Mauritius

• tropical, modified by southeast trade winds;
• warm, dry winter (May to November);
• hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)

total:

0.73 cu km/yr (30%/3%/68%)

per capita:

568.2 cu m/yr (2003)

party to:

Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, 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

• the main island, from which the country derives its name, is of volcanic origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs;
• former home of the dodo, a large flightless bird related to pigeons, driven to extinction by the end of the 17th century through a combination of hunting and the introduction of predatory species

noun:

Mauritian(s)

adjective:

Mauritian

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1.02 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

1 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.9 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.67 male(s)/female

total population:

0.97 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

conventional long form:

Republic of Mauritius

conventional short form:

Mauritius

local long form:

Republic of Mauritius

local short form:

Mauritius

name:

Port Louis

geographic coordinates:

20 09 S, 57 29 E

time difference:

UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

• several previous;
• latest adopted 12 March 1968;
• amended many times, last in 2012 (2012)

chief of state:

President Rajkeswur Kailash PURRYAG (since 21 July 2012); note - former President Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH resigned on 31 March 2012

head of government:

Prime Minister Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM (since 5 July 2005)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)

elections:

• president and vice president elected by the National Assembly for five-year terms (eligible for a second term);
• elections last held on 21 July 2012 (next to be held in 2017);
• prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president, responsible to the National Assembly;
• note - former President Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH resigned on 31 March 2012

election results:

Rajkeswur Kailash PURRYAG elected president by unanimous vote; percent of vote by the National Assembly - NA

highest court(s):

Supreme Court of Mauritius (consists of the chief justice, a senior puisne judge, and 17 puisne judges)

judge selection and term of office:

• chief justice appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister;
• senior puisne judge appointed by the president with the advice of the chief justice;
• other puisne judges appointed by the president with the advice of the Judicial and Legal Commission, a 4-member body of judicial officials including the chief justice;
• all judges serve until retirement at age 62

subordinate courts:

• Court of Civil Appeal;
• Court of Criminal Appeal;
• Public Bodies Appeal Tribunal (formed by a 2008 constitutional amendment)

• Alliance of the Future or AF [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM] (governing coalition - includes MLP, MMSM, MR, MSD, PMSD)
• Mauritian Labor Party or MLP [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM]
• Mauritian Militant Movement or MMM [Paul BERENGER]
• Mauritian Militant Socialist Movement or MMSM [Pravind JUGNAUTH]
• Mauritian Socialist Militant Movement or MSMM [Madan DULLOO]
• Mauritian Solidarity Front of FSM [Cehl FAKEERMEEAH]
• Maurition Social Democratic Party or PMSD [Xavier Luc DUVAL]
• Rodrigues Movement or MR [Joseph (Nicholas) Von MALLY]
• Rodrigues Peoples Organization or OPR [Serge CLAIR]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Somduth SOBORUN (since 28 January 2011)

chancery:

1709 N Street NW, Washington, DC 20036; administrative offices - 3201 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 441, Washington, DC 20036

telephone:

[1] (202) 244-1491 through 1492

FAX:

[1] (202) 966-0983

chief of mission:

Ambassador Shari VILLAROSA (since 10 September 2012; note - also accredited to Seychelles

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, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2450

telephone:

[230] 202-4400

FAX:

[230] 208-9534

• four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green;
• red represents self-determination and independence, blue the Indian Ocean surrounding the island, yellow has been interpreted as the new light of independence, golden sunshine, or the bright future, and green can symbolize either agriculture or the lush vegetation of the island

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

agriculture and fishing:

9%

construction and industry:

30%

transportation and communication:

7%

trade, restaurants, hotels:

22%

finance:

6%

other services:

25% (2007)

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

general assessment:

small system with good service

domestic:

• monopoly over fixed-line services terminated in 2005;
• fixed-line teledensity roughly 30 per 100 persons;
• mobile-cellular services launched in 1989 with current teledensity roughly 100 per 100 persons

international:

• country code - 230;
• landing point for the SAFE submarine cable that provides links to Asia and South Africa where it connects to the SAT-3/WASC submarine cable that provides further links to parts of East Africa, and Europe;
• satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean);
• new microwave link to Reunion;
• HF radiotelephone links to several countries (2011)

• the government maintains control over TV broadcasting through the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), which operates 3 analog and 10 digital TV stations;
• MBC is a shareholder in a local company that operates 2 pay-TV stations;
• the state retains the largest radio broadcast network with multiple stations;
• several private radio broadcasters have entered the market since 2001;
• transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are available (2007)

total:

2,149 km

country comparison to the world: 173

paved:

2,149 km (includes 75 km of expressways) (2012)

males age 16-49:

280,596

females age 16-49:

283,317 (2010 est.)

male:

10,193

female:

10,104 (2010 est.)

• 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