Mauritius

parliamentary democracyIndependence 12 March 1968 (from UK)

Mauritius as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 67 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalPort Louis

Area1,860 km2

Populationas each edition published it

1.08 million July 1991 · 1.07m in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 0.95% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 29.8 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 70.24 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2 children per woman 1991 · 2 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

20 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 20 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $2,300 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 6.1% in 1993

Geography

11 fields

Total area

1,860km2

land area: 1,850 km2; includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and RodriguesComparative area: slightly less than 10.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Coastline

177 km Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Disputes

claims Chagos Archipelago, which includes the island of Diego Garcia in UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory;
claims French-administered Tromelin Island

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

Land use

arable land 54%;
permanent crops 4%;
meadows and pastures 4%;
forest and woodland 31%;
other 7%;
includes irrigated 9%

Environment

subject to cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs

Note

located 900 km east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean

People

14 fields

Population

1,081,000

(July 1991), growth rate 0.8% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth

19Death

Ethnic divisions

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

Religion

Hindu 52%Christian (Roman Catholic 26%, Protestant 2.3%) 28.3%Muslim 16.6%other 3.1%

Literacy

61%

(male 72%, female 50%) age 13 and over can read and write (1962)

Nationality

noun--Mauritian(s); adjective--Mauritian

Language

English (official), Creole, French, Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bojpoori

Labor force

335,000;
government services 29%, agriculture and fishing 27%, manufacturing 22%, other 22%;
43% of population of working age (1985)

Organized labor

35% of labor force in more than 270 unions

Government

Parliamentary democracy

16 fields

Administrative divisions

9 districts and 3 dependencies*; Agalega Islands*, Black River, Cargados Carajos*, Flacq, Grand Port, Moka, Pamplemousses, Plaines Wilhems, Port Louis, Riviere du Rempart, Rodrigues*, Savanne

Legal system

based on French civil law system with elements of English common law in certain areas

Executive branch

British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court 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 Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 12 June 1982);
Deputy Prime Minister Prem NABABSING (since 26 September 1990) government coalition--Militant Socialist Movement (MSM), A. JUGNAUTH;
Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM), Paul BERENGER;
Organization of the People of Rodrigues (OPR), Louis Serge CLAIR;
Democratic Labor Movement (MTD), Anil BAICHOO;
opposition--Mauritian Labor Party (MLP), Navin RAMGOOLMAN;
Socialist Workers Front, Sylvio MICHEL;
Mauritian Social Democratic Party (PMSD), G. DUVAL Legislative Assembly--last held on 15 September 1991 (next to be held by 15 September 1996);
results--MSM/MMM 53%, MLP/PMSD 38%;
seats--(70 total, 62 elected) MSM/MMM alliance 59 (MSM 29, MMM 26, OPR 2, MTD 2);
opposition 3

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

Other political or pressure groups

various labor unions

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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 Percy KORTH;
Embassy at 4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis;
telephone [230] 208-9763 through 208-9767

Flag

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

Economy

The economy is based on sugar, manufacturing (mainly textiles), and tourism.

17 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$2.1billion

per capita $2,000; real growth rate 5.5% (FY89)

Inflation, consumer prices

12.7%

(1989)

Unemployment rate

2.7%

(1989 est.)

External debt

$670million

(December 1989)

Exports $993 million (f.o.b., 1989)commodities, where a share is given

textiles

44%sugar

40%light manufactures

10%

; partners--EC and US have preferential treatment, EC 77%, US 15%

Imports $1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1989)

manufactured goods

50%capital equipment

17%foodstuffs

13%petroleum products

8%chemicals

; partners--EC, US, South Africa, Japan

Budget

Revenues

$477 millionExpenditures

$540 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $112 million (FY89)

Overview

The economy is based on sugar, manufacturing (mainly textiles), and tourism. Sugarcane is grown on about 90% of the cultivated land area and accounts for 32% of export earnings. The government's development strategy is centered on industrialization (with a view to exports), agricultural diversification, and tourism. Economic performance in 1989 was impressive, with 5.0% real growth and low unemployment.