Background: Although known to Arab and European sailors since at least the early 1500s, the island of Mauritius was uninhabited until 1638 when the Dutch established a settlement named in honor of Prince Maurits van NASSAU. Their presence led to the rapid disappearance of the flightless dodo bird that has since become one of the most well-known examples of extinction in modern times. The Dutch abandoned their financially distressed settlement in 1710, although a number of formerly enslaved people remained. In 1722, the French established what would become a highly profitable settlement focused on sugar cane plantations that were reliant on the labor of enslaved people brought to Mauritius from other parts of Africa. In the 1790s, the island had a brief period of autonomous rule when plantation owners rejected French control because of laws ending slavery that were temporarily in effect during the French Revolution. Britain captured the Island in 1810 as part of the Napoleonic Wars but kept most of the French administrative structure, which remains to this day in the form of the country’s legal codes and widespread use of the French Creole language. The abolition of slavery in 1835 - later than most other British colonies - led to increased reliance on contracted laborers from the Indian subcontinent to work on plantations. Today their descendants form the majority of the population. Mauritius remained a strategically important British naval base, and later an air station, playing a role during World War II for anti-submarine and convoy operations, as well as for the collection of signals intelligence.

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
Comparative: almost 11 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries
Total: 0 km

Coastline: 177 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf:

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

Natural resources: arable land, fish

Land use
Agricultural land: 43.8% (2018 est.)
Forest: 17.3% (2018 est.)
Other: 38.9% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 158 km² (2020)

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 260 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Industrial: 12 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Agricultural: 344 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 2.751 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

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: population density is one of the highest in the world; urban clusters are found throughout the main island, with a greater density in and around Port Luis; population on Rodrigues Island is spread across the island with a slightly denser cluster on the north coast : 1,308,222 (2022 est.)
Growth rate: 0.1% (2022 est.)
Below poverty line: 10.3% (2017 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, one of the two official languages 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.

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: 40.7
Youth dependency ratio: 23.4
Elderly dependency ratio: 17.3
Potential support ratio: 5.8 (2021 est.)

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

Population growth rate: 0.1% (2022 est.)

Birth rate: 9.86 births/1000 population (2022 est.)

Death rate: 8.86 deaths/1000 population (2022 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2022 est.)

Population distribution: population density is one of the highest in the world; urban clusters are found throughout the main island, with a greater density in and around Port Luis; population on Rodrigues Island is spread across the island with a slightly denser cluster on the north coast

Urbanization
Urban population: 40.9% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.28% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

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, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, 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
Particulate matter emissions: 13.54 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 4.35 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 2.06 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.47 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2022 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 61 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 12.08 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 13.63 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 10.43 deaths/1000 live births (2022 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 74.86 years
Male: 72.04 years
Female: 77.88 years (2022 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.35 children born/woman (2022 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 63.8% (2014)

Current health expenditure: 6.2% of GDP (2019)

Physicians density: 2.71 physicians/1000 population (2020)

Hospital bed density: 3.7 beds/1000 population (2020)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 1.4% (2021 est.)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 10.8% (2016)

Alcohol consumption
Per capita total: 3.39 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 1.94 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 0.23 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 0.88 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use
Total: 20.2% (2020 est.)
Male: 37.3% (2020 est.)
Female: 3% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: NA

Education expenditures: 4.9% of GDP (2021 est.)

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)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15-24 total: 24.5%
Rate ages 15-24 male: 21.7%
Rate ages 15-24 female: 28% (2020 est.)

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 descentonly: 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 2 December 2019); Vice President Marie Cyril EDDY Boissézon (since 2 December 2019); note - President Ameenah GURIB-FAKIM, the country's first female president, resigned on 23 March 2018 amid a credit card scandal; Acting Presidents served from March 2018 until ROOPUN's appointment in 2019
Head of government: Prime Minister Pravind JUGNAUTH (since 23 January 2017); note - Prime Minister Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH stepped down on 23 January 2017 in favor of his son, Pravind Kumar JUGNAUTH, who was then appointed prime minister; following 7 November 2019 parliamentary elections, Pravind JUGNAUTH remained prime minister and home affairs minister and also became defense minister
Cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers (Council of Ministers) appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
Elections and appointments: president and vice president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for 5-year renewable terms; election last held on 7 November 2019 (next to be held in 2024); the president appoints the prime minister and deputy prime minister who have the majority support in the National Assembly
Election results: 2019: Pritivirajsing ROOPUN (MSM) From the us chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Judes E. DEBAERE (since June 2019); note - also accredited to Seychelles
From the us embassy: 4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Avenue, Port Louis
From the us mailing address: 2,450 Port Louis Place, Washington, DC 20,521-2,450
From the us telephone: [230] 202-4,400
From the us FAX: [230] 208-9,534
From the us email address and website:

PTLConsular@state.gov
[link]

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"
Lyrics and music: Jean Georges PROSPER/Philippe GENTIL
Note: adopted 1968

National heritage
Total world heritage sites: 2 (both cultural)
Selected world heritage site locales:

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

Real gdp growth rate:

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

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: sugar cane, poultry, pumpkins, gourds, potatoes, eggs, tomatoes, pineapples, bananas, fruit

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.)

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

Unemployment rate:

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15-24 total: 24.5%
Rate ages 15-24 male: 21.7%
Rate ages 15-24 female: 28% (2020 est.)

Population below poverty line: 10.3% (2017 est.)

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

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

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

Public debt:

Revenue
From forest resources forest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices:

Current account balance:

Exports:
Partners: France 10%, South Africa 10%, United States 10%, United Kingdom 8%, Zambia 7%, Madagascar 6% (2019)
Commodities: fish products, raw sugar, clothing and apparel, diamonds, refined petroleum (2019)

Imports:
Partners: China 15%, India 13%, France 10%, South Africa 8%, United Arab Emirates 7% (2019)
Commodities: refined petroleum, cars, fish products, aircraft, packaged medicines (2019)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

Debt external:

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2020)
Installed generating capacity: 936,000 kW (2020 est.)
Consumption: 2,904,500,000 kWh (2019 est.)
Exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
Transmission distribution losses: 182.4 million kWh (2019 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 75.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources solar: 5.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources wind: 0.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 3.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 15% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Coal
Production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Consumption: 661,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
Exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Imports: 1.189 million metric tons (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 36,700 bbl/day (2019 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports: 26,960 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 7.191 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 1.595 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 5.596 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 79.448 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 478,700 (2020 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 38 (2020 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 1,912,900 (2020 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 150 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media: the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation is the national public television and radio broadcaster; it broadcasts programming in French, English, Hindi, Creole and Chinese, Mauritius - Military 2022

Military expenditures:

Military and security forces: no regular military forces; the Mauritius Police Force (MPF) under the Ministry of Defense includes a paramilitary unit known as the Special Mobile Force, which includes some motorized infantry and light armored units; the MPF also has a Police Helicopter Squadron, a Special Support Unit (riot police), and the National Coast Guard (also includes an air squadron) (2022)

Military service age and obligation: service is voluntary (2022)

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 (2018) mt-km

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: 3B

Airports
Total: 5 (2021)
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2021)
With unpaved runways total: 3
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1 (2021)

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

Merchant marine
Total: 29
By type: general cargo 1, oil tanker 4, other 24 (2021)

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Port Louis

Disputes international: Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Islands (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory); 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