Mauritius

Republic of Mauritius

parliamentary democracyIndependence 12 March 1968 (from UK)

Mauritius as the 2004 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 117 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

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CapitalPort Louis
Position20 17 S, 57 33 E
Area2,040 sq km
LocationSouthern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar
2004

Every edition of Mauritius

Populationas each edition published it
1.22 million July 2004 est. · 1.07m in 1990
Population growth% a year
0.81% 2004 est. · 0.95% in 1993
Median ageyears
30.1 years 2004 est. · 29.8 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
72.09 years 2004 est. · 70.24 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
1.97 children per woman 2004 est. · 2 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
15.57 deaths per 1,000 live births 2004 est. · 20 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$11,400 2003 est. · $2,300 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
4.1% 2003 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

18 fields

Land useshare of 2,040 sq km

arable land 49.26%permanent crops 2.96%other 47.78% (2001)irrigated 200 sq km (2000 est.)
Area
2,040sq km
land: 2,030 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 kmterritorial sea: 12 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmcontinental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
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, 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

19 fields
Population
1,220,481
(July 2004 est.)growth rate: 0.81% (2004 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2004 est.)

Birth
15.85Death
6.82Net migration
-0.9

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2004 est.)72.09
68.11 · 76.13Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)15.57
18.36 · 12.73
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (2003 est.)85.6%
88.6% · 82.7%Median age years (2004 est.)30.1
29.3 · 31.1
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:
24.8% (male 152,424; female 149,908)
15-64 years:
68.8% (male 418,836; female 420,411)
65 years and over:
6.5% (male 31,104; female 47,798) (2004 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:
0.65 male(s)/female
total population:
0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.97 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 100 (2001 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Mauritian(s)
adjective:
Mauritian

Languages

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

Government

Parliamentary democracy; President Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 7 October 2003) and Vice President Abdool Raouf BUNDHUN (since 25 February 2002); Prime Minister Paul BERENGER (since 30 September 2003)

18 fields

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 NA September 2004)

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 Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 7 October 2003) and Vice President Abdool Raouf BUNDHUN (since 25 February 2002)
head of government:
Prime Minister Paul BERENGER (since 30 September 2003)
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;
  • note - Karl OFFMANN stepped down on 30 September 2003

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 NA September 2004)
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 Social Democrat Party or PMSD [Charles Xavier-Luc DUVAL];
  • Militant Socialist Movement or MSM [Pravind JUGNAUTH] - governing party;
  • Rodrigues Movement or MR [Joseph (Nicholas) Von MALLY];
  • Rodrigues Peoples Organization or OPR [Serge CLAIR]

International organization participation

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US

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

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.

40 fields
Real growth rate
4.1%
(2003 est.)industrial production growth: 8% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate
9.8%
(2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(2003 est.)

agriculture 6.1%industry 30.3%services 63.6% (2003 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

31%
UK
21.3%
France
12%
17.6%
US
South Africa
12.1%
China
8.4%
India
8.2%
6.3%
Madagascar
Exports $1.965 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)Imports $2.136 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)(2003)

Budget

Revenues
$1.122 billionExpenditures
$1.461 billion (2003)
expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Electricity

Electricity production
1.311 billion (2001)Electricity consumption
1.219 billion (2001)

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 expanding local financial institutions and building a domestic information telecommunications industry. 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, has been well poised to take advantage of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

GDP

purchasing power parity - $13.85 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $11,400 (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

22.9% of GDP (2003)

Labor force

560,000 (2003)

Labor force - by occupation

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

Public debt

31.9% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products

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

Industries

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

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption

21,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Current account balance

$289 million (2003)

Exports

$1.965 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities

clothing and textiles, sugar, cut flowers, molasses

Imports

$2.136 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities

manufactured goods, capital equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals

Debt - external

$1.75 billion (2003 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$42 million (1997)

Currency

Mauritian rupee (MUR)

Exchange rates

Mauritian rupees per US dollar - 27.9015 (2003), 29.962 (2002), 29.1293 (2001), 26.2496 (2000), 25.1858 (1999)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

Communications

8 fields
Mobile cellular
462,400
(2003)
Internet users
3,985
(2003)
Fixed lines
348,200
(2003) · country code .mu

Telephone system

general assessment:
small system with good service
domestic:
primarily microwave radio relay trunk system
international:
  • country code - 230;
  • satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean);
  • new microwave link to Reunion;
  • HF radiotelephone links to several countries;
  • fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC/SAFE) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia

Radio broadcast stations

AM 4, FM 9, shortwave 0 (2002)

Television broadcast stations

2 (plus several repeaters) (1997)

Internet users

150,000 (2003)

Transportation

6 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right

1
over 3,047 m
1
914 to 1,523 m
2
under 914 m
2
Paved 2Unpaved 4

Highways

total:
1,926 km
paved:
1,868 km (including 44 km of expressways)
unpaved:
58 km (2000)

Merchant marine

total:
8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 22,946 GRT/27,102 DWT
by type:
cargo 1, combination bulk 4, passenger/cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 2
foreign-owned:
Belgium 1, India 4, Switzerland 2 (2004 est.)

Airports

5 (2003 est.)

Military

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

5 fields

Military branches

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

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 342,482 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 172,157 (2004 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, 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 2004. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/mauritius/2004.

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