1983 Edition

Agriculture

sugar crop is major economic asset; about 80% of land area is planted in sugar; most food imported

Airfields

33 total, 33 usable; 10 with permanent-surface runways; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 16 with runways 1,2202,439 m

5 total, 4 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force

executive power exercised by Prime Minister and 18-member Council of Ministers; unicameral legislature (Legislative Assembly) with 62 members elected by direct suffrage, 4 specially elected under "best loser" system

Police Department

Budget

(1983) revenues $248 million, current expenditures $323 million

Capital

Port Louis

Civil air

3 major transport aircraft

1 major transport aircraft

Coastline

177 km People

9,330 km People

Communists

may be 2,000 sympathizers; several Communist organizations; Mauritius Lenin Youth Organization, Mauritius Women's Committee, Mauritius Communist Party, Mauritius People's Progressive Party, Mauritius Young Communist League, Mauritius Liberation Front, Chinese Middle School Friendly Association, Mauritius/ USSR Friendship Society

Elections

legislative August 1983 Political parties and leaders: the government is currently controlled by a coalition composed of the Militant Socialist Movement (MSM), A. Jugnauth and the Mauritian Social Democratic Party (PMSD), G. Duval; the Mauritian Labor Party (MLP), led by S. Boolell, voted to leave the coalition in February 1984; the main opposition parties are the Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM), P. Berenger, and the Rodrigues People's Organization (OPR) Mexico

Electric power

180,000 kW capacity (1983); 420 million kWh produced (1983), 425 kWh per capita

Ethnic divisions

68% Indo-Mauritian, 27% Creole, 3% Sino-Mauritian, 2% FrancoMauritian

60% mestizo (IndianSpanish), 30% Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian, 9% white or predominantly white, 1% other

Exports

$363.3 million (f.o.b., 1982); sugar (60%), textiles, tourism

Fiscal year

1 July-30 June Communications

GDP

$960 million (1983 est), $890 per capita; real growth, 0% (1983, est.)

Government leader

Aneerood JUGNAUTH, Prime Minister

Highways

7,540 km total; 1,350 km paved; 710 km gravel, crushed stone, or otherwise improved; 5,480 km unimproved

1,984 km total; 1,152 km paved, 832 km earth

Imports

$393.1 million (f.o.b., 1982); food, petroleum products, capital equipment

Inland waterways

800 km

Labor force

335,000; 29% agriculture and fishing, 28% government services, 23% industry and commerce, 20% other; 14% are unemployed

21,500,000 (1982); 31.4% services, 26% agriculture, forestry, hunting, fishing; 13.9% commerce, 12.8% manufacturing; 9.5% construction, 4.8%

Land boundaries

4,220 km Water

Language

Creole, French, English, Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bojpoori Literacy .-61%

Spanish

Legal system

based on French civil law system with elements of English common law in certain areas; constitution adopted 6 March

Limits of territorial wa ters (claimed)

1 2 nm (fishing 200 nm; 200 nm exclusive economic zone)

Limits of territorial waters (claimed)

12 nm (fishing 200 nm; exclusive economic zone 200 nm)

Literacy

74%

Major industries

mainly confined to processing sugarcane, tea; some small-scale, simple manufactures; tobacco fiber; some fishing; tourism, weaving and textiles, diamond cutting, electronics, cut flowers

Major trade partners

all EC countries and US have preferential treatment, UK buys over 50% of Mauritius 's sugar export at heavily subsidized prices; small amount of sugar exported to Canada, US, and Italy; nonoil imports from UK and EC primarily, also from South Africa, Australia, US, and Japan; some minor trade with China

Member of

Af DB Commonwealth, FAO, G77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, ISO, ITU, IWC — International Wheat Council, NAM, OAU, OCAM, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Economy

Military budget

for fiscal year ending 31 December 1983, $39.4 million; 17% of central government budget Land 1,865 km2 (excluding dependencies); 50% agricultural, intensely cultivated; 39% forest, wood, mountain, rivers, and natural resources; 5% lakes; 3% built on; 2% roads and tracks; 1% waste Water

for fiscal year ending 30 June 1981, $4.5 million Land 1,978,800 km2; 40% pasture; 22% forest; 12% crop; 26% other, including waste, urban areas and public lands

Military manpower

males 15-49, 355,000; 172,000 fit for military service; conscription law not implemented

males 15-49, 271,000; 142,000 fit for military service

Monetary conversion rate

12.230 Mauritian rupees=US$l (31 October 1983)

National holiday

Independence Day, 12 March

Nationality

noun — Mauritian(s); adjective — Mauritian

noun — Mexican(s); adjective — Mexican

Official name

Mauritius

Organized labor

about 35% of labor force, forming over 270 unions Government

Other political or pressure groups

various labor unions

Political subdivisions

5 organized municipalities and various island dependencies

Population

1,018,000 (July 1984), average annual growth rate 1.6%

77,659,000 (July 1984), average annual growth rate 2.6%

Ports

2 major (Nouadhibou and Nouakchott), 2 minor

1 major (Port Louis)

Religion

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

97% nominally Roman Catholic, 3% Protestant

Shortage

land

Suffrage

universal over age 18

Supply

primarily dependent on France; has also received material from Algeria, Morocco, UK, Spain, and Romania

Telecommunications

poor system of cable and open-wire lines, minor radio-relay links, and radiocommunications stations; 5,200 telephones (0.2 per lOOpopl.); 2 AM, no FM or TV stations; satellite ground station planned Defense Forces

small system with good service; new microwave link to Reunion; HF radio links to several countries; 2 AM, no FM, and 4 TV stations; 37,800 telephones (4.0 per 100 popl.); 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT station Defense Forces

Type

independent state, recognizing Elizabeth II as Chief of State

Voting strength

MSM, 30 of 70 seats in the Assembly; MMM, 21; MLP, 11; PMSD, 4; OPR, 2; and independents, 2