Mauritius

Republic of Mauritius

parliamentary democracyIndependence 12 March 1968 (from UK)

Mauritius as the 1995 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 80 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 sq km

LocationSouthern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of

Populationas each edition published it

1.13 million July 1995 est. · 1.07m in 1990

Population growth% a year

0.89% 1995 est. · 0.95% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 29.8 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

70.84 years 1995 est. · 70.24 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.2 children per woman 1995 est. · 2 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

17.8 deaths per 1,000 live births 1995 est. · 20 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$8,600 1994 est. · $2,300 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

4.7% 1993 est. · 6.1% in 1993

Geography

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

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Area

1,860sq km

land area: 1,850 sq kmcomparative 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 kmcontinental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental marginexclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm

Irrigated land

170sq km

(1989 est.)

Location

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

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

Land use

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

Environment

current issues:: water pollution
natural hazards:: cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards
international agreements:: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection

People

15 fields

Population

1,127,068

(July 1995 est.)growth rate: 0.89% (1995 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1995 est.)

Birth

18.91Death

6.38Net migration

-3.64

Male · female(1995 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years70.84

66.9 · 74.95

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy80%

85% · 75%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1990)

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%

Age structure

0-14 years:: 28% (female 152,892; male 158,891)
15-64 years:: 66% (female 376,049; male 372,910)
65 years and over:: 6% (female 39,088; male 27,238) (July 1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate

17.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Mauritian(s)
adjective:: Mauritian

Languages

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

Government

Parliamentary democracy; President Cassam UTEEM (since 1 July 1992); Prime Minister Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 12 June 1982)

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Presidential electionpercent of vote

53%

MSM/MMM 53%MLP/PMSD 38%

Legislature, 66 seatsone dot, one seat

MSM/MMM alliance (MSM 29, MMM 26, OPR 2, MTD 2) 59MLP/PMSD (MLP 3, PMSD 1) 4

Names

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

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

chief of state:: President Cassam UTEEM (since 1 July 1992); Vice President Rabindranath 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)
cabinet:: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president on recommendation of the prime minister

Legislative Assembly

elections last held on 15 September 1991 (next to be held by 15 September 1996);
results - MSM/MMM 53%, MLP/PMSD 38%;
seats - (66 total) MSM/MMM alliance 59 (MSM 29, MMM 26, OPR 2, MTD 2), MLP/PMSD 4 (MLP 3, PMSD 1);
note - the Supreme Court denied the assignment of 3 seats to the MSM

Political parties and leaders

government coalition:: Militant Socialist Movement (MSM), A. JUGNAUTH;
Mauritian Militant Resurgence (RMM), Prem NABABSING (less 10 legislators under the leadership of Paul BERENGER, now voting with the opposition);
Mauritian Social Democratic Party (PMSD), X. DUVAL;
Organization of the People of Rodrigues (OPR), Louis Serge CLAIR;
Democratic Labor Movement (MTD), Anil BAICHOO
opposition:: Mauritian Labor Party (MLP), Navin RAMGOOLMAN;
MMM-Berenger Faction, Paul BERENGER;
Socialist Workers Front, Sylvio MICHEL

Other political or pressure groups

various labor unions

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

Diplomatic representation in US

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

FAX

[1] (202) 966-0983

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador Leslie M. ALEXANDER
embassy:: 4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis
mailing address:: use embassy street address
telephone:: [230] 208-9763 through 9767

FAX

[230] 208-9534

Flag

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

Economy

Since independence in 1968, Mauritius has developed from a | low income, agriculturally based economy to middle income diversified | economy with growing industrial and tourist sectors.

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GDP per capita, PPP

$8,600

(1994 est.)

Real growth rate

4.7%

(1993 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate 5.8% (1992); accounts for 25% of GDP

Inflation, consumer prices

9.4%

(1993 est.)

Unemployment rate

2.4%

(1991 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$653 millionExpenditures

$567 million

expenditures including capital expenditures of $143 million (FY92/93 est.)

Installed generating capacity, 340,000 kW

Electricity production

920 millionElectricity consumption per capita

777 (1993)

Overview

Since independence in 1968, Mauritius has developed from a low income, agriculturally based economy to middle income diversified economy with growing industrial and tourist sectors. For most of the period annual growth has been of the order of 5% to 6%. This remarkable achievement has been reflected in 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 40% of export earnings. The government's development strategy centers on industrialization (with a view to modernization and to exports), agricultural diversification, and tourism. Economic performance in 1991-93 continued strong with solid real growth and low unemployment.

National product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $9.3 billion (1993 est.)

Exports

$1.32 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)

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

Imports

$1.7 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)

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

External debt

$996.8 million (1993 est.)

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; heroin consumption and transshipment are growing problems

Economic aid

recipient:: 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 - 17.755 (January 1995), 17.960 (1994), 17.648 (1993), 15.563 (1992), 15.652 (1991), 14.839 (1990)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

Transportation

5 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 5 in all

2,438 to 3,047 m

914 to 1,523 m

under 914 m

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

1,800Railroads

Highways: paved: 1,640 km · unpaved: earth 160 km

Highways

total:: 1,800 km
paved:: 1,640 km
unpaved:: earth 160 km

Ports

Port Louis

Merchant marine

total:: 16 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 191,703 GRT/297,347 DWT
ships by type:: bulk 5, cargo 8, liquefied gas tanker 1, oil tanker 1, passenger-cargo 1

Communications

3 fields

Telephone system

over 48,000 telephones; small system with good service

local:: NA
intercity:: utilizes primarily microwave radio relay
international:: 1 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) earth station;
new microwave link to Reunion;
high-frequency radio links to several countries

Radio

broadcast stations:: AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0
radios:: NA

Television

broadcast stations:: 4
televisions:: NA

Defense Forces

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