1994 Edition

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

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

Airports

total: 5 usable: 4 with permanent-surface runways: 2 with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:

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

Birth rate

19.28 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Branches

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

Budget

revenues: $557 million expenditures: $607 million, including capital expenditures of $111 million (1990 est.)

Capital

Port Louis

Climate

tropical modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)

Coastline

177 km

Constitution

12 March 1968; amended 12 March 1992

Currency

1 Mauritian rupee (MauR) = 100 cents

Death rate

6.41 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $5 million, 0.2% of GDP (FY89)

Digraph

MP

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Anund NEEWOOR chancery: Suite 441, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 244-1491 or 1492

Economic aid

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

Electricity

capacity: 235,000 kW production: 630 million kWh consumption per capita: 570 kWh (1992)

Environment

current issues: water pollution natural hazards: subject to cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea

Ethnic divisions

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

Exchange rates

Mauritian rupees (MauRs) per US$1 - 18.696 (January 1994), 17.648 (1993), 15.563 (1992), 15.652 (1991), 14.839 (1990), 15.250 (1989)

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 Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 12 June 1982); Deputy Prime Minister Prem NABABSING (since 26 September 1990) cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president on recommendation of the prime minister

Exports

$1.32 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: textiles 44%, sugar 40%, light manufactures 10% partners: EC and US have preferential treatment, EU 77%, US 15%

External debt

$991 million (1992 est.)

FAX

(202) 966-0983

[230] 208-9534

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

Flag

four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green

Highways

total: 1,800 km paved: 1,640 km unpaved: earth 160 km

Illicit drugs

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

Imports

$1.63 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: manufactured goods 50%, capital equipment 17%, foodstuffs 13%, petroleum products 8%, chemicals 7% partners: EC, US, South Africa, Japan

Independence

12 March 1968 (from UK)

Industrial production

growth rate 7% (1990); accounts for 25% of GDP

Industries

food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, wearing apparel, chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery, tourism

Infant mortality rate

18.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.6% (1992 est.)

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

Irrigated land

170 sq km (1989 est.)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Labor force

335,000 by occupation: government services 29%, agriculture and fishing 27%, manufacturing 22%, other 22% note: 43% of population of working age (1985)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 54% permanent crops: 4% meadows and pastures: 4% forest and woodland: 31% other: 7%

Languages

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

Legal system

based on French civil law system with elements of English common law in certain areas

Legislative Assembly

elections last held on 15 September 1991 (next to be held by 15 September 1996); results - MSM/MMM 53%, MLP/PMSD 38%; seats - (70 total, 62 elected) MSM/MMM alliance 59 (MSM 29, MMM 26, OPR 2, MTD 2); MLP/PMSD 3

Legislative branch

unicameral

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 70.54 years male: 66.62 years female: 74.63 years (1994 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 80% male: 85% female: 75%

Location

Southern Africa, in the western Indian Ocean, 900 km east of Madagascar

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 316,975; fit for military service 161,634

Map references

Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims

contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or the edge of continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Member of

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INMARSAT, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Merchant marine

14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 162,387 GRT/260,552 DWT, bulk 6, cargo 7, liquefied gas 1

Names

conventional long form: Republic of Mauritius conventional short form: Mauritius

National holiday

Independence Day, 12 March (1968)

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $8.6 billion (1993 est.)

National product per capita

$7,800 (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate

6.3% (1992 est.)

Nationality

noun: Mauritian(s) adjective: Mauritian

Natural resources

arable land, fish

Net migration rate

-3.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Other political or pressure groups

various labor unions

Overview

The economy is based on sugar, manufacturing (mainly textiles), and tourism. 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 exports), agricultural diversification, and tourism. Economic performance in 1992 was impressive, with 6% real growth and low unemployment.

Political parties and leaders

government coalition: Militant Socialist Movement (MSM), A. JUGNAUTH; Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM), Prem NABABSING (less 12 legislators under the leadership of Paul BERENGER, now voting with the opposition); Organization of the People of Rodrigues (OPR), Louis Serge CLAIR; Democratic Labor Movement (MTD), Anil BAICHOO opposition: Mauritian Labor Party (MLP), Navin RAMGOOLMAN; Socialist Workers Front, Sylvio MICHEL; Mauritian Social Democratic Party (PMSD), X. DUVAL; MMM-Berenger Faction, Paul BERENGER

Population

1,116,923 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

0.92% (1994 est.)

Ports

Port Louis

Religions

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Telecommunications

small system with good service utilizing primarily microwave radio relay; new microwave link to Reunion; high-frequency radio links to several countries; over 48,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 2 AM, no FM, 4 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Terrain

small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau

Total fertility rate

2.22 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Type

parliamentary democracy

Unemployment rate

2.4% (1991 est.)

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Leslie ALEXANDER embassy: 4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis mailing address: use Embassy street address telephone: [230] 208-9763 through 208-9767