Mauritius

Republic of Mauritius

parliamentary democracyIndependence 12 March 1968 (from UK)

Mauritius as the 2002 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 113 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
Area2,040 sq km
LocationSouthern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar
2002

Every edition of Mauritius

Populationas each edition published it
1.2 million July 2002 est. · 1.07m in 1990
Population growth% a year
0.86% 2002 est. · 0.95% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 29.8 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
71.53 years 2002 est. · 70.24 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
2 children per woman 2002 est. · 2 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
16.65 deaths per 1,000 live births 2002 est. · 20 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$10,800 2001 est. · $2,300 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
5.2% 2001 est. · 6.1% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

Background

Discovered by the Portuguese in 1505, Mauritius was subsequently held by the Dutch, French, and British before independence 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 and declining sugar prices have slowed economic growth leading to some protests over standards of living in the Creole community.

Geography

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

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Land useshare of 2,040 sq km

arable land 49.26%permanent crops 2.96%other 47.78% (1998 est.)irrigated 200 sq km (1998 est.)
Area
2,040sq km
note: includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigueswater: 10 sq kmland: 2,030 sq kmalmost 11 times the size of Washington, DC
Coastline
177km
land boundaries: 0 kmcontinental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental marginterritorial sea: 12 NMexclusive economic zone: 200 NM
Highest point
828m
Mont Pitonlowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m

Location

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

Geographic coordinates

20 17 S, 57 33 E

Map references

Political Map of the World

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

Natural hazards

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

Environment - current issues

water pollution, degradation of coral reefs

Environment - international agreements

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

Geography - note

the main island, from which the country derives its name, is of volcanic origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs

People

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Population
1,200,206
(July 2002 est.)growth rate: 0.86% (2002 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2002 est.)

Birth
16.34Death
6.81Net migration
-0.92

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2002 est.)71.53
67.54 · 75.58
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:
25.4% (male 153,810; female 150,464)
15-64 years:
68.3% (male 409,028; female 411,070)
65 years and over:
6.3% (male 30,170; female 45,664) (2002 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.66 male(s)/female
total population:
0.98 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate

16.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Total fertility rate

2 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Mauritian(s)
adjective:
Mauritian

Languages

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

Government

Parliamentary democracy; President Karl OFFMANN (since 25 February 2002) and Vice President Raouf BUNDHUN (since 25 February 2002); Prime Minister Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 17 September 2000) and Deputy Prime Minister Paul BERENGER (since 17 September 2000)

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Presidential electionpercent of vote

52.3%
MSM/MMM 52.3%MLP/PMSD 36.9%OPR 10.8%last held on 11 September 2000 (next to be held by September 2005)

National Assembly, 62 seats, elected 11 September 2000one dot, one seat

MSM/MMM 54MLP/PMSD 6OPR 2

Percent of vote

MSM/MMM 52.3%MLP/PMSD 36.9%OPR 10.8%

Country name

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

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Capital

Port Louis

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

Independence

12 March 1968 (from UK)

National holiday

Independence Day, 12 March (1968)

Constitution

12 March 1968; amended 12 March 1992

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state:
President Karl OFFMANN (since 25 February 2002) and Vice President Raouf BUNDHUN (since 25 February 2002)
head of government:
Prime Minister Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 17 September 2000) and Deputy Prime Minister Paul BERENGER (since 17 September 2000)
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 25 February 2002 (next to be held NA 2007);
  • prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president, responsible to the National Assembly
election results:
Karl OFFMANN elected president and Raouf BUNDHUN elected vice president; percent of vote by the National Assembly - NA%

Legislative branch

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 11 September 2000 (next to be held by September 2005)
election results:
percent of vote by party - MSM/MMM 52.3%, MLP/PMSD 36.9%, OPR 10.8%; seats by party - MSM/MMM 54, MLP/PMSD 6, OPR 2

