2008 Edition

Background

Although known to Arab and Malay sailors as early as the 10th century, Mauritius was first explored by the Portuguese in the 16th century and subsequently settled by the Dutch - who named it in honor of Prince Maurits van NASSAU - in the 17th century. The French assumed control in 1715, developing the island into an important naval base overseeing Indian Ocean trade, and establishing a plantation economy of sugar cane. The British captured the island in 1810, during the Napoleonic Wars. Mauritius remained a strategically important British naval base, and later an air station, playing an important role during World War II for anti-submarine and convoy operations, as well as the collection of signals intelligence. Independence from the UK 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, declining sugar prices, and declining textile and apparel production, have slowed economic growth, leading to some protests over standards of living in the Creole community.

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 - comparative

almost 11 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

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

Coastline

177 km

Elevation extremes

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

Environment - current issues

water pollution, degradation of coral reefs

Environment - international agreements

party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, 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

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 0.61 cu km/yr (25%/14%/60%) per capita: 488 cu m/yr (2000)

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; home of the dodo, a large flightless bird related to pigeons, driven to extinction by the end of the 17th century through a combination of hunting and the introduction of predatory species

Irrigated land

220 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 49.02% permanent crops: 2.94% other: 48.04% (2005)

Location

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

Map references

Political Map of the World

Maritime claims

measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Natural hazards

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

Natural resources

arable land, fish

Terrain

small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau

Total renewable water resources

2.2 cu km (2001)

Age structure

0-14 years: 23% (male 148,573/female 143,859) 15-64 years: 70.1% (male 443,968/female 449,670) 65 years and over: 6.9% (male 35,269/female 52,850) (2008 est.)

Birth rate

14.64 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate

6.55 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Education expenditures

3.9% of GDP (2006)

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

fewer than 100 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

700 (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 12.56 deaths/1,000 live births male: 14.94 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

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)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 73.75 years male: 70.28 years female: 77.4 years (2008 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 84.4% male: 88.4% female: 80.5% (2000 census)

Median age

total: 31.5 years male: 30.6 years female: 32.3 years (2008 est.)

Nationality

noun: Mauritian(s) adjective: Mauritian

Net migration rate

-0.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Population

1,274,189 (July 2008 est.)

Population growth rate

0.8% (2008 est.)

Religions

Hindu 48%, Roman Catholic 23.6%, Muslim 16.6%, other Christian 8.6%, other 2.5%, unspecified 0.3%, none 0.4% (2000 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 14 years male: 14 years female: 13 years (2005)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.83 children born/woman (2008 est.)

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

Capital

name: Port Louis geographic coordinates: 20 09 S, 57 29 E time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

12 March 1968; amended 12 March 1992

Country name

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Cesar CABRERA 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, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2450 telephone: [230] 202-4400

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Keerteecoomar RUHEE chancery: 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 441, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 244-1491, 1492

Executive branch

chief of state: President Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 7 October 2003); 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 19 September 2008 (next to be held in 2013); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president, responsible to the National Assembly election results: Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH reelected president by unanimous vote; percent of vote by the National Assembly - NA%

FAX

[1] (202) 966-0983

[230] 208-9534

Flag description

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

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Independence

12 March 1968 (from UK)

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, CPLP (associate), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, SAARC (observer), SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Legal system

based on French civil law system with elements of English common law in certain areas; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly (70 seats; 62 members elected by popular vote, 8 appointed by the election commission to give representation to various ethnic minorities; to 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

National holiday

Independence Day, 12 March (1968)

Political parties and leaders

Alliance Sociale or AS [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM] (governing coalition - includes MLD, MMSM, MR, MSD, PMXD); Mauritian Labor Party or MLP [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM]; Mauritian Militant Movement or MMM [Paul BERENGER]; Mauritian Socialist Militant Movement or MMSM [Madan DOLLOO]; Militant Socialist Movement or MSM [Nando BODHA]; Mouvement Republicain or MR [Jayarama VALAYDEN]; Parti Mauricien Xavier Duval or PMXD [Xavier Luc DUVAL]; Rodrigues Movement or MR [Joseph (Nicholas) Von MALLY]; Rodrigues Peoples Organization or OPR [Serge CLAIR]

Political pressure groups and leaders

other: various labor unions

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $1.344 billion expenditures: $1.773 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2007 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

21.87% (31 December 2007)

Currency (code)

Mauritian rupee (MUR)

Currency code

MUR

Current account balance

-$408.3 million (2007 est.)

