Edition 2005 — Mauritius

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 24.4% (male 151,043/female 148,847) 15-64 years: 69.1% (male 424,472/female 425,974) 65 years and over: 6.5% (male 31,506/female 48,760) (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products

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

Airports

6 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) Military Mauritius

Area

land: 2,030 sq km
total: 2,040 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

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. Geography Mauritius

Birth rate

15.62 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Budget

expenditures: $1.582 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)
revenues: $1.231 billion

Capital

Port Louis

Climate

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

Coastline

177 km

Constitution

12 March 1968; amended 12 March 1992

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Mauritius
conventional short form: Mauritius

Currency (code)

Mauritian rupee (MUR)

Currency code

MUR

Current account balance

$284.1 million (2004 est.)

Death rate

6.83 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Debt - external

$1.78 billion (2004 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador John PRICE
embassy: 4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis
FAX: [230] 208-9534
mail: American Embassy, Port Louis, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2450
mailing address: international mail: P. O. Box 544, Port Louis; US
telephone: [230] 202-4400

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery: 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 441, Washington, DC 20008
chief of mission: Ambassador Usha JEETAH
FAX: [1] (202) 966-0983
telephone: [1] (202) 244-1491, 1492

Disputes - international

Mauritius claims the Chagos Archipelago (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

Distribution of family income - Gini index

37 (1987 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 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).

Electricity - consumption

1.707 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - production

1.836 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 90.8%
hydro: 9.2%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point: Mont Piton 828 m
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m

Environment - current issues

water pollution, degradation of coral reefs

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered 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

Ethnic groups

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

Exchange rates

Mauritian rupees per US dollar - 27.499 (2004), 27.902 (2003), 29.962 (2002), 29.129 (2001), 26.25 (2000)

Executive branch

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
chief of state: President Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 7 October 2003) and Vice President Abdool Raouf BUNDHUN (since 25 February 2002)
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
elections: president and vice president elected by the National Assembly for five-year terms; election last held 25 February 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president, responsible to the National Assembly
head of government: Prime Minister Paul BERENGER (since 30 September 2003)

Exports

$2.012 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities

clothing and textiles, sugar, cut flowers, molasses

Exports - partners

UK 33.1%, France 20.4%, US 14.8%, Madagascar 5.1%, Italy 4.1% (2004)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June Communications Mauritius

Flag description

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

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 7.6%
industry: 30%
services: 62.4% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $12,800 (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

4.7% (2004 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$15.68 billion (2004 est.)

Geographic coordinates

20 17 S, 57 33 E

Geography - note

the main island, from which the country derives its name, is of volcanic origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs People Mauritius

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Highways

paved: 1,960 km (including 60 km of expressways)
total: 2,000 km
unpaved: 40 km (2002)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 100 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

700 (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA

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 This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005 ======================================================================

Imports

$2.245 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities

manufactured goods, capital equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals

Imports - partners

South Africa 11.3%, China 9.4%, India 9.3%, France 9.2%, Bahrain 5.3%, Japan 4.1% (2004)

Independence

12 March 1968 (from UK)

Industrial production growth rate

8% (2000 est.)

Industries

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

Infant mortality rate

female: 12.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
male: 17.74 deaths/1,000 live births
total: 15.03 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.5% (2004 est.)

International organization participation

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Internet country code

.mu

Internet hosts

3,985 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

2 (2000)

Internet users

150,000 (2003) Transportation Mauritius

Investment (gross fixed)

22.5% of GDP (2004 est.)

Irrigated land

200 sq km (2000 est.)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Labor force

560,000 (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

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

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 49.26%
other: 47.78% (2001)
permanent crops: 2.96%

Languages

Creole 80.5%, Bhojpuri 12.1%, French 3.4% (official), other 3.7%, unspecified 0.3% (2000 census)

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 - MSM/MMM 52.3%, MLP/PMSD 36.9%, OPR 10.8%; seats by party - MSM/MMM 54, MLP/PMSD 6, OPR 2
elections: last held on 11 September 2000 (next to be held September 2005)

Life expectancy at birth

female: 76.41 years (2005 est.)
male: 68.4 years
total population: 72.38 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
female: 82.7% (2003 est.) Government Mauritius
male: 88.6%
total population: 85.6%

Location

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

Manpower available for military service

males age 18-49: 313,271 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 18-49: 248,659 (2005 est.)

Map references

Political Map of the World

Maritime claims

continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

Median age

female: 31.46 years (2005 est.)
male: 29.65 years
total: 30.5 years

Merchant marine

by type: bulk carrier 4, passenger/cargo 2, refrigerated cargo 2
foreign-owned: 6 (India 4, Switzerland 2) (2005)
total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 22,946 GRT/27,102 DWT

Military branches

National Police Force (includes the paramilitary Special Mobile Force or SMF and National Coast Guard)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$12.5 million (2004)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

0.2% (2004) Transnational Issues Mauritius

National holiday

Independence Day, 12 March (1968)

Nationality

adjective: Mauritian
noun: Mauritian(s)

Natural hazards

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

Natural resources

arable land, fish

Net migration rate

-0.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption

21,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA

Oil - imports

NA

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

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 Social Democrat Party or PMSD [Charles Xavier-Luc DUVAL]; Militant Socialist Movement or MSM [Pravind JUGNAUTH] - governing party; Rodrigues Movement or MR [Joseph (Nicholas) Von MALLY]; Rodrigues Peoples Organization or OPR [Serge CLAIR]

Political pressure groups and leaders

various labor unions

Population

1,230,602 (July 2005 est.)

Population below poverty line

10% (2001 est.)

Population growth rate

0.84% (2005 est.)

Ports and harbors