Name: Port Louis
Geographic coordinates: 20 09 S, 57 29 E
Time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time): etymology: named after Louis XV, who was king of France in 1736 when the port became the administrative center of Mauritius and a major reprovisioning stop for French ships traveling between Europe and Asia

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

Independence: 12 March 1968 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence and Republic Day, 12 March (1968 & 1992); note - became independent and a republic on the same date in 1968 and 1992 respectively

Constitution
History: several previous; latest adopted 12 March 1968
Amendments: proposed by the National Assembly; passage of amendments affecting constitutional articles, including the sovereignty of the state, fundamental rights and freedoms, citizenship, or the branches of government, requires approval in a referendum by at least three-fourths majority of voters followed by a unanimous vote by the Assembly; passage of other amendments requires only two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly; amended many times, last in 2016

Legal system: civil legal system based on French civil law with some elements of English common law

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: yes
Citizenship by descent only: yes
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 out of the previous 7 years including the last 12 months

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Pritivirajsing ROOPUN (since December 2019); Vice President Marie Cyril Eddy Boissézon (2 December 2019) note - President Ameenah GURIB-FAKIM (since 5 June 2015) resigned on 23 March 2018 amid a credit card scandal
Head of government: Prime Minister Pravind JUGNAUTH (since 23 January 2017, remains PM after parliamentary election 7 Nov 2019); note - Prime Minister Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 17 December 2014) stepped down on 23 January 2017 in favor of his son, Pravind Kumar JUGNAUTH, who was then appointed prime minister; 7 Nov 2019 Pravind Jugnauth remains prime minister and home affairs minister and also becomes defense minister (2019)
Cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers (Council of Ministers) appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
Electionsappointments: president and vice president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for 5-year renewable terms; election last held on 7 Nov 2019 (next to be held in 2024); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president, responsible to the National Assembly (2019)
Election results: seats by party as of 7/11/2019- (MSM) 38, (PTR) 14, (MMM) 8, (OPR) 2; note - GURIB-FAKIM, Mauritius- first female president, resigned on 23 March 2018 (2018)

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (70 seats maximum; 62 members directly elected multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and up to 8 seats allocated to non-elected party candidates by the Office of Electoral Commissioner; members serve a 5-year term)
Elections: last held on 7 November 2019 (next to be held by late 2024)
Election results: percent of vote by party - MSM 61%, Labour Party 23%, MMM 13%, OPR 3%; elected seats by party as of - the Militant Socialist Movement (MSM) wins 38 seats, the Labour Party (PTR) or (MLP) 14, Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM) 8 and the Rodrigues Peoples Organization (OPR) 2; composition - men 49, women 13; percent of women 20% (2019)

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court of Mauritius (consists of the chief justice, a senior puisne judge, and 18 puisne judges); note - the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) serves as the final court of appeal
Judge selection and term of office: chief justice appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister; senior puisne judge appointed by the president with the advice of the chief justice; other puisne judges appointed by the president with the advice of the Judicial and Legal Commission, a 4-member body of judicial officials including the chief justice; all judges serve until retirement at age 67
Subordinate courts: lower regional courts known as District Courts, Court of Civil Appeal; Court of Criminal Appeal; Public Bodies Appeal Tribunal

Political parties and leaders: Alliance Lepep (Alliance of the People) [Pravind JUGNAUTH] (coalition includes MSM and ML)Labor Party (Parti Travailliste) or PTR or MLP [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM]Mauritian Militant Movement (Mouvement Militant Mauricien) or MMM [Paul BERENGER]Mauritian Social Democratic Party (Parti Mauricien Social Democrate) or PMSD [Xavier Luc DUVAL]Mauritian Solidarity Front (Front Solidarite Mauricienne) or FSM [Cehl FAKEERMEEAH, aka Cehl MEEAH]Militant Socialist Movement (Mouvement Socialist Mauricien) or MSM [Pravind JUGNAUTH]Muvman Liberater or ML [Ivan COLLENDAVELLOO]Patriotic Movement (Mouvement Patriotic) [Alan GANOO]Rodrigues Peoples Organization (Organisation du Peuple Rodriguais) or OPR [Serge CLAIR]