Debt - external

$2.149 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

39 (2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$31.93 million (2005)

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. The economy rests on sugar, tourism, textiles and apparel, and financial services, and is expanding into fish processing, information and communications technology, and hospitality and property development. Sugarcane is grown on about 90% of the cultivated land area and accounts for 15% of export earnings. The government's development strategy centers on creating vertical and horizontal clusters of development in these sectors. Mauritius has attracted more than 32,000 offshore entities, many aimed at commerce in India, South Africa, and China. 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

2.058 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production

2.321 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source

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

Exchange rates

Mauritian rupees (MUR) per US dollar - 31.798 (2007), 31.656 (2006), 29.496 (2005), 27.499 (2004), 27.902 (2003)

Exports

$2.231 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities

clothing and textiles, sugar, cut flowers, molasses, fish

Exports - partners

UK 35.1%, France 14.4%, US 7.7%, Madagascar 6.3%, Italy 5.8% (2007)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 4.8% industry: 25% services: 70.1% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$11,300 (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

5.4% (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$6.959 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$14.27 billion (2007 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$3.656 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

India 21.2%, China 11.4%, France 10.7%, South Africa 7.4% (2007)

Industrial production growth rate

4.7% (2007 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

8.8% (2007 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

25.1% of GDP (2007 est.)

Labor force

574,000 (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture and fishing 9%, construction and industry 30%, transportation and communication 7%, trade, restaurants, hotels 22%, finance 6%, other services 25% (2007)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$5.7 billion (2007)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Oil - consumption

22,450 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2006)

Oil - imports

23,650 bbl/day (2006)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

8% (2006 est.)

Public debt

63.1% of GDP (2007 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$1.822 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$NA

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$NA

Stock of domestic credit

$8.582 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of money

$1.673 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money

$6.759 billion (31 December 2007)

Unemployment rate

8.8% (2007 est.)

Internet country code

.mu

Internet hosts

9,609 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

2 (2000)

Internet users

340,000 (2007)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 4, FM 9, shortwave 0 (2001)

Radios

420,000 (1997)

Telephone system

general assessment: small system with good service domestic: monopoly over fixed-line services terminated in 2005; fixed-line teledensity roughly 30 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular services launched in 1989 with teledensity in 2007 reaching 75 per 100 persons international: country code - 230; landing point for the SAFE submarine cable that provides links to Asia and South Africa where it connects to the SAT-3/WASC submarine cable that provides further links to parts of East Africa, and Europe; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); new microwave link to Reunion; HF radiotelephone links to several countries

Telephones - main lines in use

357,300 (2006)

Telephones - mobile cellular

936,000 (2007)

Television broadcast stations

2 (plus several repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

258,000 (1997)

Airports

5 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2007)

Merchant marine

total: 3 by type: passenger/cargo 2, refrigerated cargo 1 (2008)

Ports and terminals

Port Louis

Roadways

total: 2,028 km paved: 2,028 km (includes 75 km of expressways) (2007)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 341,018 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 11,089 female: 10,843 (2008 est.)

Military branches

no regular military forces; National Police Force, Special Mobile Force, National Coast Guard (2008)

Military expenditures

0.3% of GDP (2006 est.)

Disputes - international

Mauritius claims the Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory), and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius; claims French-administered Tromelin Island

Illicit drugs

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 18 December, 2008