from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Mauritius
Introduction
Background: Although known to Arab and Malay sailors as early as
the 10th century, Mauritius was first explored by the
Portuguese in 1505; it 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.
Geography
Location: Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of
Madagascar
Geographic 20 17 S, 57 33 E
coordinates:
Map Political Map of the World
references:
Area: total: 2,040 sq km
land: 2,030 sq km
water: 10 sq km
note: includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals
(Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues
Area - almost 11 times the size of Washington, DC
comparative:
Land 0 km
boundaries:
Coastline: 177 km
Maritime territorial sea: 12 nm
claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the
continental margin
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 lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
extremes: highest point: Mont Piton 828 m
Natural arable land, fish
resources:
Land use: arable land: 49.02%
permanent crops: 2.94%
other: 48.04% (2005)
Irrigated 220 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural cyclones (November to April); almost completely
hazards: surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards
Environment - water pollution, degradation of coral reefs
current
issues:
Environment - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
international Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
agreements: Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements
Geography - the main island, from which the country derives its
note: name, is of volcanic origin and is almost entirely
surrounded by coral reefs
People
Population: 1,240,827 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 23.9% (male 149,486/female 147,621)
15-64 years: 69.5% (male 430,288/female 431,753)
65 years and over: 6.6% (male 31,939/female 49,740)
(2006 est.)
Median age: total: 30.8 years
male: 30 years
female: 31.8 years (2006 est.)
Population 0.82% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 15.43 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 6.86 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration -0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 14.59 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 17.23 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 11.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 72.63 years
expectancy at male: 68.66 years
birth: female: 76.66 years (2006 est.)
Total 1.95 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 0.1% (2001 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 700 (2001 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - less than 100 (2001 est.)
deaths:
Nationality: noun: Mauritian(s)
adjective: Mauritian
Ethnic groups: Indo-Mauritian 68%, Creole 27%, Sino-Mauritian 3%,
Franco-Mauritian 2%
Religions: Hindu 48%, Roman Catholic 23.6%, other Christian 8.6%,
Muslim 16.6%, other 2.5%, unspecified 0.3%, none 0.4%
(2000 census)
Languages: Creole 80.5%, Bhojpuri 12.1%, French 3.4%, English
(official; spoken by less than 1% of the population),
other 3.7%, unspecified 0.3% (2000 census)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 85.6%
male: 88.6%
female: 82.7% (2003 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Mauritius
conventional short form: Mauritius
local long form: Republic of Mauritius
local short form: Mauritius
Government parliamentary democracy
type:
Capital: name: Port Louis
geographic coordinates: 20 10 S, 57 30 E
time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC
during Standard Time)
Administrative 9 districts and 3 dependencies*; Agalega Islands*,
divisions: 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 Independence Day, 12 March (1968)
holiday:
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; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive chief of state: President Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 7
branch: October 2003) and Vice President Abdool Raouf BUNDHUN
(since 25 February 2002)
head of government: Prime Minister Navinchandra
RAMGOOLAM (since 5 July 2005)
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 (eligible for a
second term); election last held 25 February 2002 (next
to be held in 2007); prime minister and deputy prime
minister appointed by the president, responsible to the
National Assembly
election results: Karl OFFMANN elected president and
Raouf BUNDHUN elected vice president; percent of vote
by the National Assembly - NA%; note - Karl OFFMANN
stepped down on 30 September 2003
Legislative unicameral National Assembly (70 seats; 62 elected by
branch: popular vote, 8 appointed by the election commission to
give representation to various ethnic minorities;
members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 3 July 2005 (next to be held in
2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats
by party - AS 38, MSM/MMM 22, OPR 2; appointed seats -
AS 4, MSM/MMM 2, OPR 2
Judicial Supreme Court
branch:
Political Alliance Sociale or AS; Hizbullah [Cehl Mohamed
parties and FAKEEMEEAH]; Mauritian Labor Party or MLP [Navinchandra
leaders: RAMGOOLAM]; Mauritian Militant Movement or MMM [Paul
BERENGER] (in coalition with MSM); Mauritian Social
Democrat Party or PMSD [Charles Xavier-Luc DUVAL];
Militant Socialist Movement or MSM [Pravind JUGNAUTH]
(the governing party); Rodrigues Movement or MR [Joseph
(Nicholas) Von MALLY]; Rodrigues Peoples Organization
or OPR [Serge CLAIR]
Political various labor unions
pressure
groups and
leaders:
International ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
organization ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
participation: ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU,
MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Usha JEETAH
representation chancery: 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 441,
in the US: Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 244-1491, 1492
FAX: [1] (202) 966-0983
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador John PRICE
representation embassy: 4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street,
from the US: Port Louis
mailing address: international mail: P. O. Box 544,
Port Louis; US mail: American Embassy, Port Louis, US
Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2450
telephone: [230] 202-4400
FAX: [230] 208-9534
Flag four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow,
description: and green
Economy
Economy - Since independence in 1968, Mauritius has developed
overview: 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 more equitable income distribution, 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 expanding local financial
institutions and building a domestic information
telecommunications industry. 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.