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, AOSIS, AU, C, CD, COMESA, CPLP (associate), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, SAARC (observer), SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Sooroojdev PHOKEER (since 3 August 2015)
In the us chancery: 1709 N Street NW, Washington, DC 20,036; administrative offices at 3,201 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 441, Washington, DC 20,036
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 244-1491 through 1492
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 966-0983
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador David D. REIMER (since 10 January 2018); note - also accredited to Seychelles
From the us telephone: [230] 202-4,400
From the us embassy: 4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Avenue, Port Louis
From the us mailing address: international mail: P.O. Box 544, Port Louis; US mail: American Embassy, Port Louis, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20,521-2,450
From the us FAX: [230] 208-9,534

Flag description: four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green; red represents self-determination and independence, blue the Indian Ocean surrounding the island, yellow has been interpreted as the new light of independence, golden sunshine, or the bright future, and green can symbolize either agriculture or the lush vegetation of the island
Note: while many national flags consist of three - and in some cases five - horizontal bands of color, the flag of Mauritius is the world's only national flag to consist of four horizontal color bands

National symbols: dodo bird, Trochetia Boutoniana flower; national colors: red, blue, yellow, green

National anthem
Name: Motherland
Lyricsmusic: Jean Georges PROSPER/Philippe GENTIL
Note: adopted 1968

Real gdp purchasing power parity
Real:
Real note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 77

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
Rank: 69

Gross national saving:
Rank: 122

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 81% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 15.1% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 17.3% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: -0.4% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 42.1% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -55.1% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 4% (2017 est.)
Industry: 21.8% (2017 est.)
Services: 74.1% (2017 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate: 3.2% (2017 est.)
Rank: 98

Labor force: 554,000 (2020 est.)
Rank: 154
By occupation agriculture: 8%
By occupation industry: 29.8%
By occupation services: 62.2% (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 107

Population below poverty line: 8% (2006 est.)

Budget
Revenues: 2.994 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 3.038 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -0.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 54

Taxes and other revenues: 22.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 133

Public debt:
Rank: 60

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 41

Current account balance:
Rank: 139

Exports:
Rank: 141
Partners: France 16.7%, US 12.5%, UK 12%, South Africa 9%, Madagascar 6.7%, Italy 6.6%, Spain 5.2% (2017)
Commodities: clothing and textiles, sugar, cut flowers, molasses, fish, primates (for research)

Imports:
Rank: 139
Commodities: manufactured goods, capital equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals
Partners: India 17.9%, China 15.7%, France 11.1%, South Africa 9.7% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 92

Debt external:
Rank: 92

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2020)
Production: 2.898 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 134
Consumption: 2.726 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 140
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 170
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 174
Installed generating capacity: 894,000 kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 132
Generation sources fossil fuels: 79% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 85
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 142
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 7% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 126
Generation sources other renewable sources: 14% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 62

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 173
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 164
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 165
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 168

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products production rank: 177
Products consumption: 27,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 123
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 181
Products imports: 26,960 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 102

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 170
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 175
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 151
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 157
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 169

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 6.429 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 125

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 470,166
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 34.27 (2019 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 95
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 2,076,577
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 151.36 (2019 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 150

Broadcast media: the government maintains control over TV broadcasting through the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), which only operates digital TV stations since June 2015; MBC is a shareholder in a local company that operates 2 pay-TV stations; the state retains the largest radio broadcast network with multiple stations; several private radio broadcasters have entered the market since 2001; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are available (2019)

Internet
Country code: .mu
Users total: 799,470
Users percent of population: 58.6% (July 2018 est.)
Users rank: 144

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 274,200
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 20 (2018 est.)
Rank: 104

Military expenditures:
Rank: 158

Military and security forces: no regular military forces; Mauritius Police Force includes a Special Mobile Force (a paramilitary force formed as a mobile infantry battalion) and the National Coast Guard (2019)

National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 13
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 1,745,291 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 233.72 million
Note: mt-km (2018)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: 3B (2016)

Airports: 5 (2013)
Rank: 180
With paved runways total: 2 (2019)
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With unpaved runways total: 3 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1 (2013)

Roadways
Total: 2,428 km (2015)
Paved: 2,379 km
Note: (includes 99 km of expressways) (2015)
Unpaved: 49 km (2015)
Rank: 168

Merchant marine
Total: 28
By type: general cargo 1, oil tanker 4, other 23 (2019)
Rank: 137

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Port Louis

Disputes international: Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Islands; claims French-administered Tromelin Island

Illicit drugs: 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