1990 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1990 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
tropical modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter
Coastline
177 km
Comparative area
slightly less than 10.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Continental shelf
edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
Disputes
claims Chagos Archipelago, which includes the island of Diego Garcia in UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory; claims French-administered Tromelin Island
Environment
subject to cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs
Extended economic zone
200 nm;
Land boundaries
none
Land use
54% arable land; 4% permanent crops; 4% meadows and pastures; 31% forest and woodland; 7% other; includes 9% irrigated
Natural resources
arable land, fish
Note
located 900 km east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean
Terrain
small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau
Territorial sea
12 nm
Total area
1,860 km2; land area: 1,850 km2; includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (St. Brandon) and Rodrigues
People and Society
Birth rate
21 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate
6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Ethnic divisions
68% Indo-Mauritian, 27% Creole, 3% Sino-Mauritian, 2% Franco-Mauritian
Infant mortality rate
20 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Labor force
335,000; 29% government services, 27% agriculture and fishing, 22% manufacturing, 22% other; 43% of population of working age (1985)
Language
English (official), Creole, French, Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bojpoori
Life expectancy at birth
66 years male, 73 years female (1990)
Literacy
82.8%
Nationality
noun--Mauritian(s); adjective--Mauritian
Net migration rate
4 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Organized labor
35% of labor force in more than 270 unions
Population
1,070,005 (July 1990), growth rate 1.8% (1990)
Religion
51% Hindu, 30% Christian (mostly Roman Catholic with a few Anglicans), 17% Muslim, 2% other
Total fertility rate
2.0 children born/woman (1990)
Government
Administrative divisions
5 urban councils and 3 district councils*; Beau Bassin-Rose Hill, Curepipe, Moka-Flacq*, North*, Port Louis, Quatre Bornes, South*, Vacoas-Phoenix; note--there may now be 4 urban councils and 9 district councils* named Beau Bassin-Rose Hill, Black River*, Curepipe, Flacq*, Grand Port*, Moka*, Pamplemousses*, Plaine Wilhems*, Port Louis*, Quartre Bornes, Riviere du Rempart*, Savanne*, and Vacoas-Phoenix
Capital
Port Louis
Communists
may be 2,000 sympathizers; several Communist organizations; Mauritius Lenin Youth Organization, Mauritius Women's Committee, Mauritius Communist Party, Mauritius People's Progressive Party, Mauritius Young Communist League, Mauritius Liberation Front, Chinese Middle School Friendly Association, Mauritius/USSR Friendship Society
Constitution
12 March 1968
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Chitmansing JESSERAMSING; Chancery at Suite 134, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 244-1491 or 1492; US--Ambassador Penne KORTH; Embassy at 4th Floor, Rogers Building, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis; telephone 082347
Elections
Legislative Assembly--last held on 30 August 1987 (next to be held 30 August 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(70 total, 62 elected) MSM 24, MMM 21, MLP 10, PMSD 5, others 10
Executive branch
British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Flag
four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green
Independence
12 March 1968 (from UK)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court
Leaders
Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Veerasamy RINGADOO (since 17 January 1986); Head of Government--Prime Minister Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 12 June 1982); Deputy Prime Minister Sir Satcam BOOLELL (since 15 August 1988)
Legal system
based on French civil law system with elements of English common law in certain areas
Legislative branch
unicameral Legislative Assembly
Long-form name
none
Member of
ACP, AfDB, CCC, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ISO, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, NAM, OAU, OCAM, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
National holiday
Independence Day, 12 March (1968)
Other political or pressure groups
various labor unions
Political parties and leaders
the government is currently controlled by a coalition composed of the Militant Socialist Movement (MSM), A. Jugnauth, and the Mauritian Labor Party (MLP), S. Boolell; the main opposition union consists of the Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM), Prem Nababsing; Socialist Workers Front, Sylvio Michel; Democratic Labor Movement, Anil Baichoo; Mauritian Social Democratic Party (PMSD), G. Duval
Suffrage
universal at age 18
Type
parliamentary democracy
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 14% 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
Aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $72 million; Western (non-US) countries (1970-87), $538 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $54 million
Budget
revenues $351 million; expenditures $414 million, including capital expenditures of $76 million (FY87 est.)
Currency
Mauritian rupee (plural--rupees); 1 Mauritian rupee (MauR) = 100 cents
Electricity
233,000 kW capacity; 420 million kWh produced, 375 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
Mauritian rupees (MauRs) per US$1--15.033 (January 1990), 15.250 (1989), 13.438 (1988), 12.878 (1987), 13.466 (1986), 15.442 (1985)
Exports
$1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--textiles 44%, sugar 40%, light manufactures 10%; partners--EC and US have preferential treatment, EC 77%, US 15%
External debt
$670 million (December 1989)
Fiscal year
1 July-30 June
GDP
$1.9 billion, per capita $1,910; real growth rate 6.3% (1988)
Illicit drugs
illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade
Imports
$1.3 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--manufactured goods 50%, capital equipment 17%, foodstuffs 13%, petroleum products 8%, chemicals 7%; partners--EC, US, South Africa, Japan
Industrial production
growth rate 12.9% (FY87)
Industries
food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, wearing apparel, chemical and chemical products, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery, tourism
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
9.2% (1988)
Overview
The economy is based on sugar, manufacturing (mainly textiles), and tourism. Despite significant expansion in other sectors over the past decade, sugarcane remains dominant and is grown on about 90% of the cultivated land area, accounting for 40% of export earnings. The government's development strategy is centered on industrialization (with a view to exports), agricultural diversification, and tourism. Economic performance in 1988 was impressive, with 6.3% real growth rate and low unemployment.
Unemployment rate
3.6% (1988)
Communications
Airports
5 total, 4 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m
Civil air
4 major transport aircraft
Highways
1,800 km total; 1,640 km paved, 160 km earth
Merchant marine
9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 143,029 GRT/ 248,754 DWT; includes 1 passenger-cargo, 3 cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 3 bulk
Ports
Port Louis
Telecommunications
small system with good service; new microwave link to Reunion; high-frequency radio links to several countries; 48,000 telephones; stations--2 AM, no FM, 4 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Military and Security
Branches
paramilitary Special Mobile Force, Special Support Units, regular Police Force
Defense expenditures
NA
Military manpower
males 15-49, 297,975; 153,130 fit for military service