Mauritius

Republic of Mauritius

parliamentary democracyIndependence 12 March 1968 (from UK)

Mauritius as the 1999 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 102 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

Position20 17 S, 57 33 E

Area1,860 sq km

LocationSouthern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of

Populationas each edition published it

1.18 million July 1999 est. · 1.07m in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.18% 1999 est. · 0.95% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 29.8 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

71.09 years 1999 est. · 70.24 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.21 children per woman 1999 est. · 2 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

16.2 deaths per 1,000 live births 1999 est. · 20 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$10,000 1998 est. · $2,300 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

5% 1998 est. · 6.1% in 1993

Geography

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

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Land useshare of 1,860 sq km

arable land 49%permanent pastures 3%forests and woodland 22%other 23% (1993 est.)permanent crops 3% in all · irrigated 170 sq km (1993 est.)

Area

1,860sq km

land: 1,850 sq kmwater: 10 sq kmnote: includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodriguesalmost 11 times the size of Washington, DC

Coastline

177km

land boundaries: 0 kmcontinental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental marginexclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm

Highest point

828m

Mont Pitonlowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m

Location

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

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 hazards

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

Environment--international agreements

party to:: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:: none of the selected agreements

People

15 fields

Population

1,182,212

(July 1999 est.)growth rate: 1.18% (1999 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1999 est.)

Birth

18.49Death

6.69Net migration

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (1999 est.)71.09

67.21 · 74.96

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (1995 est.)82.9%

87.1% · 78.8%

MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Ethnic groups

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%

Age structure

0-14 years:: 26% (male 156,616; female 153,698)
15-64 years:: 68% (male 398,557; female 402,674)
65 years and over:: 6% (male 28,586; female 42,081) (1999 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population:: 0.98 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate

16.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 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) and Vice President Angidi Verriah CHETTIAR (since 28 June 1997); Prime Minister Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM (since 27 December 1995)

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Presidential electionpercent of vote

65%

-MLP/MMM 65%MSM/MMR 20%other 15%last held on 20 December 1995 (next to be held by December 2000)

National Assembly, 66 seats, elected 20 December 1995one dot, one seat

-MLP 35MMM 25allies of MLP and MMM on Rodrigues Island 2appointed were Rodrigues Movement 2PMSD 1Hizbullah 1

Percent of vote

-MLP/MMM 65%MSM/MMR 20%other 15%

Country name

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

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) and Vice President Angidi Verriah CHETTIAR (since 28 June 1997)
head of government:: Prime Minister Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM (since 27 December 1995)
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;
election last held 28 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002);
prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president and are responsible to the National Assembly
election results:: Cassam UTEEM reelected president and Angidi Verriah CHETTIAR elected vice president; percent of vote by the National Assembly--NA

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)

elections:: last held on 20 December 1995 (next to be held by December 2000)
election results:: percent of vote by party--MLP/MMM 65%, MSM/MMR 20%, other 15%;
seats by party--MLP 35, MMM 25, allies of MLP and MMM on Rodrigues Island 2;
appointed were Rodrigues Movement 2, PMSD 1, Hizbullah 1

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

RAMGOOLAM] Paramhansa NABABSING]; Mauritian Social Democrat Party or PMSD

Political pressure groups and leaders

various labor unions

International organization participation

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, InOC, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Chitmansing JESSERAMSING
chancery:: Suite 441, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Harold Walter GEISEL
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, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2450

Flag description

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 a | middle income diversified economy with growing industrial, financial | services, and tourist sectors.

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GDP per capita, PPP

$10,000

purchasing power parity? · (1998 est.)

Real growth rate

(1998 est.)industrial production growth: 5.8% (1992)

Inflation, consumer prices

6.8%

(1997)

Unemployment rate

(1996 est.)

GDP--composition by sector(1996)

agriculture 8%industry 29%services 63% (1996)

Budget

Revenues

$824 million (FY94/95)Expenditures

$1 billion

expenditures including capital expenditures of $198 million (FY95/96 est.)

Electricity

fossil fuel 86.67%hydro 13.33%nuclear 0% · other 0%

Electricity production

1.125 billion (1996)Electricity consumption

1.125 billion (1996)

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 services, 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 25% 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 1991-98 continued strong with solid growth and low unemployment.

GDP

purchasing power parity--$11.7 billion (1998 est.)

Population below poverty line

10.6% (1992 est.)

Labor force

514,000 (1995)

Labor force--by occupation

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

Industries

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

Agriculture--products

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

Exports

$1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1997)

Exports--commodities

clothing and textiles 55%, sugar 24% (1995)

Exports--partners

UK 34.4%, France 19.5%, US 13.0%, Germany 5.6%, Italy 4.0% (1996)

Imports

$2.3 billion (c.i.f., 1997)

Imports--commodities

manufactured goods 37%, capital equipment 19%, foodstuffs 13%, petroleum products 8%, chemicals 7% (1995)

Imports--partners

South Africa 12.0%, France 11.1%, India 8.9%, UK 6.5%, Germany 4.7%, (1996)

Debt--external

$1.2 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid--recipient

$5.2 million (1995)

Currency

1 Mauritian rupee (MauR) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

Mauritian rupees (MauRs) per US$1--24.099 (January 1999), 22.803 (1998), 20.561 (1997), 17.948 (1996), 17.386 (1995), 17.960 (1994)

Fiscal year

1 July--30 June

Communications

6 fields

Fixed lines

107,000

(1993)

Telephone system

small system with good service

domestic:: primarily microwave radio relay
international:: satellite earth station--1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean);
new microwave link to Reunion;
HF radiotelephone links to several countries