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Map of Mauritius

Mauritius    Introduction Top of Page
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 poor weather and declining sugar prices have slowed economic growth leading to some protests over standards of living in the Creole community.
Mauritius    Geography Top of Page
Location: Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar
Geographic coordinates: 20 17 S, 57 33 E
Map references: World
Area: total:  1,860 sq km

land:  1,850 sq km

water:  10 sq km

note:  includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues
Area - comparative: almost 11 times the size of Washington, DC
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
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
Elevation extremes: lowest point:  Indian Ocean 0 m

highest point:  Mont Piton 828 m
Natural resources: arable land, fish
Land use: arable land:  49%

permanent crops:  3%

permanent pastures:  3%

forests and woodland:  22%

other:  23% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 170 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards
Environment - current issues: water pollution, degradation of coral reefs
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

signed, but not ratified:  none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: the main island, from which the country derives its name, is of volcanic origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs
Mauritius    People Top of Page
Population: 1,189,825 (July 2001 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years:  25.53% (male 153,691; female 150,094)

15-64 years:  68.24% (male 404,940; female 407,056)

65 years and over:  6.23% (male 29,588; female 44,456) (2001 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.88% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 16.5 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 6.82 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth:  1.02 male(s)/female

under 15 years:  1.02 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 (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 17.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population:  71.25 years

male:  67.26 years

female:  75.31 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.01 children born/woman (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.08% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun:  Mauritian(s)

adjective:  Mauritian
Ethnic groups: 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: definition:  age 15 and over can read and write

total population:  82.9%

male:  87.1%

female:  78.8% (1995 est.)
Mauritius    Government Top of Page
Country name: conventional long form:  Republic of Mauritius

conventional short form:  Mauritius
Government type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Port Louis
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
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 Angidi Verriah CHETTIAR (since 28 June 1997)

head of government:  Prime Minister Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 17 September 2000) and Deputy Prime Minister Paul BERENGER (since 17 September 2000)

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

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

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

elections:  last held on 11 September 2000 (next to be held by September 2005)

election results:  percent of vote by party - MSM/MMM 52.3%, MLP/PMSD 36.9%, OPR 10.8%; seats by party - MSM/MMM 54, MLP/PMSD 6, OPR 2
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Hizbullah [Cehl Mohamed FAKEEMEEAH]; Mauritian Labor Party or MLP [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM]; Mauritian Militant Movement or MMM [Paul BERENGER] - in coalition with MSM; Mauritian Militant Renaissance or MMR [Dr. Paramhansa NABABSING]; Mauritian Social Democrat Party or PMSD [Charles Xavier-Luc DUVAL]; Militant Socialist Movement or MSM [Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH] - governing party; Rodrigues Movement or OPR [Joseph (Nicholas) Von MALLY]
Political pressure groups and leaders: 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, InOC, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, SADC, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission:  Ambassador Usha JEETAH

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

telephone:  [1] (202) 244-1491, 1492

FAX:  [1] (202) 966-0983
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission:  Ambassador Mark W. ERWIN

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

mailing address:  international mail: P. O. Box 544, Port Louis; US mail: American Embassy, Port Louis, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2450

telephone:  [230] 208-2347, 208-2354, 208-9763 through 9767

FAX:  [230] 208-9534
Flag description: four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green
Mauritius    Economy Top of Page
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 in 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. 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 since 1991 has continued strong with solid growth and low unemployment.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $12.3 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 7.5% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $10,400 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture:  10%

industry:  29%

services:  61% (1996)
Population below poverty line: 10.6% (1992 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%:  NA%

highest 10%:  NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.3% (2000 est.)
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)
Unemployment rate: 6.4% (1999 est.)
Budget: revenues:  $1.1 billion

expenditures:  $1.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)
Industries: food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, clothing; chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery; tourism
Industrial production growth rate: 8% (2000 est.)
Electricity - production: 1.26 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel:  91.27%

hydro:  8.73%

nuclear:  0%

other:  0% (1999)
Electricity - consumption: 1.172 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products: sugarcane, tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses; cattle, goats; fish
Exports: $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1999)
Exports - commodities: clothing and textiles, sugar, cut flowers, molasses
Exports - partners: UK 32%, France 19%, US 15%, Germany 6%, Italy 4% (1999 est.)
Imports: $2.3 billion (f.o.b., 1999)
Imports - commodities: manufactured goods, capital equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals (1996)
Imports - partners: France 14%, South Africa 11%, India 8%, UK 5% (1999 est.)
Debt - external: $1.9 billion (1998 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $42 million (1997)
Currency: Mauritian rupee (MUR)
Currency code: MUR
Exchange rates: Mauritian rupees per US dollar - 27.900 (January 2001), 26.250 (2000), 25.186 (1999), 22.993 (1998), 21.057 (1997), 17.948 (1996)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
Mauritius    Communications Top of Page
Telephones - main lines in use: 223,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 37,000 (1997)
Telephone system: general assessment:  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 5, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios: 420,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 2 (plus 11 repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 258,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .mu
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000)
Internet users: 55,000 (2000)
Mauritius    Transportation Top of Page
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total:  1,910 km

paved:  1,834 km (including 36 km of expressways)

unpaved:  76 km (1998)
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: Port Louis
Merchant marine: total:  9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 61,909 GRT/87,313 DWT

ships by type:  cargo 2, combination bulk 2, container 2, liquefied gas 1, refrigerated cargo 2

note:  includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: India 1 (2000 est.)
Airports: 5 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total:  2

over 3,047 m:  1

914 to 1,523 m:  1 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total:  3

914 to 1,523 m:  1

under 914 m:  2 (2000 est.)
Mauritius    Military Top of Page
Military branches: National Police Force (includes the paramilitary Special Mobile Force or SMF and National Coast Guard)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49:  339,473 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49:  171,206 (2001 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $11 million (FY97/98)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 0.3% (FY97/98)
Mauritius    Transnational Issues Top of Page
Disputes - international: claims the Chagos Archipelago (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



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