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

  • Hizbullah [Cehl Mohamed FAKEEMEEAH];
  • Mauritian Labor Party or MLP [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM];
  • Mauritian Militant Movement or MMM [Paul BERENGER] - in coalition with MSM;
  • Mauritian Militant Renaissance or MMR [Dr. Paramhansa NABABSING];
  • Mauritian Social Democrat Party or PMSD [Charles Xavier-Luc DUVAL];
  • Militant Socialist Movement or MSM [Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH] - governing party;
  • Rodrigues Movement or OPR [Joseph (Nicholas) Von MALLY]

International organization participation

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Usha JEETAH
FAX:
[1] (202) 966-0983
telephone:
[1] (202) 244-1491, 1492
chancery:
4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 441, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador John PRICE
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
telephone:
[230] 202-4400
FAX:
[230] 208-9534

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, and tourist sectors.

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Real growth rate
5.2%
(2001 est.)industrial production growth: 8% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate
8.6%
(2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(1999 est.)

agriculture 6%industry 33%services 61% (1999 est.)

Budget

Revenues
$1.1 billionExpenditures
$1.2 billion (1999 est.)
expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Electricity

fossil fuel 91%hydro 9%other 0% · nuclear 0%
Electricity production
1.285 billion (2000)Electricity consumption
1.195 billion (2000)

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.

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 foreign investment. Mauritius has attracted more than 9,000 offshore entities, many aimed at commerce in India and South Africa, and investment in the banking sector alone has reached over $1 billion.

Mauritius, with its strong textile sector and responsible fiscal management, was well-poised to take advantage of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

GDP

purchasing power parity - $12.9 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $10,800 (2001 est.)

Labor force

514,000 (1995) (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) (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. (2001 est.)

Exports - commodities

clothing and textiles, sugar, cut flowers, molasses

Exports - partners

UK 25.8%, France 20.8%, US 16.0%, South Africa 10.9%, Germany, Italy (2000 est.)

Imports

$2 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)

Imports - commodities

manufactured goods, capital equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals (1996)

Imports - partners

South Africa 20.0%, France 19.0%, India 9.0%, Hong Kong 5.2%, UK (2000 est.)

Debt - external

$2.3 billion (2000 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$42 million (1997) (1997)

Currency

Mauritian rupee (MUR)

Exchange rates

Mauritian rupees per US dollar - 30.345 (January 2002), 29.129 (2001), 26.250 (2000), 25.186 (1999), 22.993 (1998), 21.057 (1997)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

Communications

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Mobile cellular
180,000
(2000)
Fixed lines
280,900
(2000) · country code .mu

Telephone system

general assessment:
small system with good service
domestic:
primarily microwave radio relay trunk system
international:
  • satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean);
  • new microwave link to Reunion;
  • HF radiotelephone links to several countries

Radio broadcast stations

AM 4, FM 9, shortwave 0 (2002)

Radios

420,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations

2 (plus several repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

258,000 (1997)

Internet users

158,000 (2002)

Transportation

8 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right

1
over 3,047 m
1
914 to 1,523 m
2
under 914 m
1
Paved 2Unpaved 3

Networkskm

Highways
1,860Railways
0 (2002)
Highways: paved: 1,786 km (including 36 km of expressways) · unpaved: 74 km (2001)

Highways

total:
1,860 km
paved:
1,786 km (including 36 km of expressways)
unpaved:
74 km (2001)

Merchant marine

total:
8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 66,004 GRT/90,017 DWT
ships by type:
cargo 2, combination bulk 2, container 2, refrigerated cargo 2

note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience:, Belgium 1, India 3, Norway 1, Switzerland 2 (2002 est.)

Airports

5 (2001)

Military

National Police Force (includes the paramilitary Special Mobile Force or SMF and National Coast Guard)

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Military branches

National Police Force (includes the paramilitary Special Mobile Force or SMF and National Coast Guard)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 340,050 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 171,239 (2002 est.)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

Disputes - international

  • Mauritius claims the Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory), and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation in 2001;
  • claims French-administered Tromelin Island

Illicit drugs

  • minor 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

Central Intelligence Agency. “Mauritius.” The World Factbook 2002. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/mauritius/2002.

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