Mauritius

 
Geography                 Economy                 Defense Forces
 

People                    Transportation          Government



Communications            History      	          Travel

GEOGRAPHY

Location

Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar

Area

Total area: 1,860 sq km
Land area: 1,850 sq km
Comparative area: slightly less than 10.5 times the size of Washington, DC

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

International Disputes

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

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

Natural Resources

Arable land
Fish

Land Use

Arable land: 54%
Permanent crops: 4%
Meadows and pastures: 4%
Forest and woodland: 31%
Other: 7%

Irrigated Land

170 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment

Current issues: water pollution
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

PEOPLE

Population

1,140,256 (July 1996 est.)
1,127,068 (July 1995 est.)

Age Structure

0-14 Years

27% (male 157,174; female 152,980) (July 1996 est.)
28% (male 158,891; female 152,892) (July 1995 est.)

15-64 Years

67% (male 379,840; female 383,295) (July 1996 est.)
66% (male 372,910; female 376,049) (July 1995 est.)

65 Years and Over

6% (male 27,429; female 39,538) (July 1996 est.)
6% (male 27,238; female 39,088) (July 1995 est.)

Population Growth Rate

1.23% (1996 est.)
0.89% (1995 est.)

Birth Rate

18.97 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
18.91 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death Rate

6.67 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
6.38 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net Migration Rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
-3.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

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: 0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

17.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
17.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

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

2.24 children born/woman (1996 est.)
2.2 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality

Noun: Mauritian(s)
Adjective: Mauritian

Ethnic Divisions

Indo-Mauritian 68%
Creole 27%
Sino-Mauritian 3%
Franco-Mauritian 2%

Religions

Hindu 52%
Christian 28.3% (Roman Catholic 26%
Protestant 2.3%), Muslim 16.6%
Other 3.1%

Languages

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

Literacy

Age 15 and over that can read and write (1995 est.)

Total population: 82.9%
Male: 87.1%
Female: 78.8%

Labor Force

335,000

By occupation:

Government services 29%
Agriculture and fishing 27%
Manufacturing 22%
Other 22%

GOVERNMENT

Names

Conventional long form: Republic of Mauritius
Conventional short form: Mauritius

Digraph

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

Political Parties and Leaders

Government coalition: MLP/MMM alliance - Mauritian Labor Party (MLP), Navin RAMGOOLAM; Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM), Paul BERENGER
Opposition: Organization of the People of Rodrigues (OPR), Louis Serge CLAIR; Rodrigues Movement, Nicolas VONMALLY; Gaetan Duval Party, Gaetan DUVAL; Hizbullah, Imam Mustapha BEEHARRY; Militant Socialist Movement (MSM); Mauritian Militant Resurgence (MMR)

Other Political or Pressure Groups

Various labor unions

Member of

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

National Anthem

Flag

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.

National Product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $10.9 billion (1995 est.); $9.3 billion (1993 est.)

National Product Real Growth Rate

2.7% (1995 est.)
4.7% (1993 est.)

National Product Per Capita

$9,600 (1995 est.)
$8,600 (1994 est.)

Inflation Rate (consumer Prices)

9.4% (1993 est.)

Unemployment Rate

2.4% (1991 est.)

Budget

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

Exports

$1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1994)
$1.32 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)

Commodities:

Textiles 44%
Sugar 40%
Light manufactures 10%

Partners:

EU and U.S. have preferential treatment
EU 77%
U.S. 15%

Imports

$1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1994)
$1.7 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)

Commodities:

Manufactured goods 50%
Capital equipment 17%
Foodstuffs 13%
Petroleum products 8%
Chemicals 7%

Partners:

EU
U.S.
South Africa
Japan

External Debt

$996.8 million (1993 est.)

Industrial Production

Growth rate 5.8% (1992); accounts for 25% of GDP

Electricity

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

Industries

Food processing (largely sugar milling)
Textiles
Wearing apparel
Chemicals
Metal products
Transport equipment
Nonelectrical machinery
Tourism

Agriculture

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

Illicit Drugs

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

Economic Aid

Recipient: U.S. commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $76 million; Western (non-US) countries (1970-89), $709 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $54 million

Currency

1 Mauritian rupee (MauR) = 100 cents

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)

Fiscal Year

1 July - 30 June

TRANSPORTATION

Railroads

0 km

Highways

Total: 1,831 km
Paved: 1,703 km
Unpaved: 128 km (1991 est.)

Ports

Port Louis

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.)

Airports

Total: 4
With paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 2

COMMUNICATIONS

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 Reunion; high-frequency radio links to several countries

Radio

Broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: 395,000 (1992 est.)

Television

Broadcast stations: 4
Televisions: 151,096 (1991 est.)

DEFENSE FORCES

Branches

National Police Force (includes the paramilitary Special Mobile Force or SMF, Special Support Units or SSU, and National Coast Guard)

Manpower Availability

Males age 15-49 327,403; males fit for military service 166,466 (1996 est.)

Defense Expenditures

Exchange rate conversion - $11.2 million, 0.4% of GDP (FY92/93)

History
World Atlas

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