Mauritius, with its strong textile sector, has been
well poised to take advantage of the Africa Growth and
Opportunity Act (AGOA).
GDP $15.73 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $6.681 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 2.5% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $12,800 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 5.9%
composition by industry: 29.8%
sector: services: 64.3% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 570,000 (2005 est.)
Labor force - agriculture and fishing 14%, construction and industry
by occupation: 36%, transportation and communication 7%, trade,
restaurants, hotels 16%, finance 3%, other services 24%
(1995)
Unemployment 9.6% (2005 est.)
rate:
Population 10% (2001 est.)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: NA%
income or highest 10%: NA%
consumption by
percentage
share:
Distribution 37 (1987 est.)
of family
income - Gini
index:
Inflation rate 5% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 21.2% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $1.377 billion
expenditures: $1.77 billion; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Public debt: 67.5% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - sugarcane, tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses;
products: cattle, goats; fish
Industries: food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles,
clothing, chemicals, metal products, transport
equipment, nonelectrical machinery, tourism
Industrial 8% (2000 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 1.941 billion kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 90.8%
production by hydro: 9.2%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 1.805 billion kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
production:
Oil - 21,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Current $-342 million (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $1.949 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - clothing and textiles, sugar, cut flowers, molasses
commodities:
Exports - UK 32.3%, France 20.7%, US 11.7%, Madagascar 6.2%,
partners: Italy 5.3% (2005)
Imports: $2.507 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - manufactured goods, capital equipment, foodstuffs,
commodities: petroleum products, chemicals
Imports - France 12.1%, South Africa 11%, India 7.2%, Finland
partners: 6.1%, China 6%, Germany 5.3%, Bahrain 5.2%, Singapore
4.1% (2005)
Reserves of $1.366 billion (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $3.246 billion (2005 est.)
external:
Economic aid - $42 million (1997)
recipient:
Currency Mauritian rupee (MUR)
(code):
Currency code: MUR
Exchange Mauritian rupees per US dollar - 29.496 (2005), 27.499
rates: (2004), 27.902 (2003), 29.962 (2002), 29.129 (2001)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
Communications
Telephones - 359,000 (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 713,300 (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: small system with good service
system: domestic: primarily microwave radio relay trunk system
international: country code - 230; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); new microwave link
to Reunion; HF radiotelephone links to several
countries; fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC/
SAFE) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia
Radio AM 4, FM 9, shortwave 0 (2002)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 420,000 (1997)
Television 2 (plus several repeaters) (1997)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 258,000 (1997)
Internet .mu
country code:
Internet 4,997 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 2 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 180,000 (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 6 (2006)
Airports - total: 2
with paved over 3,047 m: 1
runways: 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - total: 4
with unpaved 914 to 1,523 m: 3
runways: under 914 m: 1 (2006)
Roadways: total: 2,020 km
paved: 2,020 km (including 75 km of expressways) (2005)
Merchant total: 6 ships (1000 GRT or over) 22,386 GRT/23,214 DWT
marine: by type: bulk carrier 2, passenger/cargo 2,
refrigerated cargo 2
foreign-owned: 4 (India 2, Switzerland 2) (2006)
Ports and Port Louis
terminals:
Military
Military no regular military forces; National Police Force,
branches: Special Mobile Force, National Coast Guard
Manpower males age 18-49: 313,271 (2005 est.)
available for
military
service:
Military $12.04 million (2005 est.)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 0.2% (2005 est.)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - Mauritius claims the Chagos Archipelago
international: (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory), and
its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in
Mauritius, were granted UK citizenship but no right to
patriation in the UK; 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; significant offshore financial
industry creates potential for money laundering, but
corruption levels are relatively low and the government
appears generally to be committed to regulating its
banking industry