Mauritius

Republic of Mauritius

parliamentary democracy

Mauritius as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 75 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
LocationSouthern Africa, in the western Indian Ocean, 900 km east of Madagascar
1993

Every edition of Mauritius

Populationas each edition published it
1.11 million July 1993 est. · 1.07m in 1990
Population growth% a year
0.95% 1993 est. · 0.06% in 2025
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 29.8 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
70.24 years 1993 est. · 75.4 yrs in 2025
Fertility ratechildren per woman
2.23 children per woman 1993 est. · 2 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
19 deaths per 1,000 live births 1993 est. · 20 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$2,300 $27,300 in 2025
GDP real growth% a year
6.1% 4.7% in 2025

Geography

Southern Africa, in the western Indian Ocean, 900 km east of Madagascar

13 fields
Area
1,860km2
land area: 1,850 km2comparative area: slightly less than 10.5 times the size of Washington, DCnote: includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues
Coastline
177km
land boundaries: 0 kmcontiguous zone: 24 nmcontinental shelf: 200 nm or the edge of continental marginexclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm
Irrigated land
170km2
(1989 est.)

Location

Southern Africa, in the western Indian Ocean, 900 km east of Madagascar

Map references

Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

International disputes

  • claims UK-administered 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

Natural resources

arable land, fish

Land use

arable land:
54%
permanent crops:
4%
meadows and pastures:
4%
forest and woodland:
31%
other:
7%

Environment

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

People

14 fields
Population
1,106,516
(July 1993 est.)growth rate: 0.95% (1993 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1993 est.)

Birth
19.67Death
6.44Net migration
-3.71

Male · female(1993 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years70.24
66.34 · 74.3
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy61%
72% · 50%
MaleFemaleLiteracy age 13 and over can read and write (1962)

Ethnic divisions

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

Religions

Hindu 52%Christian 28.3% (Roman Catholic 26%, Protestant 2.3%)Muslim 16.6%other 3.1%
Labor force
335,000
by occupation: government services 29%, agriculture and fishing 27%, manufacturing 22%, other 22%note: 43% of population of working age (1985)

Infant mortality rate

19 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.23 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Mauritian(s)
adjective:
Mauritian

Languages

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

Government

Parliamentary democracy

20 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

53%
MSM/MMM 53%MLP/PMSD 38%

Names

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

Type

parliamentary democracy

Capital

Port Louis

Administrative divisions

9 districts and 3 dependencies*; Agalega Islands*, Black River, Cargados, Carajos*, Flacq, Louis, Riviere du Rempart, Rodrigues*, Savanne, Independence: 12 March 1968 (from UK)

Constitution

12 March 1968

National holiday

Independence Day, 12 March (1968)

Political parties and leaders

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), X. DUVAL

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Elections

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);
  • MLP/PMSD 3

Executive branch

president, vice president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch

unicameral Legislative Assembly

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Leaders

Chief of State:
President Cassam UTEEM (since 1 July 1992); Vice President Robin Dranooth GHURBURRON (since 1 July 1992)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 12 June 1982); Deputy Prime Minister Prem NABABSING (since 26 September 1990)

Member of

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 in US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Chitmansing JESSERAMSING
chancery:
Suite 134, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
(202) 244-1491 or 1492

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:
Ambassador vacant
embassy:
4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis
mailing address:
4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis
telephone:
[230] 208-9763 through 208-9767
FAX:
[230] 208-9534

Flag

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

Economy

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 | 40% of export earnings.

19 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$2,300
(FY91 est.)
Real growth rate
6.1%
(FY91 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate 7% (1990); accounts for 25% of GDP
Unemployment rate
2.4%
(1991 est.)

Budget

Revenues
$557 millionExpenditures
$607 million
expenditures, including capital expenditures of $111 million (FY90)

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 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 FY91 was impressive, with 6% real growth and low unemployment.

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $2.5 billion (FY91 est.)

Exports

$1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1990)

commodities:
textiles 44%, sugar 40%, light manufactures 10%
partners:
EC and US have preferential treatment, EC 77%, US 15%

Imports

$1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1990)

commodities:
manufactured goods 50%, capital equipment 17%, foodstuffs 13%, petroleum products 8%, chemicals 7%
partners:
EC, US, South Africa, Japan

External debt

$869 million (1991 est.)

Electricity

235,000 kW capacity; 630 million kWh produced, 570 kWh per capita (1992)

Industries

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

Agriculture

  • accounts for 10% 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

Illicit drugs

illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade

Economic aid

  • US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $76 million;
  • Western (non-US) countries (1970-89), $709 million;
  • Communist countries (1970-89), $54 million

Currency

1 Mauritian rupee (MauR) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

Mauritian rupees (MauRs) per US$1 - 16.982 (January 1993), 15.563 (1992), 15.652 (1991), 14.839 (1990), 15.250 (1989), 13.438 (1988)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

Communications

5 fields

Merchant marine, 7 ships by typeone square, one ship

cargo 3liquefied gas 1bulk 37 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 103,328 GRT/163,142 DWT

Highways

1,800 km total; 1,640 km paved, 160 km earth

Ports

Port Louis

Airports

total:
5
usable:
4
with permanent-surface runways:
2
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
1
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
0

Telecommunications

  • small system with good service utilizing primarily microwave radio relay;
  • new microwave link to Reunion;
  • high-frequency radio links to several countries;
  • over 48,000 telephones;
  • broadcast stations - 2 AM, no FM, 4 TV;
  • 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

National Police Force (including the paramilitary Special Mobile Force | (SMF), Special Support Units (SSU), and National Coast Guard

4 fields

Branches

National Police Force (including the paramilitary Special Mobile Force (SMF), Special Support Units (SSU), and National Coast Guard

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 312,056; fit for military service 159,408 (1993 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $5 million, 0.2% of GDP (FY89)

Affiliation

(territorial collectivity of France)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Mauritius.” The World Factbook 1993. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/mauritius/1993.

How to cite ← 1992 edition 1994 edition →