2000 Edition

Background

Discovered by the Portuguese in 1505, Mauritius was subsequently held by the Dutch, French, and British before independence 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 earned one of Africa's highest per capita incomes. Recent protests over standards of living in the Creole community have slowed economic growth.

Area

land

1,850 sq km

note

includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues

total

1,860 sq km

water

10 sq km

Area - comparative

almost 11 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

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

Coastline

177 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Mont Piton 828 m

lowest point

Indian Ocean 0 m

Environment - current issues

water pollution

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

20 17 S, 57 33 E

Irrigated land

170 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

49%

forests and woodland

22%

other

23% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

3%

permanent pastures

3%

Location

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

Map references

World

Maritime claims

continental shelf

200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards

Natural resources

arable land, fish

Terrain

small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau

Age structure

0-14 years: 26% (male 153,385; female 149,451) 15-64 years: 68% (male 401,032; female 403,295) 65 years and over: 6% (male 28,981; female 43,224) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

16.66 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

6.83 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Infant mortality rate

17.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

75.04 years (2000 est.)

male

66.98 years

total population

70.98 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

78.8% (1995 est.)

male

87.1%

total population

82.9%

Nationality

adjective

Mauritian

noun

Mauritian(s)

Net migration rate

-0.93 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

1,179,368 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

0.89% (2000 est.)

Religions

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

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: 0.67 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.02 children born/woman (2000 est.)

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

Capital

Port Louis

Constitution

12 March 1968; amended 12 March 1992

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Mauritius

conventional short form

Mauritius

Data code

MP

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Mark W. ERWIN

embassy

4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis

mail

American Embassy, Port Louis, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2450

mailing address

international mail: P. O. Box 544, Port Louis; US

telephone

208-2347, 208-2354, 208-9763 through 9767

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

Suite 441, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Chitmansing JESSERAMSING

telephone

(202) 244-1491, 1492

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister

chief of state

President Cassam UTEEM (since 1 July 1992) and Vice President Angidi Verriah CHETTIAR (since 28 June 1997)

election results

Cassam UTEEM reelected president and Angidi Verriah CHETTIAR elected vice president; percent of vote by the National Assembly - NA

elections

president and vice president elected by the National Assembly for five-year terms; election last held 28 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president and are responsible to the National Assembly

head of government

Prime Minister Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM (since 27 December 1995)

FAX

(202) 966-0983

208-9534

Flag description

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

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Independence

12 March 1968 (from UK)

International organization participation

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, InOC, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly (66 seats - 62 elected by popular vote, 4 appointed by the election commission from the losing political parties to give representation to various ethnic minorities; members serve five-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - MLP/MMM 65%, MSM/MMR 20%, other 15%; seats by party - MLP 35, MMM 25, allies of MLP and MMM on Rodrigues Island 2; appointed were Rodrigues Movement 2, PMSD 1, Hizbullah 1

elections

last held on 20 December 1995 (next to be held by December 2000)

National holiday

Independence Day, 12 March (1968)

Political parties and leaders

Hizbullah ; Mauritian Labor Party or MLP - governing party; Mauritian Militant Movement or MMM ; Mauritian Militant Renaissance or MMR ; Mauritian Social Democrat Party or PMSD ; Militant Socialist Movement or MSM ; Organization of the People of Rodrigues or OPR ; Rodrigues Movement [Nicholas Von MALLY]

Political pressure groups and leaders

various labor unions

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

sugarcane, tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses; cattle, goats; fish

Budget

expenditures

$1.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)

revenues

$1.1 billion

Currency

1 Mauritian rupee (MauR) = 100 cents

Debt - external

$1.9 billion (1998 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$42 million (1997)

Economy - overview

Since independence in 1968, Mauritius has developed from a low income, agriculturally based economy to a middle income diversified economy with growing industrial, financial, 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 25% of export earnings. A record-setting drought severely damaged the sugar crop in 1999, however. The government's development strategy centers on foreign investment. Mauritius has attracted more than 9,000 offshore entities, many aimed at commerce in India and South Africa, and investment in the banking sector alone has reached over $1 billion. Economic performance in 1991-99 continued strong with solid growth and low unemployment.

Electricity - consumption

1.139 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

1.225 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

91.84%

hydro

8.16%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (1998)

Exchange rates

Mauritian rupees (MauRs) per US$1 - 25.485 (January 2000), 25.186 (1999), 22.993 (1998), 21.057 (1997), 17.948 (1996), 17.386 (1995)

Exports

$1.7 billion (f.o.b., 1999)

Exports - commodities

clothing and textiles, sugar, cut flowers, molasses

Exports - partners

UK 32%, France 19%, US 14%, Germany 6%, Italy 4% (1997)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP

purchasing power parity - $12.3 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

10%

industry

29%

services

61% (1996)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $10,400 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

4% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$2.1 billion (f.o.b., 1998)

Imports - commodities

manufactured goods, capital equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals (1996)

Imports - partners

France 19%, South Africa 12%, India 9%, Hong Kong 7%, UK 6% (1997)

Industrial production growth rate

3.5% (1999 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

6.8% (1999)

Labor force

514,000 (1995)

Labor force - by occupation

construction and industry 36%, services 24%, agriculture and fishing 14%, trade, restaurants, hotels 16%, transportation and communication 7%, finance 3% (1995)

Population below poverty line

10.6% (1992 est.)

Unemployment rate

2% (1996 est.)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (1999)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 5, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios

420,000 (1997)

Telephone system

small system with good service

domestic

primarily microwave radio relay

international

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); new microwave link to Reunion; HF radiotelephone links to several countries

Telephones - main lines in use

148,000 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular

11,735 (1995)

Television broadcast stations

2 (plus 11 repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

258,000 (1997)

Airports

5 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

2 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

1,834 km (including 36 km of expressways)

total

1,910 km

unpaved

76 km (1998 est.)

Merchant marine

note

a flag of convenience registry; India owns 1 ship (1998 est.)

ships by type

cargo 3, combination bulk 2, container 4, liquified gas 1, refrigerated cargo 2 (1999 est.)

total

12 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 126,358 GRT/173,079 DWT

Ports and harbors

Port Louis

Railways

0 km

Military branches

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$11 million (FY97/98)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

0.3% (FY97/98)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 338,856 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 171,183 (2000 est.)

Disputes - international

claims the Chagos Archipelago in UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory; claims French-administered Tromelin Island

Illicit drugs

minor consumer and transshipment point for heroin from South Asia; small amounts of cannabis produced and consumed locally

MAYOTTE