Africa | Asia | Australia/Oceania | Europe | Islands/Oceans
| Middle East | North America | South America
MAURITIUS
OFFICIAL NAME
Mauritius
CAPITAL CITY
Port Louis, population 140,000
Geography
Location:
Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar
Geographic coordinates:
20 17 S, 57 33 E
Map references:
World
Area:
total area:
1,860 sq km
land area:
1,850 sq km
comparative area:
almost 11 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 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.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
27% (male 157,174; female 152,980)
15-64 years:
67% (male 379,840; female 383,295)
65 years and over:
6% (male 27,429; female 39,538) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.23% (1996 est.)
Birth rate:
18.97 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate:
6.67 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 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.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
70.53 years
male:
66.72 years
female:
74.33 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.24 children born/woman (1996 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 can read and write (1995 est.)
total population:
82.9%
male:
87.1%
female:
78.8%
Government
Name of country:
conventional long form:
Republic of Mauritius
conventional short form:
Mauritius
Data code:
MP
Type of government:
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 UK)
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) and Vice President Rabindranath GHURBURRON (since 1 July 1992) were elected for five-year terms by the National Assembly
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 was 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
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, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Anund Priyay NEEWOOR
chancery:
Suite 441, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 244-1491, 1492
FAX:
[1] (202) 966-0983
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Leslie M. ALEXANDER
embassy:
4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis
mailing address:
use embassy street address
telephone:
[230] 208-2347, 208-2354, 208-9763 through 9767
FAX:
[230] 208-9534
Economy
Economic 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.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $10.9 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate:
2.7% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita:
$9,600 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture:
NA%
industry:
NA%
services:
NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
9.4% (1993 est.)
Labor force:
335,000
by occupation:
government services 29%, agriculture and fishing 27%, manufacturing 22%, other 22%
Unemployment rate:
2.4% (1991 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
$653 million
expenditures:
$567 million, including capital expenditures of $143 million (FY92/93 est.)
Industries:
food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, wearing apparel, chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery, tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
5.8% (1992)
Electricity:
capacity:
340,000 kW
production:
920 million kWh
consumption per capita:
777 kWh (1993)
Agriculture:
sugarcane, tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses; cattle, goats; fish
Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; heroin consumption and transshipment are growing problems
Exports:
$1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1994)
commodities:
textiles 44%, sugar 40%, light manufactures 10%
partners:
EU and US have preferential treatment, EU 77%, US 15%
Imports:
$1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1994)
commodities:
manufactured goods 50%, capital equipment 17%, foodstuffs 13%, petroleum products 8%, chemicals 7%
partners:
EU, US, South Africa, Japan
External debt:
$996.8 million (1993 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient:
ODA, $NA
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)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
Transportation
Railways:
0 km
Highways:
total:
1,831 km
paved:
1,703 km (including 29 km of expressways)
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 (1995 est.)
Communications
Telephones:
65,000 (1985 est.)
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
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios:
395,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations:
4 (1987 est.)
Televisions:
151,096 (1991 est.)
Defense
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)
RETURN TO:
Africa Page
Africa Facts/Figures/Flags
Mauritius Map
